Grass Snakes and slugs

[james bennet]

Hi guys,

A bit of a random question, but I wonder if any of you have heard of grass snakes taking slugs and, if not, why they avoid them? There must be stacks of slugs in the damp habitats grass snakes prefer, and you'd think grass snakes would want to take advantage of an easily-caught and fairly nutritious meal. (I know slowworms love them).

Perhaps if it doesn't croak (or move fast!) it doesn't interest them!

[marvin]

hi

i think young grass snakes are voracious feeders and have quite a varied diet including invertebrates. i can't remember where i read about this so will check and get back to you with a more definitive answer unless someone else gets there first. as they get older their diet tends to become less varied and consists mostly of amphibians then small mammals with the odd fish and even bird thrown in for good measure. as a guess i would say that it probably isn't very economical for larger snakes to eat such small invertebrates, although other small prey items still form part of their diet.

tim

[marvin]

hi again

i've found a couple of references on the net re young grass snakes eating inverts including worms and slugs but others saying that this is largely unsubstantiated.

i was sure i had seen a reliable reference from someone actually studying grass snake diet in the field that confirmed that they had found young where the diet included various inverts but i can't find it again now and i'm beginning to think i imagined it ...d'oh!

tim

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by marvin

hi again

i've found a couple of references on the net re young grass snakes eating inverts including worms and slugs but others saying that this is largely unsubstantiated.

i was sure i had seen a reliable reference from someone actually studying grass snake diet in the field that confirmed that they had found young where the diet included various inverts but i can't find it again now and i'm beginning to think i imagined it ...d'oh!

tim

There is a reference in the most recent New Naturalist on reptiles of Grass Snakes taking slugs.A study by Jonty Denton in Hants showed adults Grass Snakes regurgitating large slugs for young snakes. Generally the larger the snake, the larger prey that is sought, so adults don't tend to take them.

[marvin]

thanks aeshna5

tim

[james bennet]

Many thanks for your answers guys,

I've lifted up a few tins with grass snakes and slugs sitting happily side by side underneath, so I guess they must have some sort of peace accord!

[james bennet]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

There is a reference in the most recent New Naturalist on reptiles of Grass Snakes taking slugs.A study by Jonty Denton in Hants showed adults Grass Snakes regurgitating large slugs for young snakes.

Blimey, that's a further surprise. I'd always assumed all our reptiles were independant from birth and that the adults showed no parental care? Though I'm not sure a regurgitated slug sounds very appetizing to me!

[Dutchess]

Originally Posted by james bennet

Blimey, that's a further surprise. I'd always assumed all our reptiles were independant from birth and that the adults showed no parental care? Though I'm not sure a regurgitated slug sounds very appetizing to me!

Nor me! Perhaps they were just being sick????

D.

[RED]

I remembered seing a movieclip the other day of a snake trying to eat a slug. The slug was a bit bigger than the snake, and although the snake had a good go at it, the slug produced some mucous which put the snake off, poor snake looked horrified and was trying in vain to remove the 'glue' in its mouth.

Found it - YouTube - SNAKE vs. LARGE-SLUG


Can't really think a slug would taste that nice either, and my toads agree!! lol