Common grasshopper (naririx natrix). When do grass snakes lay eggs? Snake: types, description, behavior Snake with orange spots

Found everywhere in the animal world different kinds snakes and serpentine creatures. One of the most famous representatives of this class, undoubtedly, are snakes. As a rule, snakes, unlike most snakes, do not pose any threat to humans, since they are completely non-venomous. It is quite simple to distinguish them from vipers: on the sides of the head the snakes have clearly visible light spots of a crescent shape (usually yellow, off-white or orange color). Sometimes there are individuals without spots, but extremely rarely.

The body of snakes is usually gray or dark gray, with a white belly, covered with ribbed scales. It is quite easy to distinguish between a male and a female due to their size. Females are usually much larger than males. The largest individuals reach a length of up to 1.5 m. The body of the snake is protected by a dense protective layer of scales, and the tails are different for everyone - sharp, thin and powerful in one species, short and rounded in another, and abrupt in a third.

Snakes see quite well in the dark. Apparently, thanks to this, they lead predominantly crepuscular or night look life. Snakes' eyes are very well developed and have a round, vertical or oval pupil.

The habitat of snakes is limited to several European countries, but most of them are in Ukraine, as well as in most of Russia, including Siberia, Transbaikalia and South Karelia. These animals prefer different areas, but they prefer wet places. The most suitable living conditions for snakes are near rivers, swamps and lakes, in forest thickets, floodplain meadows and wet forest-steppes. They are not too afraid of people, so they live quietly in gardens, orchards and build homes in outbuildings. The home for snakes is the rhizomes of trees, holes and hollows, heaps of stones, hay in stacks and other secluded places.

There are two main types of snakes: common and water snakes. From the names it is clear that one is more adapted to life on land, and the second - in aquatic environment. Ordinary snakes crawl beautifully not only on the ground, but also climb trees and make their way through the thinnest cracks. Water snakes are excellent swimmers and divers, and can stay under water for a long time.

And if common snake can be found everywhere (both on land and in water), the water snake lives only in reservoirs. They are fond of both salty and fresh waters.

Snakes most often prey on small amphibians and fish, and much less often on small invertebrates, mammals or birds. At the same time, they swallow their game, without killing it, whole and alive. Surprisingly, fish up to 12-14 cm long and even small lizards are often found in the stomachs of snakes.

Snakes spend the winter in groups. They climb into animal burrows and get into cracks in the soil. Sometimes up to several hundred of these animals can gather in wintering areas.

The mating season for grass snakes begins in May, immediately after the spring molt. A couple of months after mating, the female lays from 5 to 30 small soft eggs. Quite often the eggs stick together and form something like a honeycomb. In places to preserve their offspring, female grass snakes choose damp places that are well protected from access by other animals and humans. Usually these are rotten stumps, heaps of manure and abandoned holes of various rodents.

Of course, snakes also have enemies. The primary dangers for them are snake eagles, foxes, minks, raccoon dogs, and kites.

Usually, when danger approaches, snakes flee or pretend to be dead. A deterrent for many predators who want to attack snakes is the unpleasant odor of the liquid secreted from the cloaca glands.

The worst thing that can happen to a person after an encounter with a snake is poisoning, and only in the case of a person’s individual reaction to the bites of snake-like snakes.

Few people are not afraid of snakes. Fear of reptiles is in human blood. And this is no coincidence, because the bite of a viper, which is common in our country, is very dangerous and can be fatal. But quite often it is confused with non-venomous snake, who looks a little like her. This snake is not aggressive, and its bite, although painful, is not dangerous. You can encounter both snakes and vipers while relaxing in nature, walking through the forest, and even on your summer cottage. Usually, when a person sees a reptile, he gets scared and sometimes tries to kill it. You need to know what a snake looks like in order to know how to behave when meeting a snake. It’s better not to touch it at all, and if you recognize the viper, then try to get away from it.

What types of snakes are there?

