The 340-year-old cheese found on shipwreck off Sweden

Divers have found what they believe to be a very old, very smelly cheese in a jar stuck on the sea bed, near Sweden.

The stinky discovery was made when the team were exploring the wreck of the Kronan, a warship that sank 340 years ago.

They didn't know it was cheese until the journey to the surface caused some of the contents to leak, releasing a very strong smell.

But in matters as important as the potential discovery of 340-year-old cheese, you can't just trust your nose.

So the team have sent their discovery to a laboratory so that they can know for sure what they have found.

don't go to the moon ?

if you are an astronaut you may be five times more likely to die of a heart attack if go all the way to the moon.this is due to cosmic radiation beyond earths  protective magnetic field .3 of apollo 24 astronauts who flew to moon have died of heart disease  including neil armstrong the first man on the moon .

42 Old English Insults

Besides being the greatest writer in the history of the English language, William Shakespeare was the master of the pithy put-down. So the nervous servant who tells Macbeth his castle is under attack is dismissed as a “cream-faced loon.” Oswald in King Lear isn’t just a useless idiot, he’s a “whoreson zed,” an “unnecessary letter.” Lear’s ungrateful daughter Goneril is “a plague-sore,” an “embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood.” And when Falstaff doubts something Mistress Quickly has said in Henry IV: Part 1, he claims, “there’s no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune.” (And there’s a good chance he didn’t intend “stewed prune” to mean dried fruit.) But you don’t have to rely just on Shakespeare to spice up your vocabulary. Next time someone winds you up or you need to win an argument in fine style, why not try dropping one of these old-fashioned insults into your conversation? 

1. ABYDOCOMIST

Abydos was a city in Ancient Egypt whose inhabitants, according to one 19th century dictionary, “were famous for inventing slanders and boasting of them.” Whether that’s true or not, the name Abydos is the origin of abydocomist—a liar who brags about their lies. -read more

Dartmoor Lynx recaptured after three weeks on run latest news update

A lynx that escaped from Dartmoor Zoo in Devon has been captured - after more than three weeks on the run.

The police had warned that the cat, named Flaviu, could be dangerous if cornered.

The Carpathian lynx, the size of a large domestic cat, was found after walking into a humane trap and is now back at the zoo.

Zoo owner Ben Mee told BBC Radio Devon it was "a huge relief" to have got the animal back.

He said that they had been "living in the hope" that he would wander into a trap looking for foodread more

Pink Floyd 'Early Years' 27-Disc Box Set Coming in November

Pink Floyd are prepping a massive retrospective that will cover the pioneering psychedelic band's formation and growth into one of the most influential rock acts in history. The Early Years 1965-1972, a 27-disc box set featuring unreleased demos, TV appearances and more than 20 unreleased songs will hit stores on Nov. 11. Collected in 7 individual book-style packages, the set will bundle more than 15 hours of video, including rare BBC Sessions, live concert performances, interviews and 3 feature films:The Committee, More and La Vallée (Obscured by Clouds).

Pink Floyd's First Four Albums Are Being Reissued on Vinyl 

Previously unheard tracks in the bundle include 1967's "Vegetable Man" and "In the Beechwoods," which have been remixed for the release, as well as remixed and updated versions of the music from the film Zabriskie Point. A 2-CD highlights package,The Early Years -- CRE/ATION, will be released on Nov. 11 as well through Pink Floyd Records; each box will also be released separately in 2017 with the exception of the bonus disc CONTINU/ATION, a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray collection that includes a disc of early BBC Radio session, the audio tracks from The Committee film, the band's live soundtrack to the 1969 NASA moon landings and other extras.read more

What is the body mass index (BMI)?

BMI ranges

For most adults, an ideal BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range.

For children and young people aged 2 to 18, the BMI calculation takes into account age and gender as well as height and weight.

If your BMI is:

• below 18.5 – you're in the underweight range
• between 18.5 and 24.9 – you're in the healthy weight range
• between 25 and 29.9 – you're in the overweight range
• between 30 and 39.9 – you're in the obese range 

If you want to calculate your BMI, see How can I work out my BMI? or try our healthy weight calculator. 

Accuracy of BMI

BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height.

As well as measuring your BMI, healthcare professionals may take other factors into account when assessing if you're a healthy weight.

