A snake that was found under a wheelie bin in Oldham is not an adder, an expert has said.

Dr Steven Allain, a lecturer in animal science at Anglia Ruskin University in Essex, got in touch with The Oldham Times after a 76-year-old encountered what she believed to be an adder hiding underneath a bin while gardening at the Moravian Church, on Spring Garden Street.

The Oldham Times: A blurry photo was taken by the 76-year-old who discovered the large venomous snake in Royton centreA blurry photo was taken by the 76-year-old who discovered the large venomous snake in Royton centre (Image: Michael Crompton)

Dr Allain, the UK conservation officer of the British Herpetological Society, explained that there are no recorded adders in Oldham and Royton.

He said: "I know my snakes when I see them; that is 100 per cent a corn snake.

"Adders are short and squat with a long tail, and apart from having the wrong colouration and markings, that is a dead giveaway.

The Oldham Times: Dr Steven Allain with a grass snakeDr Steven Allain with a grass snake (Image: Dr Steven Allain)

"You are extremely unlikely to find adders in urban areas. However, escaped pets are becoming more commonplace and although the snake may superficially resemble an adder, it is in fact a baby corn snake."

He continued: "The closest population of the slow worm is in Rochdale, the closest population of grass snakes are the other side of Greater Manchester, and the nearest adder population is Burnley.

"There are a lot of people saying they have seen snakes in Oldham and I suspect that may have been the case historically, but the downside of the bio-diversity network is that if sightings aren't reported it won't make it through.

The Oldham Times: Corn snakes come in various coloursCorn snakes come in various colours (Image: Dr Steven Allain)

"Grass snakes are quite mobile they can move kilometres at a time but adders are less mobile, they like areas of open woodland and moorlands."

While Dr Allain does not know for sure how the North American rat snake ended up under a wheelie bin, his theory is that it was an escaped pet.

The 30-year-old continued: "It may not have been released intentionally, but that was a baby and they can grow a lot larger than that - you can tell by where its head and body is.

The Oldham Times: An adder pictured in EssexAn adder pictured in Essex (Image: Dr Steven Allain)

"At that age they are Houdini's, they can escape through the smallest gap - probably what has happened is someone bought their son or daughter one for their birthday and they haven't secured it and it went walkies."

An adder is the UK's largest venomous animal and the NHS urge those bitten to call 999 and visit the nearest A&E, however Dr Allain said that they "are nothing to be scared of" if you "provide them with the respect they deserve".