This non-aggressive and non-dangerous snake causes fear and hostility among most people. After all, not everyone knows what it looks like. You can meet him almost anywhere, but most of all he likes to live near bodies of water. IN Middle lane In Russia, the most common is the common snake, which has characteristic distinctive features - by these it is easy to distinguish it from the viper. But the water snake, living to the south, is very similar to its poisonous relative, since it also has a dark or black color. On Far East There is also a tiger, which has poisonous teeth. He's something to be wary of. But now we are interested in the ordinary one and its difference from the viper. After all, this particular snake can be found in a country house or in a village yard, on the beach or in the forest.

What does an ordinary one look like?

This snake is usually small in size - from 50 to 80 centimeters.

But there are also individuals about one and a half meters long. Basic hallmark snake, which is known to many - these are light, usually yellow or orange spots on the back of the head, forming something like ears. This snake happens different color, most often brown, gray or olive, sometimes its body is covered with a bright pattern in the form of spots. They can be dark or light, scattered over the snake’s body or arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The abdomen is always lighter in color, sometimes even white. The body of this snake is elongated, the tail is very long, tapering at the end. The head of the snake is oval, but when it is in danger, it can make it look like the head of a viper. His eyes are large and round.

Snake behavior

1. This snake is not at all aggressive and will never attack first; it would rather crawl away. Its only means of defense against predators is the ability to release a sharp, very unpleasant odor in moments of danger. At the same time, she may regurgitate all the food she has eaten. And if you pick it up, he most often pretends to be dead, hanging like a rope.

2. These snakes live near water and swim very well. But those who know what snakes look like have seen them on the roads, basking in the sun in clearings and even near human habitation. And in winter in search warm place they may even crawl into the house.

3. The main food of snakes is frogs and toads. These snakes actively hunt, quickly pursuing their prey and then catching it. Holding the victim with small sharp teeth, it gradually swallows it whole. Sometimes this snake can feast on fish, small rodents or birds, but this happens very rarely.

4. People get scared when they see a clutch of many eggs on the ground. After all, when snakes hatch, the sight is not very pleasant, especially if it happens near the house. But if everyone knew what snake eggs look like, the senseless extermination of this species could be avoided. The female lays them in a warm and humid place because their skin is very thin and dries out easily. The clutch consists of small round white eggs, often glued together.

Differences between a snake and a viper

In addition to the main characteristic feature- yellow ears on the back of the head, which many people know about, these snakes have several more differences. And people who are often in nature need to know what a grass snake and a viper look like.

You can distinguish them by their eyes: the viper has a vertical narrow pupil, and the grass snake has a round one.

Their heads are also different: triangular for the viper and oval for the grass snake.

The poisonous snake is usually dark in color, often black, along the back she's coming a zigzag pattern, and it can be of any color; its distinctive feature is dark or bright spots and a lighter belly.

They can also be distinguished by the shape of their body: in vipers it is thicker and shorter, the tail is blunt and short. Snakes are thinner and longer, and have a tail that gradually becomes sharper towards the end.

Why know what it looks like?

This snake can be found everywhere, even in a village house. In order not to confuse it with a viper, you need to imagine what it is like. It is also advisable to know what a snake bite looks like. After all, after a person is bitten by a viper, his life is in danger, and he definitely needs medical help. And it’s not poisonous; usually it only scratches the skin with its teeth. This is quite painful, but not dangerous. To avoid trouble, it is better not to come close to any snakes at all, but try to avoid them.

All four seasons have their pros and cons. Summer brings hot rays of the sun, a rich harvest of berries, fruits, vegetables and herbs, and the opportunity to breathe in oxygen during sea and forest walks. But it is summer voyages into nature that are fraught with danger - they can bite poisonous insect or even a snake. After all, snakes live almost everywhere on Earth, so it is important for summer residents and owners of country houses to know how to distinguish a snake from a viper.

