Snake snake Real runners. Where the yellow-bellied snake picks

Snakes occupy a special place in nature and cause ambivalence to yourself.

Snake is one generally accepted name for the species diversity of snakes belonging to the colubrid family.

Main types

There are many species related to snakes. Each of these species is distinguished by the number of its representatives.

These include the following varieties:

• red-bellied;
• thin-tailed;
• leopard;
• island;
• Sarmatian;
• green;
• multi-colored;
• striped;
• four-lane;
• Japanese;
• white;
• Leopard Climbing;
• Boulanger's nosed snake.

Snakes are most often found in the southern part of European territories, northern America, and also in Asian countries.

Corn snake (spotted corn snake, or red rat snake)

This is the most popular type among terrarium owners.

The length of the corn snake is from 70 to 120 centimeters. Males have a tail big sizes than in females, and this is practically the only subtle sexual difference.

This representative of colubrids lives on average up to 10 years, and under favorable conditions of detention it is able to reach adulthood - 18 years.

Did you know? It was named maize or corn, because most often this snake is found in corn fields or in places where grain is stored; the white and black checkered color of the animal, very similar to corn kernels on the cob, also contributed to this name. This snake began to be called the red rat because of its predilection for rodents, as well as because of the presence bright color with reddish, orange or brown tints.

The red rat snake lives in eastern and south-central North America, as well as northern Mexico. This animal can feel comfortable in many places: deciduous forests, rocks, fields, meadow areas, crevices that contribute to its safety.

After birth and up to 4 months, this snake prefers to crawl on the ground; later it begins to colonize trees, bushes, and rocky hills. These snakes, living in areas with cold climates, hibernate for the winter, but in the southern regions corn snake does not hibernate.
These animals are most active in the warm season at night and before dawn, but in hot weather they try not to get out of their home.

Did you know? The corn snake was found in the mountains at an altitude of about two kilometers above the ground.

Their prey includes rodents, small amphibians and reptiles; they also like to feast on bird eggs. In captivity they feel quite well, especially if the rules of keeping are followed.

Amur (Schrenk's snake, Far Eastern)

Among the unique and most beautiful views The snake includes the Amur snake, or Far Eastern:

• the dorsal color of adult representatives of these colubrids is most often found in dark brown or black tones with a characteristic bluish iridescent tint;
• narrow oblique white or yellow lines with bifurcation are noticeable on the sides;
• The belly of this snake is yellow and has darkish spots;
• there are absolutely black representatives of the Amur snake;
• its length is about three meters.

Animals feed on rodents and birds, and are capable of destroying a bird’s nest and feasting on eggs. Whenever possible, this snake enters chicken coops and eats chicken eggs. Young representatives of the species feed on shrews and mollusks. These animals have no poison. They are active during daylight hours.

With the arrival of spring, mature individuals meet in a certain place and begin to spend mating games, observing all the rules of the courtship ritual, which consist in stroking the head of the male part of the body of his chosen one, as well as in constant presence near her.

Did you know? Its habitat is the Far East, Mongolia, northern China, Korea, but in Europe and the USA it is called the Russian snake.

After the successful completion of the mating season, the males leave, and the females begin the process of bearing cubs in a state of complete rest and relaxation. In mid-summer, from 10 to 30 eggs or more are laid; their size is up to 5 centimeters in length.
It happens that females combine their clutches, and then their number can be over a hundred. The length of baby snakes when born is up to 30 centimeters. They mature sexually by the age of three.

The Amur snake lives in natural natural conditions on average 11 years.

The Far Eastern snake feels quite comfortable close to people; it can settle in the garden, vegetable garden, or in the attic of a house. It quickly gets used to being surrounded by people, accepts food from people's hands, and is capable of reproducing even in captivity.

He is not prone to conflict; when a dangerous situation arises, he prefers to run, but if he senses a hopeless situation, he defends himself with hissing, attack, and is also capable of biting with serious consequences.

Patterned

The habitat of this species of colubrid is considered to be Asia; it is also found in Mongolia, Korea, northern China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran and other countries.

Appearance:

• the reptile can be up to one and a half meters long;
• its color can be different: there are both monochromatic representatives of the species and multi-colored ones. Young animals are painted in lighter colors (brown with olive, an admixture of red is also possible), later shades of gray appear;
• The abdomen of this animal is in light gray tones; yellowness with reddish or darker spots is also possible.

The habitat of animals is quite diverse: deserts, steppes, forests, juniper plantations, gardens, vineyards, valleys of reservoirs, swamps and many other areas.
This representative of colubrids is unpretentious in food; it can eat insects, fish, amphibians, mammals, and snakes. Patterned snakes sometimes turn into cannibals, swallowing their relatives from the head. But he himself becomes a victim of mammalian or bird predators, for example, the steppe eagle.

In males, the maturation process ends much earlier than in females; by the second or third year of life they are ready to reproduce. The mating season, which begins in April, comes to an end in late spring - early May.

Important! For This snake poses no danger to humans. Being in an aggressive state is rare for it; it is a fairly calm animal, so it is ideally suited for keeping in a terrarium.

The female can lay from 5 to 25 eggs at a time in rotten grass near water, in leaves in the forest or rotten stumps. Cubs are born between July and September and are already up to a quarter of a meter in length.

Yellow-bellied snake (Caspian, or common snake)

This representative of the colubrid family is a non-venomous, but aggressive snake, for which it is not difficult to bite a person until blood appears:

• Among all species of colubrids, this is one of the most big snakes on the European part of the planet, up to 2.5 m in size. Moreover, males are larger in size than females;
• the Caspian snake has a relatively small head with a rounded muzzle and bulging eyes, bordered around with yellow rims;
• The color of these animals may differ slightly: yellow with brownish, cherry-red or brown with an olive tint. There are individuals of this species that are almost completely black;
• The scales of this snake are particularly smooth.

