There are only three types of snakes native to the UK - an adder, a grass snake and a smooth snake - but how many might there be directly around us?

There were reports of two dogs requiring emergency treatment in Christchurch, Dorset recently as a result of snake bites. 

An interactive map shows the number of snake sightings in and around the UK for this year alone revealing where you might come face-to-face with a slithery reptile - including Swindon and Wiltshire. 

Thankfully for those who may have a phobia of them, the map reveals that the county appears to be somewhat of a black hole for snake populations, with almost no sightings across most of it. 

The data has been pulled from recordpool.com project, a collaborative exercise from the Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK) and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation to collect data on native reptiles and amphibian populations and make that data publicly available.

The closest snake sightings are quite some distance away from Swindon, with the nearest grass snakes reported near Market Lavington and Corsham and the nearest adders reported near Nailsworth and Highclere.

Although they've not been sighted this year, according to a recent survey of the county's reptile species by ARG UK grass snakes account for 7.43 per cent and adders account for 1.32 per cent of the overall reptiles in the area.