These types of snakes are the most common in Russia (with the exception of some northern regions), CIS countries and Europe (except for Great Britain and Ireland). And if it is practically safe for human life and health, then a viper bite will not bring anything good. As representatives of the same class - reptiles - these two reptiles have many similarities, but there are also differences - in appearance, habits, and feeding habits. So how can you distinguish a snake from a viper for sure, so as not to suffer from a poisonous bite yourself and not to endanger your loved ones?

Habitat

The habitat is the same for both snakes, it is:

• deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests,
• thickets of bushes,
• swamps,
• surroundings of ponds and wet meadows,
• mountains and wooded hills.

That is, areas where it is easy to hide and hide in order to breed and hunt. They are also similar in that they are found not only far from settlements, but also close to human habitation. For example, in country gardens. In search of warmth, they can climb into a village house or outbuilding. Both snakes can move equally well both in water and on land, and climb trees very well.

The difference between a grass snake and a viper in terms of the degree of danger to humans

They are not dangerous to humans, whereas vipers are poisonous. A person can suffer quite severely from a viper bite. But viper venom is used in pharmaceuticals - in ointments, drops and balms; in certain doses it is medicinal.

Viper and snake - similarities and differences in appearance and physical capabilities

What does a snake and a viper look like, and how are they similar, and which ones? obvious differences immediately catch the eye - presented in the photographs. Knowing about them, even an amateur can easily distinguish snakes from each other and will not allow contact with a poisonous reptile.

The snake is a nimble snake with rapid movements and swims well. The body length of an adult is 1-2 m, more than a fifth of the length is the snake’s tail, which with its amplitude allows the snake to move faster. The body of this reptile is thin and graceful, the head is oval in shape. There are yellow or bright orange spots on both sides of the head in the area of ​​the auditory ossicles attached to the jaw. The snake's eyes are round in shape, which is typical for non-venomous reptiles. In addition, the color of the iris is the same as the main color of the snake.

The snake's belly is light gray, sometimes with dark stripes running along the body. The color of the back depends on the subspecies of the reptile; it can be gray, brown, dark green, but always with a “checkerboard” pattern, which can be practically invisible, or can be pronounced.

What fundamentally distinguishes a viper from a snake is its lower mobility, although it also swims quite quickly in water. The length of the snake is up to 80 cm, the body is dense, the length of the tail is approximately an eighth of the body length. The head is pointed - almost triangular in shape, on the muzzle there are crossed dark stripes, going from the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The eyes look like slits, with vertical “cat-like” pupils. The two front poisonous teeth are clearly visible.

The color of both the back and belly of vipers is the same - the snake is completely gray, brown, green or black. And the skin pattern covering the entire body is characteristic - zigzag. But there are also species with a single color without a pattern - just dark gray or black.

About water snakes

The most difficult thing is to distinguish a water snake from a viper. These snakes are mistakenly considered a hybrid of a grass snake and a viper. In fact, water snakes, common in the Russian south, are not at all dangerous to humans, they are not poisonous. They love to swim in both salty sea and fresh river water.

The color of water snakes is olive, olive-grayish, brown or swamp green. A snake of this species can be distinguished by oval (not triangular, like a viper) spots on the back, arranged in a checkerboard pattern (in vipers, the pattern is always zigzag). The skin on the abdomen of a water snake is reddish or yellowish with black speckles.

But absolutely black specimens of snakes can be distinguished from vipers by the average person (ordinary southern tourist) is really incredibly difficult.

Viper and grass snake - differences in the method of obtaining food and diet

In principle, the viper also feeds on the same thing:

• frogs,
• lizards,
• small birds,
• bird eggs.

But they hunt and eat differently.

The snake attacks its prey suddenly, as it is characterized by jumping ability and swiftness. It swallows its prey completely and slowly - it takes up to several hours for it to pull a caught animal into its esophagus. Snakes may not eat at all for more than 2 weeks, which does not affect their physical activity and dexterity. The fact is that these reptiles quickly gain weight - they have a sufficient supply of subcutaneous fat, which makes it easy to endure even long winter hibernation.