Muscle is much denser than fat, so very muscular people, such as heavyweight boxers, weight trainers and athletes, may be a healthy weight even though their BMI is classed as obese.

Your ethnic group can also affect your risk of some health conditions. For example, adults of Asian origin may have a higher risk of health problems at BMI levels below 25.

You should not use BMI as a measure if you're pregnant. Get advice from your midwife or GP if you're concerned about your weight.

Further information:

• How can I work out my BMI?
• What are the benefits of losing weight?
• Why is my waist size important?
• Lose weight-read more

This Is the Oldest Evidence of Cancer in Humans

 The oldest evidence of cancer in human relatives has long been a 120,000-year-old Neanderthal. A single foot bone changes that, by a lot. Belonging to an early hominin who lived 1.7 million years ago in South Africa, it holds the oldest example of a malignant tumor in a human ancestor and upends scientists' view of cancer throughout history. The bone, which ran from the ankle to the pinky toe of a Homo ergaster orParanthropus robustus hominin, per the BBC, was actually discovered decades ago but recently re-examined with high-resolution X-rays. They revealed bone cancer, possibly osteosarcoma, with an "irregular spongy woven bone texture with a cauliflower-like external appearance," scientists say, per NPR.

"We tested this particular bone with a known modern human osteosarcoma specimen, and it looked identical," a researcher tells CNN. The cancer would have affected the individual's movement, though it isn't clear if it was fatal, reports New Scientist. "This kind of research changes perceptions of cancer," says study author Patrick Randolph-Quinney of the University of Central Lancashire. "Even if we have very healthy, perfect lifestyles we still have the capacity for cancer. It is an inherent part of our evolutionary process." Scientists also discovered the oldest known human tumor in the vertebrae of a child who lived 2 million years ago, though that growth was benign. (Meet a human relative we didn't know existed until fairly recently.)

big cat connection to world cup final 1966.

yes folks there are two links to the world cup final 1966 -the first being the mascot world cup willie -a teddy bear like lion with a england logo and was england's team official mascot during world cup 1966 .the second being gottifried dienst who visited the lions of longleat when received news about beng wold cup referee .

A look back at Solar Impulse 2’s extraordinary round-the-world solar flight

In March 2015, solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse 2 took on the mammoth task of a round-the-world flight without a drop of fuel.

More than a year later, the plane successfully landed back Tuesday where it started and has managed to clock up a number of world records. Dubbed as the "definition of adventure" by its pilots and having brought solar-powered technology to the forefront of people's minds, CNBC takes a look back at some of Solar Impulse 2's most noteworthy moments during its round-the-world trip.

Before taking flight

The concept of Solar Impulse actually dates back to 1999, when pilot Bertrand Piccard flew around the globe in a balloon. On his trip with Brian Jones, Piccard became extremely conscious of the amount of fuel needed during the voyage; triggering a desire to ensure his next round-the-world flight was fuel and emissions-free.read more

alex a bit of a puppet

rare grasshopper

this grasshopper was spotted in prees heath common reserve,shops.the normal colour of a grasshopper is green or brown but this pink is caused by a genetic mutation that leads to excess of red pigment.

siberian tiger mauls woman

at badaling wildlife world beijing ,china a siberian tiger pounced on a woman who left her car after an argument with her family.the mother of family was mauled to death by a second tiger when she tried to help ,the park is now shut due to incident.

goats eat hill

residents at cromer ,norfolk are unhappy with goats brought in to improve beauty spot.this is due to the said goats eating nearly everything - a trait of goats i believe-including flowers ,scrubs,hedges.now cromer town council are moving the goats despite plans to keep on spot untill october.

I wish to do a blog post about the real Holsworthy and its community to put our town in a better light would anyone like to contribute

