What people are very interested in is the question of whether snakes are poisonous and how to distinguish them from vipers. But these reptile snakes have quite interesting habits, way of life, and diet. The snake family is very numerous. There are more than 1,500 species. Snakes inhabit all continents except Antarctica; they live in various biotopes, including deserts. Fans of home terrariums are happy to breed these reptiles. Snakes are unpretentious, and their care is minimal. It is terrariumists who are most concerned with the question of when and where snakes lay eggs, and how to get healthy offspring. Let's explore this problem.

As already mentioned, this is a very large family. It is divided into three groups: real snakes, false snakes and snakes with copperheads. Let's first look at the genus Natrix. These are real snakes. There are also several hundred species of them. The most common of them is Natrix natrix, or It is found throughout Europe (except the Far North). It is from this appearance that we form an idea of ​​what it is. The photo of this small snake with yellow “ears” serves as a kind of “photo identikit” for the whole family. Wrong opinion! There are species of snakes without yellow spots - for example, Natris tesselata, which lives in reservoirs Western Europe, Moldova and Ukraine. Not to mention the runners, quite big snakes, and copperheads. But they also belong to snakes. Found among this diverse family and poisonous species. It’s just that their secretion is not dangerous to humans and, in the worst case, can only lead to swelling around the bite site.

How to distinguish a snake from a viper

Two bright orange or yellow spots on the sides of the head are not the only distinctive sign. Snakes, at least real ones, snakes, as well as some false ones, have round pupils. Whereas in vipers they are slit-shaped, vertically located. Again, this difference is the rule only in our country. In the tropics, snakes with slit-like pupils are found. The color of the viper - black or dark gray - can be found on the backs and sides of its non-venomous counterparts. So what types of snakes are found in our country? The most common in the European part of Russia is Natrix. The northern border of its range is the latitude of Vologda. The merman is more thermophilic. Here it is found only in the southern Volga region, Kuban and the Don. And finally, Rhabdophis tigrina, the tiger snake, is found in the Primorsky Territory. This species is worth special mention. This is roughly 110 centimeters long. If it happens to bite a person with its short front teeth, the wounds are small and no symptoms of poisoning are observed. But it is not recommended to put a finger in the mouth of a tiger snake - in literally. In the depths of his pharynx (on the back of the upper jaw) there are poisonous teeth. The secretion causes poisoning, not inferior in severity to the consequences of

Where does it live?

The grass snake, whose species inhabit various landscapes, even desert ones, still “loves” water. It prefers damp, swampy forests or meadows. The snake stays near bodies of water, and the water snake lives in them. But these reptiles eat prey and, moreover, lay eggs on land. Tree snakes are found in tropical latitudes. The interesting thing is that they can only crawl up. Having climbed the trunk, such a one freezes, taking on the likeness of a branch, lying in wait for the birds. To go down, the snake coils itself into a spring and jumps. In flight, it straightens its body, draws in its stomach and spreads its ribs. It turns out something like a hang glider chute that slows down the fall. These tree snakes also have a slit-like pupil, but located horizontally, which allows them to see a three-dimensional image. The common grass snake, which we have already described, can reach a length of one and a half meters. It is interesting because it does not shy away from human habitation. Females even lay eggs in chicken coops.

What does it eat?

The main food of these reptiles are amphibians. However, who the snake eats completely depends on the biotype of its habitat. In semi-deserts it feeds on small rodents, eggs, and insects. In mountainous areas, its diet includes lizards and even snakes. Tree snakes feed on geckos, skinks, and unwary birds. The diet of the aquatic species consists of 60 percent small fish. Young snakes eat tadpoles, insects, and newt larvae. There are types of “narrow specialization”. For example, thick-headed snakes that live in South-East Asia, know how to get snails out of shells. They stick their two front teeth into the soft body of the mollusk and begin to spin like a corkscrew. Egg-eating snakes live throughout Africa. These are small snakes (75 cm maximum). But they can even swallow chicken eggs. The snake simply stretches over its prey like a stocking. Inside her esophagus there is a “tooth” - a spinal extension that pierces the egg. The liquid flows into the stomach, and the snake spits out the flattened shell.