These animals live in the Caucasus, the Balkan Peninsula, Asia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Moldova, the Ciscaucasia, and the Volga region. They prefer open, non-humid areas, so they feel best in desert, steppe areas, on the slopes of mountains and rocks.

Important! The yellow-bellied (Caspian) snake differs from other species in its ability to become attached to its shelter, therefore from any trip it returns to it as if it were home.

These snakes are able to overcome heights of up to two kilometers. They can also be found on river banks, where they hunt for prey.

Their prey is various vertebrate representatives of the animal world on the ground and in burrows: lizards, birds and their clutches, rodents and snakes, as well as large insects and frogs.

These snakes spend mating games in pairs. During mating, the male covers the female by the neck with his mouth, and both animals become less vigilant. After one to one and a half months, the female lays from 6 to 12 eggs in tree hollows and crevices.
These animals become sexually mature by the age of four. Under natural conditions, their life expectancy is from 7 to 8 years.

Important! The enemies of these snakes are foxes, martens, large birds, as well as humans, who, taking advantage of the animals’ preference to live in open conditions, destroys them. The number of these colubrids is also reduced by plowing steppe areas and the development of cattle breeding in their habitat areas.

Redback

The red-backed snake most often lives in the southern part of the Far East, Korea, and China. Prefers overgrown coastal areas. Distinguished by the ability to swim and dive.

Appearance:

• its length averages up to 80 centimeters, so it is one of the smallest representatives of the family;
• The color of the redback snake is olive with brown or brown;
• along the upper part of the body there are oblong dark spots with a light rim located in four rows;
• the yellow belly of this snake is decorated with rectangular spots placed in a checkerboard pattern;
• at the top of the head there is a bizarre pattern of darkish stripes.

The red-backed snake is a viviparous species; at one time, around September, 8–20 babies are born, on average 20 centimeters in length.

A person has absolutely no fear of this snake. When she defends herself, the front part of her body becomes thinner, and she rushes in the direction of the enemy, while her tail is in a state of vibration.

Until recently, this species of snake was considered a subspecies of the yellow-bellied snake, from which it differs in the form of a reddish belly. He lives in Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia and other countries.

Its habitats are quite diverse: the coastal zone of rivers located in the valley and having dense vegetation, gardens, forests, mountain slopes, as well as populated areas.
The red-bellied snake is most active during daylight hours. In winter it goes into hibernation, from which it emerges with the arrival of spring.

From April to May, these snakes mate, after which the female lays 6–11 eggs in June–July. The cubs are born in September, measuring more than 30 cm in height.

Like most other species of these snakes, the red-bellied snake feeds on lizards, birds, rodents, and snakes. From danger, it finds shelter in the holes of mice and other rodents, but if it fails, then in defense it tries to attack with a constant hiss and try to bite the enemy.

This species of snake originates from China, where it was discovered on the island of Taiwan. The animal has become widespread throughout southeast Asia.
The thin-tailed climbing snake has the following appearance features:

• a fairly large animal up to two meters long, although it has a short tail;
• the head externally merges with the neck and has a uniform color;
• color in light olive tones;
• along the back there is a noticeable pair of stripes periodically connected by transverse lines; this ornament resembles a staircase;
• the belly is characterized by a yellow or white tint;
• males have a longer tail than females.

The thin-tailed snake is distinguished by its calmness and leisurely movement. In its natural environment it can live close to a person’s home; it adapts and gets used to people with ease.

Active during the daytime, but during hot weather, as well as in the morning and evening, it hides in shelters. This snake is a terrestrial animal that is excellent at climbing trees.
The thin-tailed snake lives from 9 to 17 years in natural conditions natural habitat. When kept in captivity, it does not require special conditions.

Big Eyed

The big-eyed snake is a beautiful animal, distinguished big eyes. Its length reaches two meters.

Did you know? The largest specimen of the big-eyed snake was discovered in India, the length was three and a half meters.

Depending on the region where it lives, the color of the animal can vary from yellow to brown, as well as black. Young animals are distinguished by lighter tones: gray with gray-white scales.

The snake lives in the south and southeast of Asia, as well as in the southern part Russian territories. Although this animal is considered desert, it is friendly with water. If there are bodies of water or swampy areas, the big-eyed snake lives there. Excellent climbing trees, where it shelters from the heat.
With the end spring period and at the beginning of summer, the female lays from 7 to 16 eggs. After a couple of months, offspring appear, impressive in size up to 40 centimeters. After a year, their length is already a meter.

Important! The big-eyed snake is attractive because it is not an aggressive representative of colubrids.

These reptiles have the following features:

• medium in size, their body length is a little more than a meter including the tail;
• the scales are smooth, without a feeling of ribbing;
• the color of these snakes can be gray, light brown, or brownish;
• dorsal patterns come in several types, depending on the location of the stripes;
• the abdomen can have a color from light to black;
• the head is distinguished by the presence of an outlined black pattern.

The leopard climbing snake lives in countries in the eastern Mediterranean, and is also found in Crimea. It feels comfortable on the slopes of mountains and rocks, in their crevices, under stones, in dry valley areas, and in rodent burrows. These animals are active from early spring to late autumn.

These snakes mate from late spring to early summer. Laying of 2–8 eggs occurs in June-July. The latest clutch was seen in November.

The prey of these reptiles are birds, rodents, lizards, shrews and other animals. These snakes are not poisonous.

