Description:
Usually olive green with darker blotches and a yellow collar with a black border.
Distribution:
The grassnake is fairly widespread but it's numbers are declining
Habitat:
Grass sankes are found in different types of environment such as hedgerows, dirches, ponds and riverbanks but they prefer damp places near water where they feed on amphibians and sometimes fish.
Reproduction:
Grass snakes start to emerge from hibernation in March and April and mating soon occurs. The grass snake is the only native snake to lay eggs. This takes place in June and July in piles of vegetation, manure and compost heaps where the warmth from decomposition helps to incubate the 10 - 40 eggs laid.
Often several females can share the same egg-laying site and the young snakes hatch in August and September.
Behaviour:
Grass snakes are completely harmless to humans, but if disturbed or handled can bite and exude a nasty-smelling secretion from their anal gland.
Status:
Grass snakes are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from being killed, injured or sold.
Did You Know?:
That they stay underground for up to five months during winter in a state of semi-torpor.