Funny habits

A person is more likely to encounter a snake than a viper. But there are fewer opportunities to catch it, since these reptiles are very agile. In addition, they realize that in a fight with a person they have nothing to defend themselves with. You can meet these snakes with yellow “ears” near your home, as well as in haylofts, where snakes lay eggs. In the spring, these snakes crawl out to warm themselves in thawed patches, on tree stumps, and even on the road. When meeting with a large enemy, he already uses interesting tactics, called “akinesis” - false death. It turns out that he does it very convincingly: the body is like a lifeless rope, the eyes are rolled up, the mouth is convulsively open, the tongue is hanging out. Some individuals may even release a few drops of blood from their mouths. For greater persuasiveness, a stinking secretion shoots out of the anus. Few people will have the desire to pick up a half-decomposed corpse. But as soon as you move a sufficient distance, the reptile “Lazarus” resurrects and runs away.

Skids

These are large snakes, reaching sizes of two or more meters in length. There are also several dozen species of them. They are also found in our country, especially in the south of the Far East. In the kingdom of snakes, snakes are excellent sprinters. Small individuals prefer to run away, but large ones can also show aggression towards humans. Although snakes are not poisonous, their large, dog-like teeth can cause wounds. The yellow-bellied snake is especially aggressive, which is found in Ukraine, in the countries of Transcaucasia and in our Lower Volga region up to the Ural River. When cornered, he gets right in the face. The spotted snake is not far behind him in his desire to stand up for himself. Its habitat is middle Asia. And the largest non-venomous snake (unless, of course, you count pythons and boas) is the big-eyed snake. It reaches a length of three and a half meters.

copperhead

This is a small one. The photo shows a red or brown snake only 50 cm long, which has small dark spots along its back. The copperhead lives in clearings and forest clearings, meadows and steppes. Its habitat is from Scandinavia and throughout Europe. Here it is found in the southern part of the country. Viperphobes mercilessly kill copperheads, confusing them with poisonous snakes. And in vain. Copperheads themselves eat viper pups, and sometimes attack adult individuals. However, they have poison. But it only affects cold-blooded people - the bite of a copperhead kills lizards in a matter of seconds. But for humans it is absolutely harmless. False snakes Latin America- Mussurans - feed exclusively on poisonous snakes. This quality is used by farmers in Brazil and Argentina. They breed mussuran to protect their homes and herds from poisonous snakes, which are eaten by this false snake.

Reproduction

They mate in the spring, usually in April. This should be taken into account by terrarium keepers. “Wintering” - artificially maintaining pets at temperatures below +10 degrees for a month - will increase the chances of success. Mating games among snakes take place without much sophistication. The male, approaching his larger lady, makes rhythmic nods of his head. If she behaves calmly, he approaches her and presses against her with the lower part of her body. Sometimes there are significantly more candidates for a female than one. Then the snakes form a so-called “mating ball”. Males do not fight or bite each other. They are simply trying to push aside their opponent and continue the race themselves. In favorable conditions (for example, in a terrarium), two litters per year can be achieved. If it gives way to frosts, the snake, whose reproduction is not always subject to strict deadlines, can delay the laying of eggs. In this case, an interesting process of incomplete incubation occurs. Embryos develop in mature eggs inside the mother's body.

Pregnancy and birth of the brood

Pregnancy lasts an average of three months. Snakes lay eggs under lying objects, tree roots, in empty holes, manure or in rotting plant debris. The amount of harvest depends on the size of the female. A snake up to 70 cm long lays about 10 eggs, more than a meter - 15-30. Inside the shell there is a large yolk surrounded by a thin layer of white. Eggs common snake resemble pigeons. But they are held together “in beads” by a gelatinous substance. Three weeks pass between the periods when snakes lay eggs and when the young emerge. Newborns are 15 centimeters in length, but are already fully viable. They feed on worms, snails and various insects. Young animals are easily tamed and take food from their hands.

Common snake(lat. Natrix natrix) - the most common species of non-venomous snakes in Russia from the Colubrida family.