Important! The leopard climbing snake is included in the Red Book.

Ostrovny

This species lives only in Japan and on the island of Kunashir. In places of settlement there is a sea rocky shore, it is also found in bamboo thickets and coniferous forests. These representatives of colubrids can swim.
Their appearance:

• the island snake reaches a length of 1.3 m, its tail is from 25 to 30 cm;
• relatively big head noticeably separated from the broad body;
• adult representatives have a blue and green or grayish and olive color;
• young animals are characterized by yellow, brown, brown shades in color, as well as the presence of a black rim with spots in the ridge area and on the sides;
• on the back at any age, 4 stripes along the ridge are clearly visible, characterized by intermittence;
• the belly is usually colored blue and gray shades, has a characteristic shine.

It feeds on birds, mammals, and amphibians. It tries to strangle the prey by wrapping it around its entire body and squeezing it.

Important! The European mink is the main threat to the island snake. It was brought to the island of Kunashir in 1985. Also, the threat to the existence of these animals is posed by increased construction, which has caused a significant reduction in the places where these snakes could live.

They are active from May to October, after which they leave for the winter. Eggs are laid in numbers from 4 to 10 from late June to early July. Island snakes are usually ripe for reproduction by the age of three.

Sarmatian (Pallas snake)

Representatives of this species have the following external characteristics:

• with age, the Sarmatian snake grows in length from 1.2 to 1.4 m, in some cases these figures can be 2 meters;
• painted in yellowish and brown tones with spots arranged in rows. Sometimes there are dark individuals with the absence of light areas, and sometimes almost white;

• since the color of Sarmatian snakes is not the same type, their abdominal part can be either deep yellow, orange, or almost white;
• The process of changing the color of a young snake occurs when it grows up to half a meter, and when it reaches a length of 70 centimeters, the animal acquires a permanent color.

The habitat of the Pallas snake is quite wide: from Asia and Kazakhstan to Balkan Peninsula. They live in the forest-steppe and steppe zones, semi-deserts and places with subtropical vegetation, as well as in the mountains. Animals prefer open areas for living, and especially appreciate those places where there are a lot of rodents.

These snakes are active until November and emerge from wintering with the arrival of spring. Thanks to their color, they are perfectly camouflaged in the area. When in danger, they rush at the enemy with an active hiss, their mouths open. But they can remain calm and not show aggression. They eat rodents, birds, lizards, eggs.

Important! Snakes have the prudent nature of preparing an egg saw in their jaws, with which they crush the shell. But the reptile does not always use it, and then the entire egg gets inside.

The Pallas snake is capable of not eating for more than a month, which mainly happens in anticipation of wintering or during breeding.
Snakes begin to mate almost immediately after leaving the winter quarters. The female lays from 6 to 16 eggs.

Female Sarmatian snakes are very caring expectant mothers, and are also ready to selflessly protect their brood. These animals lay eggs in June, and by September their cubs hatch, weighing up to 17 g and growing up to 26 cm.

The Sarmatian snake can be kept in artificial terrarium conditions.

This representative of the colubrid family is also not a poisonous snake. Male green snakes are slightly shorter than females, whose average length is almost two and a half meters.

But at the same time, males are brighter in color than their female counterparts. Green, almost emerald tones give this species an extraordinary personality. This color scheme can be complemented by brown tones, allowing the animal to remain unnoticed among thickets and trees.
There is also a mesh-like pattern on the back. The belly can be either a light greenish tint or yellowish. The belly scutes are characterized by strength, allowing them to crawl through trees without any difficulty.

Sometimes you can see representatives of this species in a monochromatic brown color with a reddish tint.

When in danger, the animal begins to inflate the sac located near its neck, making it appear much larger. This type of snake is active in daytime. They rarely descend to the ground, preferring to stay in the hollows of trees.

The prey of these snakes are birds, which they catch almost on the fly, while hanging on tree branches.

The emerald snake also feels quite good in artificially created conditions, and it can also get used to eating rodents.

Multicolored

A multi-colored representative of the colubrid family is characterized by the following external characteristics:

• this animal has an average size of up to 1.2 meters, with almost half the length being the tail;
• the dorsal part of the snake’s body is in gray and brown tones, brown or blackened spots elongated in the form of diamonds of different sizes are noticeable on it; in adult specimens there can be more than sixty of them;
• several pairs of darkish spots with a light rim are noticeable on the head, which most often form a symmetrical pattern;
• The belly of these snakes is yellow with pinkish hues and has darkish inclusions.

Inhabits territories from Asia Minor lands to northwestern China. Prefers rocks and mountain slopes, hides under stones, in crevices, in burrows of rodents, turtles and other animals. Animals remain active from February to November, and in some areas until December.
Lays 5 to 18 eggs between June and July, which begin to hatch in September. This type of snake feeds on rodents, birds and their chicks, and lizards.

Important! The salivation of the colorful snake is its means of defense and can be toxic, causing local poisoning if it enters the human body.

The habitat of these snakes is from the southeast of Kazakhstan to Korea and the south of Primorye, China, Mongolia. The habitats of this animal are quite diverse: from desert to sea areas, in open forests, on mountain slopes, in river valleys.

Important! The striped snake can easily be confused in size, color and speed of movement with the arrow snake (Psammophis lineolatus), which is poisonous and lives in the same territories as it. But their external difference consists of the presence of a light stripe along the entire ridge of a representative of the colubrid family.

This is a relatively small representative of the colubrid family:

• its length is a little less than a meter;
• rounded muzzle - distinctive feature this animal;
• also an equally memorable feature of the striped snake is the catchiness and effectiveness of its appearance, which consists in the variety of colors from light brown, greenish, olive shades to dark gray tones on the upper part of the body, white and yellow stripes framed by dark dotted and solid lines, located along the ridge;
• The belly of the animal is quite light, in shades of gray.

