What does a water snake breathe? Chess snake: description, photo
Water snake ( Natrix tessellata) - Not poisonous snake about one meter long, which is extremely rare in Europe and more often in Asia. It belongs to the colubrid family. This is a heat-loving species, in general, like all its relatives. Absolutely harmless to people and pets. Although many call it a chess viper or a chess snake. At the same time, they are terribly afraid of her.
And in today’s article you will learn about what a water snake looks like, what areas it lives in, what habitat it prefers, what it eats, and who feeds on it.
The snake can reach a length of 80 cm to 1.30 m. Females are almost always slightly larger than males. On average, the length of a male never exceeds 80 cm.
The water snake has its own characteristic appearance: His entire body is covered with some kind of “cubes”, which creates a harmonious square pattern. It is to this pattern that the snake owes its name (tessellata translates as “covered with cubes”). Sometimes people confuse this snake with a viper, since it has similar coloring to it.
The upperparts of the snake are often gray or brown, but more exotic colors such as olive green and even black are also found.
The lower part is white and has a slight reddish tint. There are also irregular dark spots on the underside.
The water snake's head is short and narrow. The nostrils and eyes, which have a round pupil (in the common viper it is vertical), are clearly visible. The head is clearly separated from the body.
Main regions of residence
The water snake lives mainly in Central and South-Eastern Europe, and is also common in Asia in western China and north-western India. Reptiles are most common in the Balkans, southern Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and the Nile Delta. In Central Europe, parts of Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have large populations these snakes.
Preferred habitat
They prefer areas where there is water in the surrounding area. The snake most often settles near rivers, but also feels good on lakes. In particular, it even lives in coastal waters, for example, on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and Ukraine.
They are not suitable for steep areas, when the shore abruptly ends and then there is water behind it. They need smooth slopes with gravel, sand or dirt surfaces.
It prefers waters where there are a lot of fish, because fish is the main food in the reptile’s diet.
Although most They spend their lives in water and lay eggs on land. To do this, they choose warm but humid places. For example, in a pile of humus, in rotten straw, in leaves, etc.
For sunbathing, the snake likes to use stone slopes of roads, embankments or even railway embankments. They use dry stone cracks as shelter and a home to roost at night.
Life cycle of a snake
In order for the merman to leave his winter shelter, temperature environment should warm up to at least ten degrees Celsius in the shade. That is, this means that the reptile emerges from hibernation only in April or May.
After the snake has come out of its hiding place, it will only get into the water when it warms up to at least 12 C. It really loves to swim and dive. It spends a lot of time in shallow water, leaving it only to bask in the sun or to breed.
At the beginning of summer, water snakes mate. This usually occurs between May and June. Mating occurs in the coastal zone.
They lay eggs in early July. The young appear in early August. They have a body length of 14 to 20 centimeters and immediately after hatching begin to hunt and eat. If they eat well, then by winter young snakes can grow up to 30 centimeters in length.
Already in mid-September, the water snake begins to look for shelter for the winter, into which it will settle no later than mid-October.
This species is active mainly during the day. In the morning they usually bask in the sun, and in the afternoon the snake goes hunting.
What is included in their diet?
The water snake feeds mainly on small and average fish. He likes minnow very much and also different types carp and other fish. Typically, a snake eats its prey in the water. But if its prey is too large, then sometimes the snake crawls ashore to eat it.
They usually catch their prey underwater. While underwater, he either waits for a fish to swim near him and attacks it with lightning speed, or pursues his prey until he catches it.
Natural enemies of reptiles
Predators that can pose a serious threat to grass snakes include small mammals such as weasels and muskrats. In addition, snakes are eaten by birds such as herons and gulls. Sometimes snakes become prey large fish, such as catfish and pike. Also, mallards often catch young animals in the water.
If the snake feels threatened, it begins to hiss. In addition, like the common one, this species can secrete an unpleasant liquid from its gonads. The liquid has an unpleasant odor that repels most predators. If this doesn’t help, it uses the common snake’s favorite tactic and simply plays dead.
State of the world
In Russia this species does not have any special problems. In Europe it is on the verge of extinction. The fact is that Europe has a relatively small territory, which is almost completely populated by people. Swamps are dried out in favor of highways and high-rise buildings, forests are cut down to build cities and obtain building material etc.