Description

Head of a common grass snake

The maximum length of the body with tail in individuals recorded in the Saratov region reaches 1095.0 mm. In mature males, the tail is 3.83-4.35, and in females it is 4.25-5.87 times shorter than the body. The head is covered with large, regular-shaped scutes; the length of the prefrontal scutes is greater than their width. The parietals are very large, 6.0-8.9 mm long and 4.5-6.0 mm wide. The width of the frontal shield fits into its length 1.16-1.41 times. Preorbital shields - 1 (98.1%) or 2 (1.9%), postorbital shields - 1 (1.7%), 2 (5.1%) or 3 (96.2%). There are two or three temporal scutes in the first row. There are usually 7-8 upper labial scutes, less often 6 or 9. The dorsal scales have barely noticeable ribs, the lateral scales are smooth. Around the middle of the body there are 19, less often 17 or 18 scales in one row. The anal shield is divided.

The color of the dorsal surface of the body ranges from dark gray, olive to black. On the sides of the head there are large, sometimes merging whitish or yellow spots. The width of such a spot, corresponding to the width of one scale, was noted in 9.3% of individuals, two - 73.1%, three or more - 5.7%; 12.7% of snakes had no spots. The most common are individuals with a spot length equal to length 2-6 (usually 4) scales. The coloring of the belly and ventral part of the tail is characterized by a variable pattern, which is determined by the different combinations of dark spots on the scutes and the nature of the manifestation of the central longitudinal white stripe.

Of the nine known subspecies of the common snake, the habitat of the nominal subspecies is registered within the Rtishchevsky district N.n. natrix(Linnaeus, 1758).

Spreading

The common snake is widespread throughout Europe, with the exception of the polar and subpolar regions. Also lives in southern regions Siberia to Lake Baikal and in the south of the Far East.

The distribution and biotopic distribution of the common grass snake in the Saratov region is uneven and is confined mainly to wet areas of intrazonal landscapes; reptiles avoid open dry spaces and agrocenoses. In the Right Bank of the region it is already found everywhere; high quantitative indicators were recorded in the valleys of the Volga, Khopra, Medveditsa rivers and their tributaries - Tereshka, Chardym, Atkara, Karay, etc. The population density of the species varies from 74-119 individuals. / km² (for island ecosystems of the upper zone of the Volgograd Reservoir) up to 195 copies. / km² (for the floodplains of the Khoper and Medveditsa rivers).

In the Rtishchevsky district it was noted in the Tretyak grove.

Habitats and lifestyle

The usual habitats of the species are forest edges, overgrown clearings, bush thickets along the banks of reservoirs and slopes of depressions in gully-gully systems. They are very common in floodplain wet mixed-grass meadows bordering forests or interspersed with shrubs.

In the Saratov region, active snakes are observed from the second half of March to mid-October. Their first appearance is noted in the second half of March - the first half of April. However, their mass appearance in the north of the region, as a rule, occurs in the first - second half of April, and in the south - in the third ten days of March - the first half of April.

The common snake can be observed active only during daylight hours, regardless of the season. In spring and autumn time The snake’s activity cycle is single-peaked, and in the summer, when morning and evening peaks are distinguished, it becomes double-peaked.

The surface temperature of the substrate during the period of maximum activity of snakes fluctuates in spring from +12.4 to +26.1 °C and in summer - from +16.6 to +28.4 °C, while their rectal body temperature is from +14.8 to +32.8 °C and from +24.8 to +34.3 °C, respectively. Thus, the dependence of the body temperature of the common snake on the temperature of the environment during the period of their activity is seasonal. Snakes are active on the surface in daytime at a soil temperature of at least +12 °C. In spring, the emergence of snakes from shelters is observed at ambient temperatures on the surface close to this level. In summer, when the absolute minimum temperature on the soil surface is noticeably higher than the voluntary minimum, grass snakes move to shady and moist habitats with a stable relationship between microclimatic differences.

When snakes leave their shelters after the heat subsides, their body temperature first increases slightly and then gradually decreases until the reptiles leave for the night shelter. This behavior is associated with the thermoregulatory ability: avoiding overheating in one shelter, it moves to another, with more favorable conditions. Thus, the activity of reptiles in the conditions of the north of the Lower Volga region occurs at a body temperature slightly higher than the ambient temperature, while the optimal temperature should be considered to be from +25.0 to +31.0 °C.