Important! Striped snake included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, as well as Kazakhstan. It does not pose any danger to humans, but people often kill it when they see this animal.

In food he prefers lizards and rodents. When danger approaches, the animal tries to hide in suitable places. These oviparous snakes lay 4 to 9 eggs in July, hatching within a few weeks.

It's pretty great view families of colubrids:

• reach a length of 2.6 meters, the thickness is up to 6 centimeters;
• The color of the skin shows sufficient variability: there may be stripes, as well as spots, brown, black, brown tones, which can become completely black with age;
• The brightness of the color is given by the red and orange tone of certain elements of the scales;
• The belly of snakes of this species is yellowish, spots can be visible on it.

The habitat consists of the territories of the north and east of the Mediterranean, the steppe territories of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, and Iran.

The prey of the four-striped climbing snake are hares and lizards; it gives particular preference to birds, their chicks and eggs.

Active from April to October during daylight hours. The mating process occurs in May, when snakes begin to observe the mating fast.
The resulting pregnancy lasts a couple of months, ending with the laying of 4 to 6 eggs approximately in mid-summer. Females often show responsibility, protecting their clutches until the cubs appear with the arrival of autumn.

Uses various methods for protection:

• fast movement from tree to tree;
• may fall like a stone from a tree if found there;
• aggressive hissing;
• making jumps towards the enemy.

Listed in the Red Book of many countries.

Important! It does not pose a threat to a person, but if suddenly disturbed, it shows strong aggression, lunging sharply towards the offender, emitting an intense hiss, trying to bite. The eastern subspecies is capable of particular aggression.

Japanese

This species of the colubrid family has not been sufficiently studied and was isolated separately quite recently. Prefers habitats with warm climatic conditions.

On the island of Kunashir (Japan) it huddles in grasses, thickets of bamboo, on forest edges, among stones near heat-generating sources and volcanic craters. It is active from April to October.
It begins to reproduce in the spring and lays 4–8 eggs between August and September. In food it gives preference to rodents, birds and their eggs.

The Japanese snake is a snake of small size, as for representatives of the colubrid family:

• length is up to 0.8 meters;
• the color is mostly monochromatic: brownish-gray, olive-gray, brown-brown, red-chocolate tones are possible;
• the belly is dark gray or even black;
• The color of young animals is somewhat different from mature animals in brightness: gray-yellow, orange with dark spots on the dorsal and lateral parts.

Did you know? The Japanese snake differs from most other species of the colubrid family in the number of rows of scales on its body.

This is a very beautiful snake, with blue eyes and a white skin tone, grows a little less than two meters. Her head is distinguished by its flat shape, reminiscent of the tip of a spear.

Distributed throughout North America from southern Canada to the southern United States. It can feel comfortable in different natural areas: river valleys, ravines, forests, bushes, and is found near cities.
It gives preference in food to lizards, rodents, quails and other birds, bird eggs, and amphibians.

The female is capable of laying 12–20 eggs at a time, which are born after approximately 70 days. The temperature regime for the survival of babies is needed at a level from +27 to +29 degrees.

The white Texas snake is not a poisonous snake, but it is aggressive, especially when it senses danger and a hopeless situation. These snakes live up to 17 years.

This type of reptile is perfect for keeping even for novice hobbyists.

Representatives of this species grow up to 1 m 30 cm and are slender.

Did you know? The species received its name due to the presence on the muzzle of individuals of an elongated and upward-curved nose, covered with small scales.

The eyes of these snakes are large and have a round pupil. The coloring of almost all representatives of the species is the same - uniform greenish.
The species is widespread in the tropics of southern China and northern Vietnam. Living in trees is suitable for representatives of this species; here they improve their homes.

But trees should be located near rivers or lakes, and there should be a lot of vegetation on the banks. They are active at night.

The prey of these snakes are rodents, birds and other small animals. The laying of eggs in an amount of 5 to 10 in females of the Boulanger snake occurs quite early - from April to May.

After a couple of months, cubs are born up to 35 cm long, having a grayish-brown tint with darker stripes along the body.

During the first year, babies acquire grey colour with some steely tint, and after a couple of years - a permanent greenish color.

All types of snakes feel great in artificial living conditions; they quickly adapt and get used to people.

To do this, terrarium owners must comply with a number of conditions:

1. To stimulate the snake to reproduce, it needs to winterize.
2. The snake's daylight hours should be 12 hours. She also needs radiation to replace Sun rays. In summer, if the weather is good, the snake can be taken outside to bask in the sun. In winter, the snake, like other snakes, hibernates.
3. Within 2-3 weeks, the snake’s daylight hours should be reduced to 8 hours, the night heating should be turned off and food should be stopped, then the daylight hours should be reduced by another 4 hours and the daytime heating should be turned off.
4. The snake is then placed in a light-proof, ventilated cage filled with sawdust or well-pressed sphagnum moss. The temperature during wintering should not exceed 17 degrees. You need to bring the snake out of hibernation in the same order. If several snakes live in a terrarium, then females and males are brought out of hibernation separately.

Contents of the corn snake: video

Terrarium

In order for these representatives of the colubrid family to feel comfortable in captivity, the terrarium for them must be of sufficient size and have a horizontal appearance. Each species is distinguished by its specific dimensions, according to which the terrarium is selected.

Depending on preferences and natural features One type or another needs to be equipped with a container. When determining the height of the terrarium for the snake, you need to take into account the presence of lamps for lighting.

