Grass Snake

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

This article is about the European Grass Snake or Ringed Snake Natrix natrix. The term Grass Snake is also used to mean the Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis), as well as several other non-venomous North and Central American snakes in American English.

Grass Snake
Conservation status: Least concern (LR/lc)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Natrix
Species:	N. natrix

Binomial name

Natrix natrix
Linnaeus, 1758

The Grass Snake, sometimes called the Ringed Snake or Water Snake (Natrix natrix) is a European non-venomous snake.

The Grass Snake is typically dark green or brown in colour with a characteristic yellow collar behind the head, which explains the alternative name ringed snake. The colour may also range from grey to black. The underside is lighter in colour. In Britain the Grass Snake is the largest reptile reaching up to 120cm total length.

They prey almost entirely on amphibians, especially the common frog, although they also occasionally eat mammals and fish. Grass Snakes are strong swimmers and are usually found close to fresh water.

Grass Snakes hibernate over the winter and mate soon after they emerge in the spring during April or May. The leathery skinned eggs are laid in batches of 8-40 in June to July and hatch after about 10 weeks. As eggs require a temperature of at least 21° C to hatch, rotting vegetation, including compost heaps are preferred locations. The young are around 18cm long when they hatch and are immediately independent.

Not being venomous, their only defenses are to produce a foul-smelling fluid from the anal glands and/or feign death. Sometimes, they will also perform fake attacks, striking without actually opening their mouths. They bite in defense rarely.

This snake is found in lowland areas of England and Wales but is almost absent from Scotland and not found in Ireland. It has a wide distribution in continental Europe, from southern Scandinavia to southern Italy. It is also found in northwestern Africa. British Grass Snakes belong to the subspecies Natrix natrix helvetica, but experts differ on the number of subspecies.

Two of the subspecies are considered critically endangered: Natrix natrix cetti (Sardinian Grass Snake) and Natrix natrix schweizeri.

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[edit] References

European Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group (1996). Natrix natrix. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.

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