Laying of the common grass snake

The mating season for common grass snakes begins soon after they leave their wintering shelters, usually in the first half of May. During the mating period, these snakes form clusters of several dozen individuals. Egg laying occurs from the end of June to the second half of July. The timing of development and incubation of eggs varies somewhat depending on the environmental conditions of the animal’s habitat and climate indicators season. The number of eggs in a clutch varies from 8 to 19: their dimensions are 15.2-19.8 × 25.7-33.2 mm. Collective clutches are known, created in one of the most favorable places by several females; in such a place you can find several dozen eggs. As a substrate for laying, snakes prefer manure or rotting plant matter in various types of shelters. In this case, most often such shelters are recesses in rotten stumps, rotting plant debris, abandoned dilapidated burrows of birds, for example, shore swallows and bee-eaters. Incubation period at temperatures from +23.5 to +31.9 °C it lasts 33-41 (on average 35.1) days.

The appearance of fingerlings with a length of 151.4-185.0 and 36.0-51.1 mm of the body and tail, respectively, and a weight of 6.0-9.1 g has been noted since the second half of August. Moreover, born males are on average larger than females. After the first molt, on days 4-9, young snakes begin to actively hunt, many of them grow within 1-2 months, adding up to 18-29 mm during this time. The body length of fingerlings before leaving for winter reaches 181.2-211.0 mm. Wintering takes place at the end of September - beginning of October.

Sexual maturity in males occurs in the third year, and in females in the fourth year of life. The minimum length of sexually mature individuals is about 50 cm.

The common snake is very mobile: it crawls quickly, climbs trees well and swims well. It obtains food more often on the shore than in the water. It does not kill the victim, but swallows it alive by alternating movements of the lower jaws, most often from the head, although there are cases when prey grabbed by the hind limb or other part of the body is eaten. In case of danger, it regurgitates the swallowed prey and, as a rule, flees. As a defensive reaction, it secretes a liquid with a strong repulsive odor, which it throws out of the cloaca, and finally can for a long time remain motionless, feigning death. Migrations are known that are associated with reproduction in the spring, and with the search for wintering places in the fall; sometimes they make short migrations in search of food. Snakes use spaces under logs, stones, and rodent holes as shelters. They winter in similar, only deeper places, sometimes in outbuildings.

Nutrition

The food spectrum of common grass snakes is quite diverse, but the most preferred food is amphibians - they make up up to 75.0% of the number of animals caught and 86.0% of the utilized biomass. The frequency of occurrence of mouse-like rodents is significantly lower; the rest of the food - chicks, fish fry and insects - are present in the diet in very limited quantities, especially in terms of biomass (about 2%). Among the amphibians, the lake frog is clearly dominant, with the subdominant foods being the sharp-faced frog and the green toad. In addition, snakes can easily “switch” to more accessible and abundant food when there is a high population of mouse-like rodents in limited areas.

The daily diet of snakes varies widely. Maximum amount food in the stomach of the snake (body weight 329.4 g), caught on July 12, 1984, amounted to 72.8 g. The contents of the stomach included 2 lake frogs (69.8 g) and 4 tadpoles (3 g). However, as a rule, the weight of the stomach contents does not exceed 40-50 g. Most of the snakes studied had only one lake frog with body weight from 21.2 to 41.7 g. Largest quantity Snakes utilize biomass in June - July, which is in good agreement with the dynamics of their growth. In August, the feeding intensity of common snakes noticeably decreases; During this period, the main object of hunting for snakes is the lake frog.

Limiting factors and status

The natural enemies of the common grass snake are birds (great white and gray herons, short-tailed snake eagle, black kite) and mammals (common fox, corsac fox, badger).

The common snake is one of the common species of the Saratov region, and in some places it reaches high numbers. The species does not require special protection measures.

Literature

• Fauna of the Saratov region. Book 4. Amphibians and reptiles: Textbook. allowance / G. V. Shlyakhtin, V. G. Tabachishin, E. V. Zavyalov, I. E. Tabachishina. - Saratov: Publishing house Sarat. University, 2005. S. - 76-80

Rtishchevo and Rtishchevsky district in topics
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A common inhabitant of wet places, swamps and river banks in our country, it is found throughout almost the entire European part of Russia, as well as in the south of Siberia and the Far East.