Required containment conditions:

1. Almost all snakes like to be kept in warm conditions, so appropriate temperature regime in the terrarium: from +28 to +32 degrees during the day and from +23 to +25 at night. With the help of heating, it is necessary to provide conditions under which one corner should be warmer than the other.
2. It is necessary to monitor air humidity, this will be facilitated by the presence of sphagnum, as well as additional air irrigation. Since almost all snakes can swim, it would be a good idea to install a container of water where the snakes can both swim and soak during the molting period. Water must be changed systematically and have appropriate warm temperature. Regularly, at least once a week, you need to clean the terrarium.
3. Additionally, in the terrarium for a comfortable stay of snakes, it is necessary to provide places and objects for their shelter, as well as for crawling: houses, sticks, flower pots, branches, snags and more.
4. The soil in the terrarium will also be useful, for which gravel, sand, paper material, coconut peels.

Feeding

Rodents (mice, rats, hamsters), chickens, quails and other birds are suitable for consumption as food for almost all types of snakes. It is recommended to feed systematically, preferably once every few days. To strengthen the immune system, you can give these snakes vitamins and minerals, crushed eggshells, and calcium.

Home cleaning

To avoid problems with the health of snakes, you need to periodically remove the terrarium from its waste products. Water and soil must be replaced, all equipment must be periodically changed and refreshed.

Precautionary measures

At home, when caring for snakes, you need to follow a few tips on precautions when keeping these animals:

• You can buy a pet at a zoological store, but it is better to do this from snake breeders; here it is better to immediately find out about all the features of keeping the animal;
• a properly selected and equipped terrarium will help avoid many problems with snakes;
• maintain the correct temperature;
• snakes that have become pets should, like other pets, undergo a systematic examination by specialists checking the condition of the eyes, teeth, scales, breathing, heart function and other organs;
• runners are not poisonous snakes, but some of them, in a state of aggression, are capable of attacking a person, biting him and even strangling the owner with their muscular and strong body, so you need to be especially careful and attentive in your behavior with such pets;
• It is better to feed snakes with frozen carcasses, this will help avoid many diseases (for example, salmonellosis) that can be transmitted by feeding live rodents or other animals;
• snakes can carry salmonella and other infections, so hand washing should be mandatory after every interaction with them.

The species diversity of snakes is amazing; there are many of them. Some of them are poisonous, but snakes are members of the colubrid family and do not pose a particular danger to human life and health. But still in behavior with them, especially when home care, you need to be careful, and you also need to learn how to correctly identify their species, because this will help you avoid communicating with poisonous snakes.

Skids– large non-poisonous ones more than two meters long. Distributed both in the Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as in the south of the Far East, and even in North America.

Skids- Very fast snakes. The only thing that crawls faster than them is . It should be noted that the snake crawls at the same speed (about 6 km/h) both on stone or sandy mail and on tree branches. Sometimes it’s hard to call it crawling, because when moving along the branches most of the body of the runner is in the air. The snake swims just as well as it crawls.

The snake usually poses no danger to humans. Although the aggression of some species, for example, spotted or yellow-bellied snake forces one to be careful. They can attack for almost no reason, jumping high and trying to bite the face.

Big-eyed snake, can also rush at a person, but only in a hopeless situation. Despite his height, or rather his length of 3.5 meters (from non-venomous snakes only larger and), it perfectly climbs the thinnest branches in the crown of a tree, hunting birds. In search of food, a big-eyed snake can crawl into a barn or even into a house. There he hunts and, and along the way, chickens.

Snake is a type of snake belonging to the Colubridae family. They live in North America, Asia, and also in our country. The dinner family is large and varied.

One of the largest representatives of the family is the snake, reaching two meters in length and considered the largest in Europe. Many fables have been told about him. For example, that he chases people, strangles them and drags them into his lair. These are fictions, but a snake snake is really capable of attacking a person unexpectedly and for no reason, although it cannot cause serious harm: its bites are not strong, and a person can simply throw the snake away. Of course, it’s scary when such a giant attacks, and yet this is not a reason to mercilessly kill snakes - active destroyers of rodents, even such large ones as gophers.

Not all members of this family are aggressive. The olive snake is a snake that prefers not to communicate with a person, but to immediately hide from sight. It is found in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, but prefers to settle near human dwellings, sometimes even in attics and gardens.

Many people don’t understand whether it’s a snake or not? So, of course, he has teeth, and he can press them down with them, but there are no poisonous glands, that is, he does not pose a mortal danger. Among the representatives of colubrids there is a species whose saliva is quite toxic. This is a colorful snake - a snake that can only bite if grabbed or startled. Otherwise, this reptile is peaceful, moreover, when it meets a person, it runs away from him with such speed that it is not always possible to even follow it.

The largest representative of the family lives in the valley of the Mugrab River in This is a big-eyed snake - a snake up to 3.5 meters long, very peaceful. In extreme cases, she is capable of using the force of a tail strike to the head. By the way, this is the second largest snake after the boa constrictor among non-venomous reptiles.

All snakes are excellent swimmers and climb trees. Some even settle in hollows and feed without leaving the tree. Another interesting view- Aesculapian snake. The snake has specific abdominal scutes for climbing trees, but it also spends a lot of time on the ground, hunting and watching for rodents.

There are also patterned, leopard, and Transcaucasian snakes. They all love to feast on bird eggs and chicks, but the benefits from them outweigh the harm caused. The same cannot be said about the four-striped snake - this snake is very harmful, since it is not interested in rodents, it feeds exclusively on birds, and destroys nesting boxes and birdhouses.

