A non-venomous, semi-aquatic Eurasian snake, usually dark green or brown with a yellow or white collar behind the head. It is a strong swimmer, often found near water, and feeds almost entirely on amphibians, which it swallows alive without constricting them.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?Yes
Like most reptiles it can't survive freezing, so it spends the winter underground.
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, Africa
HabitatRivers & lakes, Forest, Farmland
ColoursGreen, Brown, Yellow
SizeMedium
LengthUp to 1 m or more
LegsNone
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for15–25 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mainland Europe from mid Scandinavia to southern Italy, the Middle East and northwestern Africa.
- What it eats
- Mainly amphibians, especially common toads and common frogs.
Did you know
Plays dead convincingly, going limp and even bleeding from its mouth and nose.
It lays 8 to 40 leathery eggs, often in compost heaps, where rotting vegetation keeps them warm enough to hatch.
Grass snakes in Britain were reclassified in 2017 as a separate species, the barred grass snake.
Often confused with
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