Grass snake: illustrated description
Physical features
- Length: between 27 and 51 inch (70 and 130 cm)
- The grass snake is part of the large snakes.
- Its “collar”: it has a white or yellow “collar” on the back of its head, edged in black.
- Round pupils (like all garter snakes).
- Vertical black bars under the eye, between each supra-labial scale.
- Yellowish belly with black checkerboard
- Being an aquatic snake, its dorsal scales are keeled (like the hull of a boat).
- 1 pre-ocular scale
- 3 post-ocular scales
- The 3rd and 4th supra-labial scales touch the eye.
- Large frontal scale
Breeding
- Incubation: about 2 months.
- The grass snake is oviparous.
- Breeding: May and April.
Overview
- It’s an aquatic snake (like the viperine snake), so it swims very well.
- The grass snake is fairly common in France.
Diet
- Amphibians such as toads, frogs and tadpoles;
- Fish;
- Micro-mammals.
Habitat
- Hedges, hedgerows ;
- Dunes ;
- Plains & mountains up to 2,000 m ;
- Reed beds.
- It lives in the same environments as the viperine snake, particularly in mid-mountain areas.
The grass snake is called the “ring-necked snake” in French
The grass snake‘s French name can be translated by “ring-necked snake“. It stems from the fact that it wears a white or yellow collar edged in black around its neck. This collar may have disappeared in older individuals.
Grass snake: she fakes death to escape predators
If frightened, a grass snake will pretend to be dead to defend itself:
- She will turn partially onto her back.
- Her mouth will be open
- Her tongue will hang out.
- She’ll empty her cloacal glands, giving off a nauseating odor that makes her predators think she’s been dead for a long time.
Grass snake: scientific classification
- Domain: biota
- Kingdom: animalia
- Phylum: chordata
- Class: reptilia
- Order: squamata
- Family: natricidae
- Genus: natrix
- Species: Natrix helvetica
Sources:
- Webinar hosted by Nicolas FUENTO, who is an LPO wildlife officer & herpetologist (Western Provence) on October 1st 2024.
- Serpentsdefrance.fr where this list of the 10 Provence snakes comes from.
- "Serpents & autres reptiles" published by Komet (book in French)
- "Sur la piste des reptiles & des amphibiens" published by Dunod (book in French)
- "Mes Guides Nature : Reptiles & amphibiens" published by Milan Jeunesse (book in French)
- "Mon amie, la couleuvre", DVD published by Salamandre