The cupid snake deserves special attention, a two-meter snake that lives on Far East. He is not at all afraid of people and adapts well in captivity. In those parts, even today, large, calm, tamed snakes sometimes crawl in courtyards, but there are no traces of rodents there. We can say that he plays the role of a cat.

Mating of all colubrids occurs in May. The male wraps himself around the female, holds her by the neck with his jaws, and they remain in this position for about 30 minutes. Later, the female will lay 10 or more eggs, from which offspring will appear in September.

As the weather gets colder, snakes settle in their favorite places for the winter. They come to the surface with warming, around March-April.

Strictly speaking, snake is the name of various types of snakes. All of them belong to the family Colubridae, to the genera big-eyed snakes, scaly-fronted snakes, climbing snakes, slender snakes, hyerophys, Zamenis, Dolichophis, and others.

Let's look at some types of runners. Let's start with representatives of the genus Dolichophis.

Genus Dolichophis

Yellow-bellied Snake

The yellow-bellied snake, also called the Caspian snake, is a fairly large snake, but it is known not for its size, but for its aggressive behavior. The yellow-bellied snake can attack a person and bite until they bleed, but it is worth remembering that the bite of these snakes is not poisonous.

This type of snake is one of the largest European species. There were specimens two and a half meters long, although usually a large snake does not exceed two meters in length. Representatives of the population of this species living on the islands Aegean Sea, smaller than their continental relatives and do not exceed a meter. Male yellow-bellied snakes are longer than females.

The head of the Caspian snake is small, slightly separated from the body. The muzzle is rounded, the eyes are slightly convex with a round pupil. There are circles around the eyes yellow color. The color of the upper body of an adult snake can be yellowish-brown, reddish or cherry-red, olive-brown. Individuals with an almost black color are rarely found. The scales of this species of snake are very smooth.

The Caspian snake belongs to the genus Dolichophis (Latin), to which our next “guest” also belongs.

Red-bellied Snake

The red-bellied snake is a species of the genus Dolichophis. Until recently, these snakes were not identified as a separate species, but were classified as a subspecies of the Caspian snake. It differs from the latter species in some color features, primarily in its reddish belly.

The red-bellied snake lives in the Caucasus, Turkey, and northern Iran; it is also fashionable to meet it in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan.

This species of snake lives in the most various places. It can be found along the coast of valley rivers with dense coastal vegetation, in juniper forests and orchards, on xerophytic mountain slopes at an altitude of 1000-1500 m above sea level.

The red-bellied snake is active during the daytime. After hibernation wakes up in March. The mating period lasts from mid-April to mid-May; from mid-June to early July, the female lays 6 to 11 eggs. Young snakes are born in September and immediately reach approximately 33 centimeters in length.

The main prey of this type of snake is lizards; it can also hunt small birds, rodents, and other species of snakes. It tries to hide from enemies in rodent holes; if the snake is unable to hide, then it actively defends itself, making throws towards the enemy and trying to bite him. These attacks are accompanied by a loud hissing sound.

The next species in this genus is Dolichophis jugularis.

Dolichophis jugularis

This species is widespread in the territories Southern Europe and the Middle East, namely in Albania, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, the Aegean islands, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan.

Representatives of this species can reach 2.5 meters in length, but usually an adult is 1.5 meters long. The color of the species is brown or black with a yellowish tint. Adult representatives of this species have faint lines along the back. Young snakes have short transverse stripes on their backs.

Feeds on lizards and small mammals. It is mainly found on the ground, but also crawls well in trees. It is found in dry places, in fields or on hillsides at altitudes up to 2000 meters above sea level.

Genus climbing snakes

Now representatives of this genus are very widespread: in Northern and Central America, Southern and Central Europe, and Asia.

Let's look at some species from this genus.

The island snake is found only in Japan and the island of Kunashir. Representatives of the species reach a body length of up to 1.3 meters.

This species settles on the seashore, among stones or surf debris, and can also be found in bamboo thickets or litter coniferous forests. This species swims well in both fresh and sea water.

Hunts birds and small mammals; from hunger it can even attack Far Eastern frogs. The victim is strangled by wrapping rings around her body and squeezing her, like a boa constrictor.

The most serious enemy of the island snake is the European mink, which was artificially introduced into Kunashir in 1985. Also, active construction leads to a reduction in the species’ natural habitats.

A species of snakes up to 80 centimeters long, lives in the south of the Far East, the northern border of the range reaches approximately Khabarovsk and in the northwest to the Burei and Zeya rivers.

It is found along overgrown banks of rivers and standing reservoirs. It swims and dives well, which is reminiscent of a snake. This species is absolutely harmless to humans.

The species is ovoviviparous; the female gives birth to 8 to 20 cubs up to 20 centimeters long at the end of September.

Patterned snake - this species lives in the vast expanses of Asia. It can be found in Mongolia, Korea, northern China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Southern Siberia, Transcaucasia and further to the northern part of Iran.

The patterned runner reaches a length of one and a half meters. The peculiarity of this species is its very variable coloration. There are monochromatic individuals (melanists), which were previously distinguished into separate subspecies. But as a result of research, it was proven that such color variants are only variants of population variability within the boundaries of one species.

Lives in the most different conditions, it can be found in deserts, steppes, and coniferous or mixed forests, in juniper woodlands, in orchards and vineyards, in river valleys, in swampy areas, in rice fields and so on. Swims and dives well, climbs tree branches.

The patterned snake's diet is quite varied; it can eat insects, fish, amphibians and other snakes, not to mention small mammals. This species has known cases of cannibalism, in which the victim is swallowed from the head.

In general, the patterned snake is a special forces species in the genus “climbing snakes.”