The viper watches its prey for a long time and patiently. Then it attacks, stings, waits for the moment when the victim weakens from the poisonous bite and only then begins to eat. The viper itself, its own poison, which entered its body with the blood of the victim, does not cause any harm, since the gastric juice of this snake has the ability to neutralize it.

Despite the poisonousness of vipers, wildlife they are eaten by other animals. They are food for foxes, hedgehogs, martens and badgers. Among the birds that hunt vipers are the heron, stork, and kite - these birds eat both the snakes themselves and their eggs.

Reproduction method and offspring

In this they are similar to the viper, although the latter is an ovoviviparous reptile. The mating period for both reptiles begins in the spring, when they emerge hibernation. Both eggs are laid during June, first making secure nests in secluded places. A female snake hatches 8-28 babies, a female viper hatches 8-20 babies.

The benefits and harms of snakes and vipers for humans

Snakes exterminate field and garden rodents. When kept in captivity, they are unpretentious in care and undemanding in food. Sensing danger, they do not attack the person, but try to hide. If it is not possible to disappear from a person’s field of vision, they take defensive posture, hiss and make short lunges towards a threatening object. If the danger has not disappeared, a strong-smelling enzyme is released to scare off the enemy.

The viper is dangerous poisonous bites, but when frightened, she will not rush at a person first if she had no intention of attacking. When threatened, this snake curls up into a ball, extends its neck and hisses, opening its mouth wide and rotating its jaw so that its fangs become visible. Almost always, a viper bite takes the life of a small animal. For humans, in most cases, a bite does not end in death. Medicines are made from viper venom and used in folk medicine.

Bottom line

So, the main differences are in quality brief reminder for tourists:

• A non-venomous snake's eyes are always round;
• the snake has a checkerboard pattern of oval spots on its skin, the viper has triangular spots, arranged in a zigzag;
• The head of the snake in the area of ​​the ears is decorated with bright spots, the viper has two poisonous teeth.

But the size and color of snakes can be confused with each other. The most important thing, if it is not clear who exactly is in front of you - a snake or a viper, remains calm, making it clear to the reptile that you are in a peaceful mood and will not cause harm. Then the snake will calmly crawl away. We hope now you will be able to distinguish a snake from a viper when you meet it, good luck!

Even in the century before last, an ordinary person could calmly settle in a peasant’s yard without fearing for his life. The villagers were afraid to kill uninvited guest out of superstitious fear of bringing disaster to one’s home.

Appearance, description of an ordinary grass snake

The reptile belongs to the family of colubrids, differing from its friends in the snake kingdom by yellow “ears” - symmetrical markings on the head (closer to the neck). The spots can be lemon, orange, off-white or completely invisible.

The size of the average individual does not exceed 1 m, but there are also more respectable specimens (1.5-2 m each). Males are much fewer females. The head is noticeably separated from the neck, and the body longer than the tail 3-5 times.

The top of the snake’s body can be painted dark gray, brown or olive, diluted with a dark “checkerboard” pattern. The belly is light gray or off-white, with a dark longitudinal stripe in the center. In some individuals this stripe occupies the entire lower side. Among the snakes there are both albinos and melanists.

Similarity to a viper

This is interesting! The good-natured snake is related to poisonous viper little: favorite places relaxation (forest, ponds, lawns) and the desire to avoid collisions with people.

True, the viper is less likely to maintain composure and attack a person at the first careless movement.

There are many more differences between reptiles:

• it is longer, slimmer than a viper and has a smoother transition from body to tail;
• yellow spots stand out on the head of the snake, and a zigzag stripe stretches along the back of the viper;
• the snake has an oval, slightly ovoid head, while the viper’s is triangular and resembles a spear;
• snakes do not have poisonous teeth;
• Snakes have vertical or round pupils (similar to a cat’s), and vipers have transverse pupils, like sticks;
• snakes eat frogs, and vipers prefer mice.

