Grass Snake
Identification: Large snake, males usually 60-80 cm, females 80-120 cm. The head is clearly separated from the body. They have round pupils. Usually there is a distinct yellow or whitish collar behind the head. On the posterior edge, this collar is bordered by black markings. In young animals, the ring is distinct, but in older animals it starts fading. The back scales are strongly keeled. The colour on the back varies from grey to olive green with small dark spots. Also, there are spots on the flanks, where they often merge into dark vertical bars. The belly is whitish or yellowish, chequered with black. Sexes difficult to distinguish. Females are often bigger, males have a broader tail. Newborn Grass Snakes are 15-20 cm in length, mostly grey and the collar is richer in contrast than in adult animals. Southeast European individuals (of the subspecies N. n. persa) were introduced to a small area of Surrey and their genes may persist in the local population as characteristic striped individuals have been seen.
Range: Occurs almost all over Europe. Common in England and Wales. Also found on Jersey. (The animals here tend to be fairly uniform, often without a distinct, pale collar.) Not found in Ireland or Scotland.
Habitat: Prefers well overgrown rough areas usually close to a standing body of water. Mostly found on shore/ bank areas of lakes, pools, rivers and canals, in reed borders or other vegetation. Can also be encountered further away from water on the edges of woods or heaths. Individuals can migrate over long distances and so can colonise new areas. In the more southern part of its range, it also occurs in mountains up to altitudes of 2400 metres.
Habits: Active from mid-March until October, depending on weather conditions. The males appear first, then the females and finally the young. It is a diurnal water snake that occasionally can be found far away from water. Sometimes also crepuscular or active at night. A very good swimmer and diver. Most breeding activity takes place in April, but also in May and sometimes even in autumn. In April, they travel from their winter quarters to their summer habitat. In April, May and June, the females bask as much as possible to stimulate the development of the eggs, and then they may move kilometres away searching for a good place to lay their eggs. In warm summers, this happens as early as May. Depending on her size and condition, she will lay between 5 and 30 eggs, preferably in compost and dung heaps. Because of the fermentation processes, the temperature will be a little higher than in the surroundings and so will help to incubate the eggs. Particularly favourable places are used by several females, so that sometimes hundreds of eggs can be found in one heap. After 6-10 weeks, the young hatch, most of them in September. Grass Snakes live solitary and are not territorial. They feed on small vertebrates, mainly amphibians, but also small mammals, fish and lizards. Rather shy and not aggressive, Grass Snakes only show aggression if cornered, hissing loudly and coiling into a position that looks like they may strike. This is bluff, they rarely bite and if handled they often play dead. Hibernate in holes under ground, in compost and dung heaps or beneath leaf litter etc. from mid-October to March, depending on weather conditions.
How to find: These animals can be seen from mid-March until October, often in water or close to it. In the breeding season, most activity takes place and the chance of encountering a Grass Snake is greatest. In the rest of the active period, these snakes are mainly seen early in the morning, when they warm themselves up in the sun. The Grass Snake is an occasional garden visitor.