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The Grass Snake - Natrix natrix -
AKA the Ringed Snake or Water Snake

The Grass Snake is a European non-venomous snake, typically brown or dark green in colour with a characteristic dull to bright yellow collar ring behind the head, which explains the alternative name ringed snake.

Their other name, the Water Snake is probably a better name for this snake that preys almost entirely on amphibians, especially frogs, but they will also eat small mammals and fish. Water (Grass) Snakes are strong swimmers and are usually found close to fresh water.

We managed to photograph a European Grass Snake in the water from the stern of our narrowboat on the Soar Navigation (Grand Union Canal) close to Glen Parva, south of Leicester on May Bank Holiday Monday 2008.

Our adult Grass Snake must have just come out of hibernation as they are known to emerge in the spring during April or May, when they mate.

The Grass Snake's eggs are laid in batches of between 5 and 30, which are leathery skinned, during June or July. Grass Snake's eggs hatch out after about 10 weeks of incubation at a temperature of at least 21° C in warm rotting vegetation,(check that compost heap), Young Grass Snakes are about 18cm in length as hatchlings and are immediately independent, in fact they may never meet their mother.

Grass Snakes rarely bite humans and not being venomous, their only defences are to feign death, perform 'fake' strikes and produce a foul-smelling fluid from the anal glands.

In the UK the snake is native to lowland areas of England and Wales but is almost absent from Scotland. And there are no native snakes in Ireland at all.