Grass Snake

Natrix natrix

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

When threatened it performs an extremely convincing act of thanatosis: it rolls onto its back, gapes its mouth and goes completely limp, playing dead.

Weight

96 g on average

Size

70 cm – 1.5 m

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Freshwater

46countries 86parks17same family

Fun facts

It releases a foul-smelling cloacal secretion as part of its death-feigning display.
It feeds mainly on amphibians such as frogs and toads, and occasionally fish.
It lives in wetlands, ponds, slow-flowing rivers and grassy ground across much of Europe.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Wetlands, ponds, slow-flowing rivers and grassy ground across much of Europe and western Asia
Birth weight: 18-20 cm long at hatching
Size at birth: 18-20 cm long at hatching
Sexual maturity: 2-3 years
Gestation / incubation: 42-71 days
Litter / clutch size: 12 to 40 eggs per clutch, often laid in heaps of rotting vegetation such as compost
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 20-28 years

Sources consulted: A-Z Animals; Wildside Holidays; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Fishipedia; Glenlivet Wildlife; Wildlife Online (barred grass snake comparison); Animals.net; Wildlife Vagabond; IERS