In addition, the snake is susceptible to numerous artificial disturbances. These include not only noisy motor boats, swimmers, and fishermen, but also tourist sites such as campsites or marinas. Sometimes animals are simply cut off by ship propellers. From time to time they are also illegally caught and killed, further reducing the population of this species in Europe.
IN summer time On the banks of reservoirs or even directly in the water, frightened vacationers sometimes discover a chess snake. Unfortunately, most of these encounters end in failure: someone complains about a ruined vacation, someone hastily evacuates their children and property away from the cursed places, and some brave souls engage in battle with the creeping enemy, throwing stones and everything at hand at him horrible.
Even many experienced tourists, when meeting a snake decorated with checkered patterns, are sure that in front of them dangerous enemy. Nowadays, there are many common fictions about these creatures. Our article will tell you how things really are.
Common Misconceptions
Serpentologists have long studied and described this species. However, many stubbornly continue to call it chess, which is not even a relative of the dangerous poisonous predator. The stereotype is so widespread that even the name has stuck along with the scientific one.
Even those who are sure that the viper does not bite in water begin to panic when they encounter a chess amphibian. After all, it not only floats on the surface, but also dives perfectly. Many people think that this cunning species is capable of attacking even at depth. But they are right in many respects: vipers do not actually dive and do not attack in water.
Any Living being in case of danger and even when he only thinks that danger is close, he tries to defend himself. Man is also driven by this instinct. That’s why many people advise dealing with the reptile without waiting for an attack.
Is the chess snake poisonous or not? The question is simple only for those who are well acquainted with this animal. The majority prefers to simply deal with him. Many “checkerboard” snakes die at the hands of frightened tourists due to simple ignorance.
A snake and a viper: what's the difference?
Experts who are well versed in the matter know that distinguishing these two types is not so difficult. Of course, even children can recognize the common grass snake, which has yellow-orange spots on its cheeks. But his checkerboard-colored brother was less fortunate.
However, there are several signs that can help you identify these snakes.
The viper's head is spear-shaped. The snake has an oval shape with a sharp nose. On the back steppe viper there is a pattern with a pronounced central zigzag stripe, with which checkerboard spots located separately from each other are often confused.
These snakes have completely different pupils: the viper has thin, vertical ones, like a cat, and the snake has round ones. Of course, it is difficult to compare the eyes, the shape of the spots and the head from a great distance, but these differences are not the only ones.
That’s why it’s named so because it tapers along its entire length. The viper's tail is shorter and tapers sharply.
But main feature the fact that the steppe viper lives in the steppe, and not near water bodies. But the chess player simply cannot live without them. The next photo shows a steppe viper, and all the others show water snakes.
External features
Illustrations will help us evaluate appearance. The photo of a chess snake clearly demonstrates its smoothly tapering body shape, its round pupils, and the shape of its head.
This once again proves that this is not a viper at all. This slender snake usually reaches 1-1.3 meters in length, but larger specimens are also found. The color of these amphibians is very impressive, dark spots are located in almost perfect order on a light background. As for the color scheme, it can range from olive to chocolate. Warm tones.
If you are lucky enough to quietly watch this predator hunt, try to look into its mouth: there are no long viper fangs there. But, like most of its fellows, it has a nimble forked tongue. But you shouldn’t be afraid of it; it is not a sign of poisonousness.
Species affiliation
So, we already know that a snake with a checkerboard pattern is a real snake. Scientists call it a merman, which once again reminds us of its way of life. This is a predatory non-poisonous animal that belongs to the colubrid family.
Area
The heat-loving chess snake lives in the southern regions of Eurasia, as well as in Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Water snakes live in the basins of large reservoirs. You can meet them on the banks of the Don, Dnieper, Volga, Kuban rivers; Black and Azov seas; many reservoirs and estuaries.
But the viper with zigzag spots, with which the water snake is often confused, lives in steppe, forest-steppe and mountain areas southern part of Europe, Ciscaucasia, Caucasus, Siberia. She prefers shady ravines, destroyed buildings, bushes, and mountain slopes. You can encounter such a snake in mountains up to 2.5 thousand meters high, as well as in reservoirs dangerous snake not interested.
