Monty Don shares video of a HUGE grass snake - as a warning about what could be lurking in your bag of garden compost

Published: 17:05, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 17:11, 30 June 2026 Gardeners' World's Monty Don has shared a video of a huge grass snake warning that the critters could be lurking in garden compost. While dealing with crocodiles in swimming pools might be more of a regular occurrence for those living Down Under, Brits could face an invasion of a different kind of reptile in their back gardens. Horticulturalist Monty Don has warned gardeners that they might find something slithering in their compost heaps when they turn it over.  Taking to Instagram, Monty shared a squeamish video of a large snake slithering along a garden fence before disappearing into the dirt.     The broadcaster said that every year grass snakes lay their eggs in the compost- which then get uncovered when the compost is turned. It is an encounter of the reptilian kind that some Brits might find terrifying, but the snakes are completely harmless. He continued: 'I know some people don't like any kind of snake but I am very happy to share this garden with grass snakes.' Grass snakes are Britain's longest snakes, growing as large as a metre in length. While they tend to live in woodland, their attraction to bodies of water means they often venture into people's gardens. Taking to Instagram, Monty Don shared a squeamish video of a large snake slithering along a garden fence before disappearing into the dirt Horticulturalist Monty Don has warned gardeners that they might find something slithering in their compost heaps when they turn it over Shy creatures, grass snakes will often flee if they hear people approaching. Adders are another species of snake found in Britain but, unlike grass snakes, they are venomous and have been known to bite people from time to time.  In May, Zak Brown was bitten by an adder while paddleboarding with a friend at Cavenham Heath National Nature Reserve in Suffolk. Within seconds, the 39-year-old felt a sharp stabbing sensation on his left ankle and looked down to see a snake attached to his heel. Describing the pain as ‘instant’ and ‘burning’, Mr Brown quickly realised he needed to seek medical treatment, but with no immediate way to leave the area, he and his companion had no alternative but to paddle for two hours back to the car. After heading to hospital, he was given an injection of anti-venom and remained overnight for observation. Doctors said Mr Brown was lucky the adder was just a juvenile, as the effects of venom from an adult snake may have been more serious. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.