Sarah May I've been in Chilsworthy since February and find the people lovely. I go to Holsworthy regularly to get few bits and never had a problem, people always seemed polite. Eaten in the cafe and had smiles and a chat from the old regulars. Fair week was great and a really friendly atmosphere.Rosalie Stoate Right Mark, here goes! I've lived in Holsworthy all of my 59 years as have generations before me of my family. My grandfather and after that my Dad owned Vivians grocery store which is now the CoOp and we lived above the shop, it was fantastic!
I love Holsworthy and could talk about it forever but I'd just like to mention all the events that go on here:
We have the Ruby Run, charity football matches, Vintage Rally, St Peter's Fair ( for a whole week) which includes loads of events and entertainment, Parade of Witness, Armistice Day parade, Holsworthy Agricultural Show, Carnival, HATS shows and the big one that runs for two weeks, the Pantomime, switching on of the Christmas lights, late night Christmas shopping, food festival in the park, recently,there have been plays put on in Badock Gardens, I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten about. That's before you consider what the villages put on too and many Church based events. 
A lot of these events are free and run by people in their own time. 
For anyone that slags off Holsworthy, they really should stop and consider what a wonderful, generous community we live in.....ps, it's always the same old types that never have a good word to say about the place!Mary Robertson I also lived in Holsworthy all my life , my children were all schooled here and my grandchildren . Holsworthy as a great community spirit. If you Dont like Holsworthy ,just move some where you do like.Amy Clarke Holsworthy has always been my home and I love it....honestly I don't know what some people expect ...it's a small town with a great community where a lot happens if you can be bothered to get off your arse and take part! XEmma Hedger I moved to Holsworthy Town just over 3 years ago I lived in Kent most of my life I would say I would not go back Holsworthy is a lovely place to live and people are very friendly I have 2 teenage daughters who also have adjusted to there life down here and have settled in well 😊😊Holsworthy Town Holsworthy is awesome, not many towns have the community spirit we do. Our town will also remain a traditional town for many years to come because of the people who make it awesome.
Also, what town lets you get pissed up in public with free live music for a week? 

Cmon... Holsworthy is awesome on so many levelsRoger Woodward Me and my wife have live in Holsworthy Town for nealy 7-8 years now . moveing hear was the best thiing we ever did. We came form berkshire and if you have never lived any were eles in you life you mite think this is a shit holl but think again when you have come from somewear that has increasing kife , gun, sexlal crime on your door step every day. We moved hear to give us and my kids a better life ok everwere has crime but how often do you see police in town. We think holsworthy is a grate place with a grate8 community to live in. We love it.😄Charlotte Henry I have a special place in my heart for Holsworthy. I've live in and around Holsworthy for years, but having moved back 18 months ago with family in tow, we couldn't wait to leave the shackles of town behind. 
I wonder what the future will hold for the next generation, which seems to be split into two, those who leave to earn money and those who stay and depend on hand outs, (not that I stand here in judgement at all, but if it's not the farmers depending of EU grands and gov funding then it's the poverty stricken society who have little prospect of a highly paid job, even if 'they' work still having to depend on tax credits to support their families) 
With poverty in mind I wonder who allowed, the most expensive in the whole of Uk supermarket to stay in town, ever increasing the divided between those who can and those who can't. Thank goodness ALDI moved to Bideford because people of Holsworthy are getting ripped off from Waitroes and Co op, every day and no one can do anything about it!!! 

I do wonder how you get such bad people of society and how none dose anything to stop the pure evil. But everyone's a hard man on moan and groan!!

The secondary school, omg where do I start... I am so disappointed by that school it's crazy. How Mrs Isles is still there I don't know, she has systematically turned every kid away from music and there are files of complaints about her but still Fitzsimons protects her and gives her a wage ,which in my opinion she is a thief by taking because she dose nothing to earn that money in fact she puts so much effort into getting the kids to hate music that by the time kids have options she may only get 2-3 per class, and even then they don't A*!!!! 
PE is compulsory there to to compensate for the lack of education regarding food, (Kennerdy gets kids to add sugar to pasta water etc... Wtf... ) 

Omg I could go on forever but I've got to live a life... ☯Michael Curtis It's a wonderful Town . Amazing support every time we have needed it . Urge to all to volunteer to help with the events to ensure they continueJane Holmes My grand daughters both went to Holsworthy school. The eldest left 2 yrs ago with 9 passes, the 2nd left this summer and is expected to do equally well. No complaints. If you don't like the town, then work hard to make it better - simples.Jake Moriarty Holsworthy to me as an outsider (Bude) has the nostalgia that we all moan about losing. Friendly community, unspoiled architecture, good value shops with local assistants, an agricultural working town with excellent markets and wholesalers on perimeters. My biggest worry is that unless you guys keep abreast of planning depts. you will go the same way as us and Newquay. Please, please don't let this happen. I love going to Holsworthy for a breath of fresh air.Andrea Jessop I moved our factory here last year and it was the best thing I have done. I was asked if we would be ambasadors to encourage others, but when I asked if there was plans to build anymore industrial units to house potential businesses the answer was no. Personally I think that needs to be addressed to encourange other businesses here and therefore work opportunities.