In fact, there are many more differences (for example, in the shape of scales and scutes), but an amateur does not need this knowledge. You wouldn't look at the scales if there was a threat of a snake attack, would you?

Range, habitats

IN northern latitudes The common grass snake can be found from Karelia and Sweden to the Arctic Circle, in the south - on the northern coast of Africa (all the way to the Sahara). The western border of the range runs along the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula, and the eastern border covers central Mongolia and Transbaikalia.

Snakes adapt to any landscape, even anthropogenic ones, as long as there is a body of water with standing or slowly flowing water nearby.

These snakes live in meadows, forests, river floodplains, steppes, swamps, mountains, gardens, urban wastelands and forested areas. When settling in the city, snakes often end up under wheels, as they like to bask on the asphalt. This is the main reason for the decline in the population of snakes in densely populated areas, although globally there is no need to worry about the number of the species.

Duration and lifestyle

It lives a long time, from 19 to 23 years, and the main condition for its long life is water, which is responsible for scientific name species - natrix (from the Latin natans, translated as “swimmer”).

This is interesting! Snakes drink a lot and swim, making long swims without a specific goal. Their route usually runs along the coast, although some individuals have been seen in the open sea and in the center of huge lakes (tens of kilometers from land).

In the water it moves like all snakes, raising its neck vertically and bending its body and tail in a wave-like manner in the horizontal plane. During the hunt, it dives deeply, and when resting, it lies on the bottom or wraps itself around an underwater snag.

It searches for prey in the mornings/evenings, although the peak of activity occurs during daylight hours. On a clear day, the common snake exposes its sides to the sun on a stump, stone, hummock, fallen trunk or any convenient elevation. At night it crawls into shelter - voids from uprooted roots, accumulations of stones or holes.

Enemies of the common snake

If the snake does not hide before sunset, it will quickly cool down and will not be able to quickly escape from natural enemies, among which are:

• carnivorous mammals including fox, raccoon dog, weasel and hedgehog;
• 40 types large birds(for example, storks and herons);
• rodents, including rats;
• amphibians such as frogs and toads;
• trout (eats young fish);
• ground beetles and ants (destroy eggs).

Trying to instill fear in the enemy, he hisses and flattens the neck area (pretending poisonous snake), folds its body in a zigzag and nervously twitches the end of its tail. The second option is to run away.

This is interesting! Finding itself in the paws of a predator or the hands of a person, the reptile pretends to be dead or splashes itself with a stinking substance secreted by the cloacal glands.

Snakes constantly experience a shortage of reliable shelters, which is why they enjoy using fruits human activity, inhabiting houses, chicken coops, bathhouses, cellars, bridges, sheds, compost heaps and garbage dumps.

Diet - what does the average person eat?

The gastronomic preferences of the snake are quite monotonous - these are frogs and fish. Periodically, it includes other prey of suitable size in its diet. It can be:

• newts;
• toads;
• lizards;
• chicks (fallen out of the nest);
• newborn water rats;
• insects and their larvae.

Snakes disdain carrion and do not eat plants, but they willingly drink milk when they find themselves in a terrarium.

When hunting for fish, the snake uses a wait-and-see tactic, grabbing the prey with a lightning-fast movement when it swims close enough. Frogs are actively pursued on land, but they do not even try to jump to a safe distance, not seeing the snake as a mortal danger.

He swallows a fish dish without any problems, but eating a frog usually lasts for many hours, since it is not always possible to grab it directly by the head. Like other snakes, it already knows how to stretch its throat, but the angular frog is in no hurry to go into the stomach and sometimes breaks out of its supper mouth. But the executioner is not ready to let go of the victim and grabs him again to continue the meal.

After a hearty lunch, he can go without food for at least five days, and if necessary, for several months.

This is interesting! There is a known case when a forced hunger strike lasted 10 months. He was subjected to this test by a German naturalist who did not feed the experimental subject from June to April. The first feeding of the snake after the hunger strike passed without any deviations from the gastrointestinal tract.

