# Snaketails (*Ophiogomphus*) Snaketails are special dragonflies that look like snakes! They have long, slender bodies and colorful wings. You can often find them near water, where they love to fly and hunt for food. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Snaketails](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rusty-snaketail-side.jpg&width=800) Photo: Raphael Carter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rusty-snaketail-side.jpg) ## Appearance The Snaketails is a slender dragonfly typically adorned with striking yellow and black stripes along its body. Its large, clear wings are held out to the sides at rest, and its widely separated eyes distinguish it from other dragonfly families. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Gomphidae - **Genus:** Ophiogomphus ## Interesting facts - An adult Snaketail's entire head is almost entirely made of its two huge eyes! - Baby Snaketails (nymphs) live in water for years before becoming flying adults! - Some Snaketails are named after rivers where they were first discovered! - They catch other insects mid-air using their spiky legs like a basket! ## Special abilities - **Super Sight:** Snaketails have massive compound eyes that help them spot tiny insect prey from far away. - **Underwater Breather:** Young Snaketails can breathe underwater using gills inside their rectum, helping them survive as larvae. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 50-80 mm - **Size:** 35-65 mm - **Lifespan:** 20-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 15 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Snaketails are fierce hunters, eating many kinds of smaller insects, both as larvae and adults. - **Age differences:** Larvae (nymphs) are ambush predators of aquatic invertebrates; adults actively hunt flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, midges, flies, mayflies, caddisflies - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Lake Midge (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Adults capture and eat these flying insects for energy. - **Hunts:** Olives Mayfly (*Baetis rhodani*) — Nymphs ambush these tiny aquatic insects in streams. - **Eaten by:** [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) — Trout often prey on the aquatic Snaketail nymphs. - **Eaten by:** [Barn Swallow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/barn-swallow) (*Hirundo rustica*) — Swallows are agile hunters of adult Snaketails in flight. ## Traits - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be careful not to touch insects, as they can be delicate and may fly away quickly. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Snaketails? Compare wing shape and resting posture, where the eyes sit, body markings and the tail segments. Males and females can look very different in color. Dragonfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Snaketails's wingspan? 50-80 mm ### How big is Snaketails? 35-65 mm ### How long does Snaketails live? 20-60 days ### How fast can Snaketails fly? 15 km/h ### What does Snaketails eat? Snaketails are fierce hunters, eating many kinds of smaller insects, both as larvae and adults. ### Where is Snaketails usually found? Wetlands ### How does Snaketails hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Stadtpark Rotehorn (Magdeburg)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stadtpark-rotehorn-magdeburg) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park - [Drewry Point Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/drewry-point-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Snaketails: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/snaketails)