Montpellier snakes seen basking in the sun in central Elda are carefully removed and relocated in natural habitat

ELDA’S Policia Local recently had to remove two poisonous Montpellier snakes from the town centre.
The first, a relatively small specimen, was spotted sunning itself on the patio of a house on Calle Espronceda.  As it belongs to a protected species, it was carefully removed and later freed unharmed on the skirts of the nearby Monte Bolon.
Officers were called out again two days later when another, considerably larger, Montpellier snake was seen on the stairs of a wing at the Miguel Servet school.
Again, it was removed without difficulty and released in La Melva, a rural area outside Elda.
The Montpellier snake, which is aggressive when cornered, has a painful bite that causes local inflammation but is only mildly poisonous and not life-threatening.