Snake breeding

Puberty occurs at 3-4 years. The mating season lasts from April to May, egg laying occurs in July-August. Periods mating games V different regions may not coincide, but always begin after the end of the first seasonal molting(it usually changes its skin after catching and digesting the first prey). Cases of autumn mating have been recorded, when the female lays eggs after wintering.

Coitus is preceded by the intertwining of several snakes (a female and many males) into a “nuptial ball”, which results in the laying of leathery eggs in quantities ranging from a few to 100 (and even more).

This is interesting! If there are not enough secluded places in the population’s habitat, females create a collective egg storage facility. Eyewitnesses told how they once found a clutch of 1,200 eggs in a forest clearing (under an old door).

The masonry must be protected from drying out and cold, for which the snake seeks out a moist and warm “incubator”, which often becomes a pile of rotten leaves, a thick layer of moss or a rotten stump.

Having laid eggs, the female does not hatch the offspring, leaving them to the mercy of fate. After 5-8 weeks, small cones are born, 11 to 15 cm long, and from the moment of birth they are preoccupied with finding a place to winter.

Not all baby snakes manage to feed themselves before the cold weather, but even hungry kids survive until the spring warmth, except that they develop a little slower than their well-fed sisters and brothers.

Snakes tolerate captivity remarkably well, are easily tamed and undemanding in maintenance. They need a horizontal type terrarium (50*40*40 cm) with the following equipment:

• thermal cord/thermal mat for heating (+30+33 degrees in a warm corner);
• gravel, paper or coconut shavings for the substrate;
• shelter in a warm corner (to maintain humidity it is placed in a ditch with sphagnum moss);
• shelter in a cold corner (dry);
• a spacious container with water so that the snake can swim there, soak in water when molting, and not only quench its thirst;
• UV lamp for daylight.

IN sunny days no additional illumination of the terrarium is required. Once a day it is sprayed with warm water so that the sphagnum always remains moist. Homemade diet The snake consists of small fish and frogs: it is desirable that the prey shows signs of life, otherwise the pet may refuse to eat.

This is interesting! Sometimes snakes are accustomed to defrosted foods. Colubrids are fed 1-2 times a week, large reptiles - even less often. Once a month, mineral supplements are mixed into the food, and mineral water is given instead of regular water. The water in the drinking bowl is changed daily.

If desired, the snake is put into hibernation, for which, with the onset of autumn, the lighting/heating time is reduced from 12 to 4 hours. After you reduce the temperature in the terrarium to +10+12 degrees and stop lighting it, the snake will go into hibernation (up to 2 months). The sleep you simulate will have a beneficial effect on the body of a rested pet.

The common snake is a snake with a balanced character, a completely non-aggressive reptile animal from the “scaly” order.

Anyone who considers the bite of this reptile dangerous to humans is wrong; it is completely safe and will not harm anyone, but will only modestly hide from the eyes of the annoying and curious layman.

This type of snake suffers greatly at the hands of humans, because outwardly, as some people think, it looks like a snake, but in fact, this is not true.

There are clear signs by which you can accurately understand what kind of this moment there is a snake, but we will talk about this a little later.

Looking ahead a little, we note the fact that she is a very smart actress, and her body, in cases of a potential threat to life, is always ready to repel the enemy with a caustic, odorous whitish liquid secreted by a special gland located at the tips of the tail.

If this does not save the depressing and hopeless situation, then the last crowning number is used; transformation from a living snake to a dead one. Do not be surprised, dear readers, by this behavior; in the world of wild animals there are a huge number of animals that use this method of protection.

The female is always larger than the male, her body length can reach from 50 to 150 cm, and the male from 60 to 80 cm. But in history there have been specimens that could be much larger, for example: the maximum size of a snake of this species, recorded by zoologists, was - more than two meters.

A distinctive feature by which a snake can be identified is its yellow ears with markings located on the head, but they can be orange and white.