At the same time, the patterned snake itself can become prey for small carnivorous mammals, it can also be eaten by birds (in particular, the steppe eagle). The snake tries to hide from the enemy in a shelter.

In the photo: Anastasia Poklontseva, an employee of the Institute of Ecology of the Volga Basin of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in a snake nursery with her pet - a patterned snake.

The length of representatives of this species does not exceed 150 centimeters. The head is slightly elongated, the body is slender, and the tail is short. Among the representatives of the species there are melanists, that is, darkly colored individuals. There are 4 distinct dark stripes on the sides of the body, but they are absent in melanists. The belly is olive or pink, in melanists it is dark gray with a metallic sheen. Young snakes of this species have a brown color and a clear contrasting pattern that disappears with age. The iris of the eyes is dark red, while in melanists it is black.

The small-scaled climbing snake lives on Japanese islands, and on the island of Kunashir. It can settle in a wide variety of places: on the seashore, in thickets of bamboo, on the slope of a volcano, near geothermal springs, and so on.

It feeds mainly on frogs and snakes, including an individual of its own species, and sometimes preys on small rodents or birds.

A four-striped climbing snake is enough close-up view runners can reach 260 centimeters in length. The species lives in the northern and eastern Mediterranean, the steppes of Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia and Iran.

It feeds on rodents, can eat a young hare, and if lucky, feeds on birds. Juveniles feed on lizards. Easily moves in tree branches in search of bird nests.

It poses no danger to humans and is trying to avoid a meeting. But if she is caught by surprise, she behaves very aggressively, makes sharp lunges towards a potential enemy, trying to bite, and at the same time hisses loudly. The eastern subspecies of this species is the most aggressive.

The Amur snake is one of the most spectacular species of snakes living in Russia.

The back color of adult individuals is dark brown or completely black, often with a bluish iridescent sheen. Against this background, there are rare narrow, oblique, forked stripes of white or yellow color on the sides. The ventral side of this species of snake is yellow, often with dark spots. There are completely black individuals of this species.

The Amur snake lives in a variety of natural areas, from steppes to mixed forests. Found in the Far East, Mongolia and Northern China and Korea.

The Amur snake preys on mice, small rats, can catch a bird, destroy a bird's nest and eat eggs. There are known cases when the Amur snake made its way into the chicken coop and ate chicken eggs. Small snakes also eat shrews and mollusks.

These snakes do not shy away from people; they can live in gardens, vegetable gardens and attics of residential buildings.

This is not a conflict snake and, in case of danger, tries to escape, but when driven into a corner, like other types of snakes, it hisses loudly and attacks. An adult large snake can bite seriously.

This snake gets used to people, eats from hands and reproduces in captivity.

Genus Lepidoptera snakes

Representatives of this genus are up to 160 cm long and live in North Africa, and Asia from the Arabian Peninsula in the west to Pakistan and northern India in the east. The genus range covers Central Asia and to the south of Kazakhstan, where one species of this genus is widespread - the scaly-fronted (or striped) snake, common in the Karakum Desert.

Genus hyerophys

This genus includes 3 species.

Usually the length of the Balkan snake reaches one meter, rarely 1.3 meters. The color of the snake is olive-brown with dark spots, especially visible in the front part of the body.

The Balkan snake is common in northeastern Italy, Greece, east coast Adriatic (Albania, Croatia, Montenegro).

It lives in dry rocky places, feeds mainly on lizards and large insects, and less often on small mammals and birds.

Striped snake

The striped snake lives from South-Eastern Kazakhstan to Korea and Southern Primorye. It is also found in China and Mongolia. There have been several sightings of this species near Khabarovsk, but they are considered an accidental introduction.

Can live in a variety of places: from deserts to sea ​​coasts. Like many species of snakes, it feeds mainly on lizards. The striped snake is included in the Red Books of Russia and Kazakhstan.

The yellow-green snake is a fairly large species and can reach a length of 2.2 meters, although the average adult size is 1 meter. It lives in northeastern Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and also on the island of Malta.

The color of this species corresponds to its name; it is green or yellow with dark transverse stripes on the back and sides. These stripes are wide and uneven, and on the tail they already have the appearance of intermittent, torn ribbons. In some areas of Italy (particularly Sicily), limited populations of completely black individuals live.

The species prefers dry places to live. The diet of the yellow-green snake is practically no different from the diet of other species of snakes.

The yellow-bellied snake (other names: yellow-bellied snake, yellow-bellied snake) is the largest snake found in European territory. It is quite common in Russia. This reptile belongs to the genus of slender snakes of the colubrid family. Many people wonder whether the yellow-bellied snake is poisonous or not. We hasten to answer: the snake is not poisonous, but it is aggressive and can be dangerous due to huge size. Capable of attacking a person, biting until they bleed. The snake looks graceful and crawls very quickly.

Description of the yellow-bellied snake and features

The scientific name of this reptile is the Caspian Snake (in Latin - Dolichophis caspius).

It is called yellow-bellied for its bright coloring of the entire lower body - from deep yellow to orange. Selected species and newborn snakes have a light gray belly with small yellow spots. If you look at the snake from afar, the back appears monochromatic - olive, gray-yellow, reddish-black or brick.

The color depends on the area in which the snake lives. In the photo, the yellow-bellied snake can be seen in all its glory - the scales of these snakes come in many shades. This is a kind of camouflage that allows you to successfully camouflage yourself while hunting. Even within the same species, these snakes vary in color from light to very dark, depending on the prevailing colors in the nature around them.

Each scale on the runners is decorated with a small pattern: against a general light background, there is a dark rim in the middle. Visually, it gives the impression that the snake’s skin is covered with a fine mesh. The scales are smooth, without ribs. In the sun, it seems that the scaly cover reflects the rays of light.