Amy Clarke I agree with the work issue...but there is football, gymnastics, theatre, dance , karate and army cadets to name a few for things to do...not bad I reckon! X

Like · Reply · 3-thanks for all the replies i moved to holsworthy a year ago and find it better than the big main towns mark aka ghostman .

1966 World Cup: Special event marks 50 years since England's football win

Two of the men who ensured World Cup glory for England's football team 50 years ago are set to take centre stage at Wembley Arena for a special commemoration of the historic win.

Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Geoff Hurst will recount their memories of the 1966 win to an audience of 10,000 people.

Actor Martin Freeman will read memories from the late captain Sir Bobby Moore.

The event, which will also feature live music, will be simulcast on BBC Radio 2, 5 live and in some English cinemas.

The day will also see songs from 1966 rearranged and performed by the likes of James, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Squeeze, Reef, Lemar and the Troggs.

Chris Farlowe will give a one-off performance of his 1966 number one hit Out of Time - which was number one in the charts on the day England won.

There will also be an opportunity for fans to reflect and speak about their memories of the day Alf Ramsey's England side defeated West Germany 4-2 in extra time.read more see video hear commentary

Cancer found in ancient human ancestor's foot

The earliest evidence of cancer in the human fossil record has been discovered in a cave in South Africa, an international team of scientists say.

The aggressive tumour was found in a 1.7 million-year-old toe from an ancient human ancestor.

The toe belonged to one of the early hominins, either Homo ergaster orParanthropus robustus.

The researchers said the findings clearly show cancer is not a disease of modern society, as some people claim.

Tumours have been detected in remains before - a Croatian Neandertal who walked the Earth around 120,000 years ago was one of the oldest.

The new discovery was made in a toe bone from Swartkrans cave in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site near Johannesburg.

Data, published in the South African Journal of Science, showed the metatarsal had osteosarcoma - a rare and deadly form of bone cancer.

Meanwhile, the South African and British researchers also found a benign growth in the Despite cancers being detected in a wide range of species, some people believe the disease is a uniquely modern problem.

Edward Odes, one of the researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand, said: "Modern medicine tends to assume that cancers and tumours in humans are diseases caused by modern lifestyles and environments. Our studies show the origins of these diseases occurred in our ancient relatives millions of years before modern industrial societies existed."

Dr Patrick Randolph-Quinney, from the University of Central Lancashire, told the BBC News website: "The idea that cancers are recent has come out of work on Egyptian mummies where they failed to find evidence of cancers in X-rays, which has skewed our reasoning on this."

However, he added that modern lifestyles do increase the risk of some tumours: "The rise of colorectal cancer with a Western diet, liver cancers from alcohol consumption, lung cancer and smoking are all diseases of modernity.

"There's lots of different causes of cancer and they change through history - if you were a chimney sweep in London you were likely to get lung cancer - a lot is context dependent with new diets and new toxins."

Hannah Birkett, from the Bone Cancer Research Trust, commented: "This discovery is really exciting for osteosarcoma and the field of primary bone cancer research as a whole.

"Modern lifestyles and environmental factors loom large in people's perceptions of the cause of cancer and this finding reconfirms the importance of considering other factors such as bone growth.

"This discovery will hopefully open new doors into investigating the cause of osteosarcoma further."backbone of a two million-year-old Australopithecus sediba fossil from the Malapa cave.