The eyes are black with round pupils. The scaly, brownish-gray or olive-green skin has distinct black spots.

Difference

First of all, you need to remember that the viper is already twice the length, in addition, there are black spots on its body, which neither and.

Its range is mainly concentrated on the European continent from the Iberian Peninsula to the northeastern coast of Africa. He also lives in Mongolia, in Central Asia and England.

This type of reptile prefers to live in areas where there is any body of water, be it a river, lake, bay, pond or just a stream. It can often be found in meadows, bushes and forest clearings.

As we wrote earlier, a snake from the snake family does not pose any threat to humans. They can accumulate en masse in damp and damp places.

During the day they lead an active lifestyle, bask in the sun, thereby increasing their body temperature, and in the evening they climb the bushes to bask in the last rays of the setting sun. Closer to dusk, they look for a dry, secluded place to spend the night.

In cold countries, it can be in a state of torpor for a long time, approximately 5 to 8 months a year. Curious; that such a rhythm of life does not at all affect the decrease in population in these areas. We wanted to say that even in 4 months they can mate and produce offspring.

Frequent places for wintering they can choose such places as:

• Hollow trees;
• All kinds of pits near platinum;
• Burrows of small rodents;

As a rule, several dozen of these wonderful natural creatures spend the winter in such places protected from frost.

Enemies

Separately, I would like to say about the enemies of this harmless creature, and he has quite a few of them, here are just a few of them:

• Storks;
• Herons;

This list is far from complete; in fact, there are two or even three times more of them. This is taking into account the indisputable fact that it is absolutely not poisonous. Its only advantage will be its color and unpleasant-smelling liquid, which it secretes when caught unawares by its offender.

Nutrition

Our hero's diet is very varied, he can eat, and small fish. Specifically, here is a short list of its menu:

• and their eggs;
• Chicks;
• Tadpoles;
• Fish (crucian carp, roach, fry, sabrefish, chebak, bream, rudd);
• Salamanders;
• Lizards;
• Small;

Perhaps that's enough, but the list goes on. Note! That the entire listed range is not a daily diet. If luck turns to the snake in front, then it will taste such a nutritious delicacy, and if not, then it will be content with what God sent :-).

Hunting

It can hunt both on land and on land; in water it moves using the wave-like movements it creates with its body. Able to dive under water and stay there for more than 30 minutes in search of food, it is helped in this by its tongue, which easily recognizes the odor impulse of the intended victim.

The snake instantly attacks its prey; if it is small, it swallows it whole, but in order to eat a larger catch it needs to crawl ashore. Ingestion can take from 20 minutes to several hours, after which it tries to retire to a modest and quiet place where no one will disturb it.

It begins to swallow its victims from the head; if the victim is a frog, then the swallowing process will take a minimum of time, and if it is a small rodent, then it requires an additional portion of saliva to process the victim’s body; in this state, it easily slides into the snake’s mouth and pharynx.

The mating season for snakes begins immediately after hibernation, around the end of April. Males at this moment behave completely differently, nod their heads, and rub their lower jaw against the female’s back.

In June, the female lays all more than 30 eggs at once in a place specially prepared for this. The older the individual, the greater the number of eggs laid. Places for laying can be completely different, it all depends on the climate in which this reptile arrives.

In cold climates these places may be:

• piles of manure;
• hay;
• compost and leaves.

In places with temperate climate females can bury their clutches in the ground. Another place for laying eggs can be a hollow tree; a caring mother carefully prepares and expands the space for her additional needs.

We note the fact that this species is characterized by group clutches, this is due to the fact that in harsh habitats the eggs can simply freeze, therefore females combine it into a common clutch so that the temperature is within normal limits.

Incubation period in normal climatic conditions can reach up to 42 days, in cold weather up to 72 days. The hatched animals can immediately lead an independent lifestyle. Puberty begins at the age of five.

In the wild, the common snake can live more than nine years.