Britain's official guide to canals, rivers and lakes

Sunday 21st March 2010

Grass snake

Grass snake courtesy of Peter Wakely/English Nature

Britain's largest reptile is shy by nature and wary of humans.

Regrettably, many casual observers who are lucky enough to glimpse a grass snake are afraid of it, perhaps confusing this harmless reptile with the venomous adder. The grey/green grass snake is a placid, sun-loving creature that enjoys basking on grassy banks on warm summer days.

If frightened, the grass snake will either turn and run or 'play dead', an impressive performance which can involve the snake writhing onto its back and lolling its tongue out of its mouth.

Grass snakes (Natrix natrix) inhabit most of Europe, parts of North Africa and central Asia. They are not seen in Scotland, but dedicated snake-spotters can still find them in damp habitats around most of England and Wales. River banks, ponds and ditches are their preferred habitats, although they will also make a home of hedgerows, meadows and woodland margins. Grass snakes are equally happy on land and in water, and walkers have reported seeing them basking in the sun on canal towpaths.

From October to March, British grass snakes retreat to old rabbit warrens, wall crevices or similar sheltered spots to hibernate through the winter months. They emerge in the spring when they may be seen lurking around any garden ponds which can boast a plentiful supply of frogs and frogspawn. Grass snakes adopt a 'sit and wait' hunting policy. Any prey that comes within striking distance is caught in their large jaws and then swallowed whole. Studies suggest that an adult grass snake can survive for 12 months on less than 10 frogs.

Facts

Appearance: Grass snakes are typically a shade of olive green or grey, although brown snakes are not uncommon and very occasionally a completely black individual is sighted. Yellow and black collar markings are peculiar to the grass snake - and a sure way to confirm identity. Snakes will usually have black bar-shaped markings along their sides and smaller markings on their backs. Their forked tongue is non-venomous

Size: 70-140cm. Females tend to be longer than males

Lifespan: Maximum 25 years

Diet: Tadpoles, frogs, toads, fish and very occasionally mice and small birds

Family: Colubridae

Did you know?

  • The grass snake was once known as the water snake, largely due to its love of water
  • Grass snakes are good swimmers and can remain underwater for up to an hour
  • The grass snake is the only native British snake to lay eggs
  • If threatened, the grass snake may adopt an aggressive defence by puffing up its body and hissing loudly. This is a bluff as the grass snake will not bite
  • At their most aggressive, grass snakes may emit a nasty-smelling liquid which will turn most predators away
 

Bookmark with:

Delicious Delicious  Facebook Facebook  Digg Digg  reddit reddit