Description of the snake

Animal already ordinary belongs to the genus of real snakes and has distinctive feature in the form of two “ears” on the head - spots of white, yellow or orange color. In some individuals, the spots are weak or absent. The coloring of snakes ranges from black to gray or brown with a lighter belly, the presence or absence of a pattern in the form of spots or stripes. Source:

The snake is diurnal, and its activity is subject to seasonal changes. Snakes are most active, including the breeding season, from April to September. In the morning they crawl out to warm up in the sun, and at night they cool down in shelters made of branches, under snags, leaves, etc. In winter, they hide in shelters and hibernate. Females are larger than males, snake length can reach 1.5 meters.

Like other snakes, grass snakes shed their skin. During normal molting, the skin comes off entirely. Before molting, it becomes more passive and refuses food. To ensure easy molting, you need to maintain a sufficient level of humidity.

Generally speaking, it’s hard to call a snake a pet, and considering that most of the snakes in the same poultry market are caught in wildlife, taking this snake home is not very advisable. After all, no matter how good the conditions of detention are, they cannot compare with natural environment a habitat. In addition, snakes are quite demanding in terms of temperature and humidity, so they often die in inexperienced hands. If you have no experience with snakes, it is better to release the snake into the wild.

Terrarium for snake

But if you have already decided, come what may get a snake at home, then for home maintenance he needs a spacious long terrarium, a significant part of which will be occupied by a swimming pool. A snake needs a pool for swimming and drinking, so choose a body of water that your pet can fit in completely.

The top of the terrarium is tightly closed with a net to prevent it from escaping. A soil that retains moisture well: peat or sand is placed at the bottom of the terrarium. You can also place sand at the bottom of the pool. Source:

In addition to the main soil, create an area of ​​damp moss in a warm corner in which your snake can burrow. They also place all kinds of snags, scatterings of stones between which the snake can crawl, shelters and shelters made of well-fixed branches or bark.

It is necessary to maintain a temperature difference in the terrarium. One corner should be warm for warming up. A heating lamp is placed near it, under which you can put a stone or driftwood, where the snake will heat its body. It is also better to place the area with wet moss in a warm corner. Daytime temperatures here should be 30-35º.

In addition to the warm corner, there should be a cool and dry place, preferably with a shelter, where it can cool down. In this place the temperature is about 22º. The average temperature of the rest of the terrarium during the day fluctuates around 22-26º. At night, the terrarium is not heated or lit, because... It is already active during the day and sleeps in a shelter at night. In addition to temperature, it is necessary to maintain humidity in the terrarium. To do this, the soil and moss are regularly sprayed. It is very good to purchase a special lamp with ultraviolet light, although in the summer you can limit yourself to regular sunbathing.

Domestic snake and hibernation

In order for it to hibernate, in the fall the daylight hours are reduced for a month (gradually, from 12 to 4 hours) as well as the heating period. A decrease in temperature and lighting provokes hibernation, therefore, after a complete cessation of lighting and a decrease in temperature to 10º, it is able to spend about 2 months in hibernation, which has a beneficial effect on further activity and reproduction.

Feeding snakes

What do snakes eat? The snake's diet consists of live food. Snakes feed mainly on frogs and rodents, sometimes small fish. Food must move! At home, you will have to buy tree frogs, small mice, aquarium fish and feed them alive. Also, some snakes eat insects, bloodworms, snails, and worms.

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 a non-venomous snake, which is a little similar to it. 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 at 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 Not big 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 bad smell 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.

A poisonous snake is usually dark in color, often black, with a zigzag pattern running down its back, and it can be of any color, its distinguishing feature being 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 has been bitten by a viper, his life is in danger, and he definitely needs health care. 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.

Nowadays, common at home, it is not at all considered a rarity. Someone as pet keeps a cat or a guinea pig, and some like reptiles. The common viper and the common viper are the most common creeping reptiles in nature, but if you decide to have such a creature at home, then it is better to opt for a non-poisonous one rather than dangerous viper. To contain this moisture-loving creature in home terrarium, you need to know some rules and features of caring for an animal. If you do not create the necessary conditions for it, then it may die, which, unfortunately, happens very often with careless owners of this creature. It is not very easy to create such conditions; in this article you will find recommendations and tips that will help make the stay of a reptile with ears in your home comfortable. If you adhere to all the rules, then a pair of snakes will even give their owner considerable offspring.

