The Smooth Snake is a very rare snake that can only be found in limited parts of England in Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. It lives on heathlands that have dense vegetation and light sandy soil. It needs sandy soil so it can dig a burrow to hide and rest in. It is one of three native snakes which include the Adder and the Grass Snake.

The Smooth Snake is a relatively small snake with a length of about fifty to seventy centimetres. It can easily be recognised because it has a large dark heart-shaped patch on the top of its head. It also has a black stripe on each side of its face. The male Smooth Snake is a brownish red colour and the female is greyish green.

The Smooth Snake is a very secretive snake that spends a lot of time hiding under the ground or under rocks and stones. It is not a venomous snake like the Adder so it kills it prey by wrapping its coils around it. Like all reptiles, Smooth Snakes are cold-blooded which means they need the heat of the sun to make them more active. Smooth Snakes moult their skins once or twice a year. They also hibernate underground between October and April when the weather is very cold.