1 st yellow belt -gesar karate assessment .

this time this assessment took place in holsworthy leisure centre on wednesday 20th july 2016 .myself and fellow adult student alan -grading for 2nd white belt started with a fitness test then into techniques required in the following stances -standing hachi dachi,standing shiko,moving zenkutsu dachi,moving sanchin dachi,moving neko hachi dachi,moving shiko dachi,we also did rendori and i did the following kata -geikisai dai ichi .it was hard work and i was just as nervous as when did my first assessment .afterwards me and alan were guided by sensi  on pointers to improve upon and we both passed.so now i need to work harder do more sit ups ,pratice pratice and try to attend more claases and go forward on my journey in martial arts.

lynx news update updated

dartmoor zoo staff are worried about the trend of humans or hunters wanting to get a selfie maybe with flaviu dead?and even found a man tracking this big cat with his dog.possible sighting in garden in horrabridge 12 miles away from zoo.now dartmoor zoo are making an appeal for 5,000 pounds to buy more sensor cameras .this will help double the 35 already in use in aid to cover a larger area.also  the zoo has hired a top tracker to help capture this big cat and he has so far spent 2 nights searching for flaviu.

lose weight not?

is it right that fish,rats,mice are being genetically altered to help people be thinner.so far 4.4 million has been spent on in my opinion a waste of money and time and cruel .also procedures were carried out on cats,dogs,horses ,primates so just try to eat less .

English Heritage calls for jousting to be made Olympic sport

A castle in Suffolk has hosted its first ever medieval jousting tournament this weekend as calls are made to make it an Olympic sport.

English Heritage says it's one of the oldest equestrian sports in the world and has begun an online petition to gather support."The very people at the top of the sport, the professionals, are working at high levels, just like our modern athletes, swimmers, all those who dedicate their daily training, they're riding 4 to 5 horses a day, they're then practising marital arts and combining the two to make mounted combat and jousting, something that is not just entertainment for people in castles here like Framlingham, but also around the world and jousting has become a phenomenon because of social media."

– DOMINIC SEWELL, JOUSTING CONSULTANT, ENGLISH HERITAGE.Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, an English Heritage site, is holding its first ever jousting tournament over the weekend.

It comes as earlier this week the charity announced it was starting an online petition to make jousting an Olympic sport.

But recognises that it will be a long road to the sport getting Olympic status.

"We want to see jousting take its rightful place at the Olympics table. It is one of the oldest equestrian sports in the world, and requires similar levels of athleticism and artistry as other official Olympic sports."

– LUCY HUTCHINGS, ENGLISH HERITAGE'S HEAD OF PROJECTS-read more

fish don't always take the bait.

sometimes when people are uncertain about things or you thier will go fishing for info with bait of trying to be helpful .if you are strong willed you will not take the bait given to you as you may look bad in others eyes .

Led Zeppelin Announce Expanded 'Complete BBC Sessions'

A year after Led Zeppelin issued their final catalogue reissues, the group has uncovered more rarities: eight unreleased recordings they made for the BBC, including a "lost" three-song session from 1969. These new discoveries will round out an expanded and remastered edition of the band's 1997 release, BBC Sessions, which covers recordings made between 1969 and 1971, for what it has renamed The Complete BBC Sessions. It's scheduled to come out on September 16th.

RELATED

Jimmy Page: The Song That Changed My Life

Jimmy Page details the one song that changed his life in a new book by music journalist Bob Boilen.

The previously unreleased tracks will complete a third disc of the previously two-disc compilation. These include two versions of "Communication Breakdown" and "What Is and What Should Never Be," as well as "Dazed and Confused." The lost, March 1969 session – once fabled to have been erased from its master tapes – contains the oft-bootlegged, -read more

Soot from asteroid causing temperatures to plummet may have wiped out dinosaurs,

Scientists say this caused a lengthy period of darkness which led to a drop in temperatures.

The rapid climate change sparked droughts, devastated plant life, cooled oceans and killed off land and marine creatures over several years, says the study by Japan’s Tohoku University.

The impact in the Yucatan Peninsula left a crater 110 miles wide..Earlier theories suggested that dust from the impact may have blocked the sun, or that sulphates may have contaminated the atmosphere.

But researchers say it is unlikely that either phenomenon could have lasted long enough to have driven the extinction.

Now the team is studying other mass extinctions in the hopes of further understanding the processes behind them

are near death experiences real?

as you may know near death experiences differ depending on your religion-christians -bright light ,hindus -float down  a river ,muslims see  a door .but some scientists based in belgium believe this experience is just our nervous system rection in your brain .my personal experience may not classify as a near death but whilst i was in a coma due to a blood sugar count of 124 i heard a woman's voice in the darkness telling me to wake up and this voice was not my  wife,s or anyone else i knew and suddenly i got a very very overwhelming feeling to wake up and up to my loyal reader what you believe .