Ordinary: description

Of the numerous kinds of its own kind, the ordinary one is the most major representative. Moreover, the tail of this creature occupies a fifth or third of the total length. Typically, adults are about one meter in length. It is known that on the Svir River the common grass snake reached two meters in length; this place is famous for such large reptiles.

Most people imagine a reptile with a black body and two large yellow spots located on the back of the head. Few people know that in nature, in some places, the common fish can be “colored” completely differently. The upper body can be gray with various shades; against this background one can see spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern, or narrow stripes “drawn” across. The common grass snake, which is more than one meter long, has a mesh pattern all over its body and looks very beautiful.

As you know, it differs from the viper in the presence of yellow spots on its head, but there are representatives of this species that do not have such distinctive characteristics at all. There are also individuals with pink, white or orange-red markings. In this case, all shades of yellow are acceptable.

The scutes of the upper lip are white, separated by black stripes. Its belly is white with gray tint and black or blue-gray spots. Pure black snakes and white-pink albinos with a grayish tint are found in nature. The latter have red eyes.

It is difficult to distinguish males from females, except by size and tail. “Boys” are much smaller than “girls”, and males also have a noticeably longer tail.

Character and lifestyle

The common snake is active only during the daytime. He loves to bask in the sun and swim in the pond. By the way, snakes are excellent swimmers and divers. They can stay under water for 20-30 minutes. There have been cases when a swimming snake was seen very far from the shore. With the onset of dusk, the reptile looks for a cozy and safe place for the night and spends the night there, during which her body cools down. A pile of branches or leaves, a snag or a fallen tree can serve as a refuge for a grass snake.

Reptiles with ears on their heads are very fast; it costs them nothing to instantly climb a tree. In winter they hibernate, and their greatest activity is observed from April to September. During this same period, these harmless reptiles reproduce.

When asked whether the common snake is poisonous, the correct answer is the word “no.” It's no surprise that many terrarium lovers keep them as pets. Unlike their wild counterparts, domestic snakes are easily tamed and quickly get used to their owner. They can be held freely.

How to set up a terrarium

If you decide to place a snake in your home, you must be prepared for the fact that you will need to create for it all the conditions necessary for its existence. Many people ignore advice on caring for reptiles, and as a result, their pets simply die. In order for an ordinary one to feel comfortable in your terrarium, it must be equipped according to all the rules.

For such a non-venomous snake, you will need a spacious and long terrarium, since you will need to place a large pool in it. Such a bath should be quite large so that the pet can fit completely in it. So most of the snake’s house will be occupied by the pool; it will not be able to live without it, since it needs to bathe and drink water often.

The bottom of the terrarium is covered with peat or sand, the main thing is that this soil retains moisture for a long time. It is necessary to place moss in the corner so that the snake can burrow into it and rest. In a place free from the pool, driftwood, branches or scattering stones are placed. The top of the terrarium should be tightly closed with a mesh so that the nimble pet cannot escape from its house.

Common snake: content

A very important point in the content is the temperature regime. A stone or driftwood is placed in one corner of the terrarium, and a heating lamp is placed on top. Here the snake will be able to warm itself at a temperature of no more than 35 degrees. A cool corner is being set up in another place. In this shelter the temperature should be about 22 degrees. At the specified standards average temperature in the terrarium is from 22 to 26 degrees.

The humidity level in the snake's home is maintained by regularly spraying the soil and moss. At night there is no need to light or heat the terrarium; during the day warm time For a year, normal sunlight will be sufficient.

With proper care and maintenance, a pet snake can live for about 20 years.

How to care for a common snake

In addition to the fact that the owner of the reptile must monitor the temperature and humidity in the terrarium, he will need to create all the conditions for hibernation and an active lifestyle for the snake. The house is cleaned once a week; the home must be cleaned regularly. Once every 30 days, to remove ticks, the pet is dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate (1%), only during this procedure you need to carefully monitor so that the snake’s head does not get wet.

Nutrition

A person purchasing a reptile must know what the common reptile eats, since it prefers to eat only live food, and the owner will have to give his pet mice, toads, and fish that have not been killed beforehand. The fact is that this snake will not be interested in either a rodent or a frog if the food does not move. In rare cases, owners manage to train their pets with a well-developed hunting instinct to eat killed food.

