barred grass snake

Natrix helvetica

The barred grass snake is a friendly snake that loves to swim and bask in the sun. It has beautiful stripes and is often found near water, making it a fun creature to spot in nature!

Hábitat: Wetlands

Aspecto

The barred grass snake has a grey-brown to olive-green body with distinct dark bars or spots along its sides. Its most striking feature is a bright yellow and black collar just behind its head, making it unique.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloChordataClaseSquamataOrdenSerpentesFamiliaColubridaeGéneroNatrix

barred grass snake

Categoría

Reptiles

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Even though they have 'grass' in their name, they are excellent swimmers and often hunt underwater.

They love composting! Females often lay their eggs inside warm, rotting heaps of leaves and plant material.

When threatened, this snake might hiss very loudly and even pretend to strike, but it rarely bites!

Young barred grass snakes start life eating tiny slugs and worms before growing big enough for frogs!

Habilidades especiales

barred grass snake can act completely dead, even lying upside down, to trick predators into thinking it's not worth eating.

barred grass snake has glands that release a foul-smelling liquid when scared, making predators quickly lose their appetite.

barred grass snake can swim very well and quickly catch fish underwater, thanks to its streamlined body.

Medidas y detalles

Longitud: 70-140 cm
Peso: 0.2-1 kg
Esperanza de vida: 10-15 años
Top Speed: 8 km/h
Velocidad de nado: 2 km/h
Tamaño de la puesta: 10-40
Incubación: 42-70 días

Dieta y alimentación

They love feasting on amphibians like frogs and newts, plus fish, which they cleverly hunt in water.

Diferencias por edad: Young snakes start with smaller prey like tadpoles, slugs, and worms, gradually moving to larger amphibians and fish as they grow.

Alimentos principales

Frogs
Toads
Newts
Fish
Tadpoles

Método de búsqueda

Pursuit

Conexiones ecológicas

eats

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

A favorite meal for both young and adult snakes.

eats

Common Toad

Bufo bufo

Often eaten by larger barred grass snakes.

eats

European Perch

Perca fluviatilis

Skilled underwater hunters catch this fish.

eaten by

Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

These birds of prey are a main predator.

eaten by

European Badger

Meles meles

Badgers sometimes hunt snakes in their habitat.

Rasgos

A rayas

Marcado con bandas paralelas o líneas de color.

Solitario

Los animales solitarios viven solos durante la mayor parte de su vida y solo interactúan con otros para aparearse o cuidar de sus crías.

Piscívoro

Los organismos piscívoros son animales que subsisten principalmente de una dieta a base de peces.

Humedal

Este rasgo de hábitat identifica especies que se encuentran en humedales, que son áreas de tierra saturadas de agua, ya sea permanente o estacionalmente, e incluyen marismas, pantanos y ciénagas.