A young individual can be recognized by small spots on its back; they are so close to each other that they form a pattern of transverse stripes. The same stripes are on the sides of the snake.

Yellow-bellied snake (most major representatives) reaches a length of 2.5 m. But the average length is 1.5-2 m (with the exception of the islands in the Aegean Sea, where these snakes grow only up to 1 m). One third of the body length is on the tail. The body is up to 5 cm in diameter. The length of females is shorter than that of males.

The sizes of the yellow-bellied snake can be tabulated

The yellow-bellied snake has a small head, covered with scutes; its shape almost merges with the body. The muzzle is rounded at the end. The eyes are large, slightly convex, there are small yellow spots around them, the pupils are round. The mouth has sharp teeth, they are curved inward.

Habitat and habits

The yellow-bellied snake received the name “Caspian” because it is found almost throughout the entire territory of the Caspian basin, especially in warm places with a dry climate:

• in Crimea,
• on the south of Ukraine,
• in Moldova,
• Stavropol region,
• in the regions of Ciscaucasia,
• in Romania,
• Hungary,
• on greek islands Kythnos and Karpathos.

The natural habitat is deserts and semi-deserts, sparse forest plantations, and steppe. Yellow bellies climb into the mountains to heights of up to 2000 m and live in rock crevices and gorges.

Yellowbellies can be found in rodent burrows and in tree hollows. There he hides from danger - from the pursuit of martens and foxes. He climbs branches well and is not afraid of heights. He even knows how to jump down from trees, cliffs, and roofs of buildings. The reptile perfectly remembers where it was hiding, and often returns to its shelter, even if it has gone to hunt at a great distance from it.

The yellow-bellied snake is not afraid of noise, so they can often be found near human habitation. A favorite hunting place is the shore of a reservoir, since the coastal thickets are teeming with prey.

Habits

The yellow-bellied snake is a diurnal reptile. IN dark time days, his reaction becomes much weaker. Character - aggressive, can be the first to attack a person if he senses danger. When attacked, it opens its mouth wide and emits a loud hissing sound. The snake's tail swells, it makes a swift throw towards the enemy and bites in the most vulnerable place. At the same time, having frightened the victim, it does not leave it, but attacks several times in a row. Although not poisonous, the bites of this snake are extremely serious. The yellow-bellied snake is not at all afraid of an enemy who is superior in size and strength to it; the snake rarely retreats. You can tell that a snake is preparing to attack by its posture - the yellow-bellied snake characteristically wriggles in a spiral. Having overtaken a victim larger than itself, it wraps itself around it and squeezes it with its body. Smaller ones are swallowed whole.

But, basically, the aggression of this reptile is caused by the need for protection from an enemy who has invaded its territory. Therefore, most often, when faced with a calmly behaving person on a forest path, she simply peacefully retreats.

Yellow-bellied snakes can be kept at home, like many other types of snakes. The yellowbelly will be restless at first, but will gradually get used to it. Aggression will decrease, there is practically no danger for its owner.

Is it true or myth that the yellow-bellied snake whips its tail?

This is a common misconception. Burning to gain the upper hand over an opponent that is larger than it, the yellow belly cleverly uses its tail. And that a meeting with this snake is dangerous even for a large horse - the force of the tail hitting the legs is such that the horse gets injured. But actually it is not. The yellow-bellied snake does not use its tail to attack; it can only swing strongly to wrap itself around the enemy, and then only if it is grabbed by the head.

Nutrition

U yellow-bellied snakes instant reaction, excellent vision, they move quickly - these qualities make them excellent hunters. They pursue their prey so energetically that neither a nimble lizard nor a rodent can escape. The yellowbelly is able to overtake its live food in any hole.

The size of the reptile gives it the opportunity to eat not only small animals, but also swallow whole hamsters, gophers, birds and even its fellows - smaller snakes. They also feed on locusts and mice, they can swallow shrews and frogs, and they destroy bird nests.

The snake hunts tall trees, waiting for the prey in ambush, maneuverably moves along the branches and jumps down after the prey. Even the bite of a viper, which he can sometimes catch and eat, does not cause him much harm. The capture tactics are as follows:

1. catch up with prey
2. wrap your body in rings and thereby immobilize her,
3. enjoy your meal.

High speed of movement almost always ensures successful hunting for the snake.

Life expectancy and method of reproduction

Under natural conditions, yellow-bellied snakes live on average from 6 to 8 years. This is quite a long time, but not many yellowbellies live to that age. Enemies of yellowbellies in natural environment– foxes, martens, birds of prey. And in captivity, a snake can live for 10 years, since not only is the factor excluded natural enemies, but regular, proper feeding also brings positive results.

Sexual maturity in yellowbellies occurs at 3-4 years. Matching pair the snake begins to look for itself in the spring, mating season lasts from late April to early May. During this time, yellowbellies mate and the snakes can be seen together. They become careless, often dying at this time from natural enemies. And those that survived are waiting for babies who grow up quickly - even before the onset of the first cold weather.

The clutch of one female yellowbell contains from 5 to 16 (sometimes even 18) eggs. The female lays eggs in June - early July. The incubation period lasts about 60 days. The yellow-bellied snake hides eggs in tree hollows, burrows and crevices, but does not guard the clutch at all and does not monitor the hatching process itself. That is, after birth, the offspring have to survive on their own.

Young snakes grow very quickly and get their own food. Therefore, the population of yellowbellies in nature is maintained through natural selection of viable individuals.

And about what kind of snake the corn snake is, read in.

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