You need to feed it 1-2 times a week. If your pet is large, then it eats less often, but its lunch should be larger. The snake should receive mineral supplements to its food monthly. You can add from time to time mineral water to the drinking bowl.

Reproduction

A couple of snakes mating games start with a nod of the head. This ritual begins with the male holding his head high, shaking it from side to side. If the female accepts signs of attention, she responds to the gentleman with the same gestures. When mutual understanding in the couple is achieved, the “suitor” moves on to more active courtship and rubs himself against the back of his “lady.”

The eggs of the common grass snake contain small snakes whose hearts are already beating, since the development of the offspring begins already in the female’s body. The eggs themselves are not the same as chicken or bird eggs; they are very soft and sticky, which is why they are able to stick to each other. If the terrarium is not humid enough, they will dry out and the offspring will die.

The incubation period lasts about 10 weeks. Young females are capable of laying 10-15 eggs in a clutch, while a mature individual lays about 30 eggs or even more.

Offspring of the common grass snake

Newborn babies have a special tooth with which they break the shell and look at things for the first time. the world. The baby will leave the egg only when he is convinced of his complete safety; at this time there should be complete silence and calm around him.

The size of newborn babies is already 10-12 cm, and from the first day of their life they begin to behave very actively. You can feed them earthworms and small frogs.

Hibernation of snakes when kept at home

In order for an ordinary snake to hibernate, its owner must provide it with the proper conditions for this. With the onset of autumn, over the course of 30 days, it is necessary to gradually reduce daylight hours to 4 hours and do the same with the heating period.

After such preparation, lighting stops completely. The temperature in the terrarium is reduced to 10 degrees. As a result of such actions, it goes into hibernation and spends about two months in this state. Such a break in the reptile’s activity is necessary so that in the future it will develop well and reproduce to the delight of its owner.

Shedding

Shedding is normal for snakes. The common grass snake, like all its relatives, sheds its skin. If molting occurs normally, the entire skin of the reptile's body comes off. Before this process begins, the snake becomes less active and loses its appetite. During this period, the owner must ensure that a sufficient level of humidity is maintained in the terrarium; this is necessary in order to make it easier for the pet to change “clothes”.

How does an ordinary person defend himself?

As mentioned earlier and as everyone knows, the common one is not poisonous. How then does this snake defend itself and how does it behave in moments of danger? wild snake It’s better not to try to pick it up, since a pet doesn’t protest against such an action only on the part of its owner, to whom it is accustomed. If this creature with ears on its head does not like human attention, it will behave like poisonous snakes. When the menacing hissing and head thrusts do not help scare off the enemy, it uses its signature trick, releasing a liquid from the intestines that has a very strong and unpleasant odor. After all the above actions, the offender should probably retreat, but if this does not happen, he will simply pretend to be dead. As for bites, this animal decides to take such a step in very rare cases.

Common grass snake and viper

The creeping reptiles most known to all people are vipers and snakes. How is it different from the common viper? The answer to this question needs to be known primarily by those who like to relax in the forest or near bodies of water in the lap of nature. If an encounter with a snake does not threaten a person at all, then a close acquaintance with a viper is very dangerous, since this creature is poisonous.

It is absolutely impossible to distinguish between a snake and a viper by color; the main difference is the ears on the sides of the head of a non-venomous snake, but there are snakes that are completely black and without characteristic ears. In this case, it is better to avoid this crawling creature. The difference between venomous and non-venomous reptiles is observed in the pattern on the body. On the back of the snake, dark spots are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, while the viper is painted with zigzags.

• To completely remove the skin during molting, the snake finds narrow cracks and crawls through them. Thus, the skin slides off the animal, like an inverted stocking (this starts from the head).
• The bite does not pose any danger to humans.
• Residents of small villages often domesticate wild snakes so that these non-venomous snakes exterminate rodents on the farm.

• Snakes swallow prey alive without killing it first.
• When the weather is too hot, the reptile can sink to the bottom of the reservoir and stay there for quite a long time, waiting for its body to cool down.
• If a snake is in danger while it is swallowing food or has just swallowed it, the snake regurgitates the food and flees or tries to defend itself. In this case, a mouse or frog that has been in the mouth of a reptile may remain alive.