Summary ⁸

The grass snake (Natrix natrix), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.

Description ⁹

The grass snake is Britain's largest terrestrial reptile. This snake is typically olive-green, brown or greyish in colour, with a variable row of black bars along the sides, occasionally with smaller round markings along the back in double rows. The underside is off-white or yellowish with dark triangular or rectangular markings. A characteristic black and yellow collar is present behind the head, which has earned the species the alternative name of 'ringed snake' (2). Totally black (melanistic) forms and albinos occasionally arise. Males and females are generally similar in appearance, although females are often larger; males can be identified by the presence of a swelling at the base of the tail and by the fact that they have longer tails relative to females (2).

Fuentes y créditos

1. (c) Vitaliy Khustochka, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/8289389@N04/4216474223
2. (c) Karl Larsaeus, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Natrix_natrix_%28Karl_L%29.jpg/460px-Natrix_natrix_%28Karl_L%29.jpg
3. (c) Piet Spaans, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/NatrixNatrix.JPG/460px-NatrixNatrix.JPG
4. Jonas Bergsten, sin restricciones conocidas de derechos (dominio publico), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Natrix_natrix_20060810_001.jpg/460px-Natrix_natrix_20060810_001.jpg
5. (c) Piet Spaans Viridiflavus, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/BatrixNatrixBellyPattern.JPG/460px-BatrixNatrixBellyPattern.JPG
6. (c) Wikimedia Commons, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Meshchera01.jpg/460px-Meshchera01.jpg
7. (c) Mariola Jolanta Adamczyk, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/P1040259.JPG/460px-P1040259.JPG
8. (c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natrix_natrix
9. (c) Wildscreen, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/6692173

Más información

• NaturaLista página del taxón
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HerpMapper
• Snake Database
• The Reptile Database
• VertNet

Range Map

(c) Barcode of Life Data Systems, algunos derechos reservados (CC-BY)

NaturaLista Mapa