Enid (given name)this is my wife's name

Enid (/ˈiːnɪd/ ee-nid; Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɛnɨ̞d]) is a feminine given name, the origin of which is Middle Welsh eneit, meaning "purity", literally "soul" (from Proto-Celtic *ana-ti̯o-, compare Gaulish anatia "souls (?)" attested on the Larzac tablet, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂enh₁- "to breathe, blow"; cf. the modern Welsh anadl, "breath" or "wind").^[1] Enid was a character in Alfred Lord Tennyson's Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859) and its medieval Welsh source, the Mabinogi tale of Geraint and Enid; according to The Facts on File Dictionary of First Names (1983),

"Enid drifted into use after publication of [Tennyson's] poem, and did not become firmly established until the 1890s. At its most popular in Britain in the 1920s, then began to fade slowly. Always rare elsewhere. Helena Swan once remarked that it was the greatest possible compliment for a woman to be called ‘a second Enid’, since the original was the perfect example of spotless purity."^{[2]wiki link}

cat fight in government.

no not the mps in the government but larry and palmanerson.larry is number 10 mouser and palmanerson is the foreign office cat .palamanerson a black and white cat had a 7 minute fight with larry to see who was top cat and palamanerson conceded defeat and ran away.

plan b

this is just in my own mind if anything i do in work or life falls through i now try to have a plan b -ie do a course ,join something ,if find something hard try a different way as dot wish to go backwards or guilt trip .

Do bees have regional accents? Cardiff University launches scheme to find out

A

British summer garden is not complete without the gentle sound of bees, buzzing among the flowers.

But up and down the country the insects may be humming a different tune. Scientists at the University of Cardiff are keen to discover if beeshave accents, buzzing at a higher or lower pitch depending on their location.

The buzz associated with bees is produced by the fast vibration of wings, and is most commonly heard when the insects are in mid-flight. They tend to say silent while foraging in plants for pollen and nectar.

But bees also make a catalogue of other noises depending on what is happening in the hive. When under attack , or if interrupted during foraging, they buzz more aggressively. They also make a piping sound when they are getting ready to swarm.

Bees have also been known to rub their back legs together to call missing insects back to the hive, and scientists now think they emit a low hum during "waggle dancing" – a figure of eight movement made on the wall of the hive which shows other members of the colony where the best flowers are growing.

Now researchers are inviting beekeepers to place recorders on their hives to pick up the sounds of the bees so they can pick up regional variations.read more

just a pine needle for me thanks

duck billed dinosaurs survived on a diet of just pine needles found through a discovery of fossilised poo study at university of bristol.

Cyril.a newborn smooth snake a devon first.

Rare snakes that 'disappeared' for seven years have returned with a baby in tow. Conservation volunteers have been searching for signs of the smooth snakes - the UK's rarest reptiles - since ten were released in 2009 and a further seven in 2010 at a secret location on a Devon RSPBnature reserve.They have recorded some sightings but none that proved that the snakes were breeding - until now.

Delighted volunteers have found, recorded and photographed a newborn smooth snake and named him Cyril. He was spotted with two adult snakes and is officially the first smooth snake to be born at the re-introduction site in Devon.

Nick Moulton, of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, one of the partners in the re-introduction project, said: "It really is a difficult species to work with so for the volunteers to stick with it and find that proof of breeding is brilliant. It is now re-established in Devon, this really is a big find."

The re-introduction was a partnership between the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, Clinton Devon Estates, and the RSPB, supported by English Nature.Populations of the re-introduced snakes are largely restricted to a few heaths in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey.Smooth snakes are extraordinarily difficult to find – it can take ten years of work simply to prove the species is present or absent from a particular place.

They are non-venomous and can grow to around 50-60cm in length and 90-150g in weigh with an average lifespan of up to 30 years

Snakes recorded at the re-introduction site have been given names beginning with C: Cedric was recorded in 2010 and 2011, Celia in 2011.But volunteers could not be sure that the pair were born in Devon as some of the re-introduced females may have been pregnant at the time of re-introduction.

They have been watching for the snakes since the first were re-introduced, visiting the site at least once a fortnight, from March to October.

An RSPB spokesman said "Now we have got evidence proving breeding and there is a chance there may be others, so we are over the moon.