Features of behavior
When meeting a person, the water snake behaves quite typically: it wriggles, releases a foul secretion, tries to escape, and sometimes even pretends to be dead. It's funny to watch, but you shouldn't overuse it. A loud noise scares the chess snake.
The behavior of this amphibian is non-aggressive. It will not attack. In June-July, when checkerboard water snakes breed, they may show increased anxiety when meeting a person. There is no need to be afraid: the snake is not trying to harm you, it is simply afraid for the kids.
During the day, these cold-blooded animals prefer not to fuss too much. They rest on sun-heated rocks or wait out the heat in thickets of coastal vegetation. The hunt begins with the arrival of cool weather. Snakes feed on small fish that are caught in the water. The diet may include frogs, small rodents, and insects.
How to behave when meeting
If you happen to camp in a place where water snakes live, do not forget that they are not dangerous. Try to explain to others what a “chess viper” actually is.
Photos of snakes taken on vacation will take their place in the album. But when taking pictures, try not to use flash, it scares many animals. Moreover, during the day, when the snake is resting calmly and the chance of meeting it is great enough, there is sufficient lighting so that all the beautiful spots are clearly visible in the picture.
You should not catch snakes in the water. They breathe with their lungs and, resisting, can choke. And in general, it’s better not to take them into your hands - the unpleasant protective smell is not so easy to wash off.
Precautionary measures
When going on a long hike, the route of which runs along the coast and along the steppe, you should think about the safety of the group. After all, once frightened, it will be difficult for anyone to distinguish an ordinary chess snake from a poisonous steppe viper.
It is worth saying that even poisonous amphibians are unlikely to think of having breakfast with someone from the tourist group. But if the most unpleasant thing happens and the snake still bites, you should immediately take action. At the site of the steppe viper bite, two obvious punctures from the poisonous teeth will appear, swelling and numbness will begin. Nausea, dizziness, and a feeling of intoxication may occur. In this case, the victim must be taken to the hospital. If this is not possible, it is necessary to cool the affected area, provide drinking regimen (up to 3 liters in small portions), and give an antihistamine. A tourniquet, drinking alcohol and burning the wound will aggravate the condition; there is no benefit from these methods. In the absence of an antidote, the condition is stabilized with the help of Prednisolone, but this drug cannot be used intuitively - medical supervision is necessary. The bite of the steppe viper is not considered fatal, but it is not worth the risk. For example, the victim may have a personal intolerance, and in addition, bacteria from the viper’s teeth enter the wound canal.
But you don’t have to worry about being bitten by a chess snake. The merman is simply not capable of this. It can only frighten an ignorant person. But anyone who knows that this snake is not actually dangerous is unlikely to waste time and energy on unreasonable panic.
I, of course, came across references to his relative - water snake (Natrix tesselata), also popularly called the “chess snake” or, much worse, the “chess viper.” The history of the existence of this species next to humans is tragic and full of drama, so I was imbued with a deep sense of compassion for the undeservedly persecuted and beaten water snake and decided to contribute to its salvation by educating the citizens reading this.
Water snake (Natrix tesselata) – non-venomous snake
Existence common snake- cloudless and calm. The yellow ear hooks, clearly visible from afar, practically guarantee his safety in cases of crossing with people.
Another thing - already aquatic. The absence of bright spots that scream about its non-toxicity, as well as the characteristic pattern, which is somewhat reminiscent of a viper's zigzag along the back, play a cruel joke on it, because... for this reason, in many places the water snake is considered a type of viper (“chess viper”) and is mercilessly destroyed.
When a snake appears in sight, an alarm is raised on the beach, citizens are urgently evacuated to land, and the fate of the troublemaker is often unenviable.
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But my friend is an experienced hiker who has gone through many hikes! What can we say about ordinary citizens?
Water snake, photo and description
And head close-up. Please note that the shape of the pupil is clearly visible here - round, which already gives us a guarantee that in front of us, at least, not a viper.
The specimen shown in the photo was encountered in May 2012 in the Volgograd region.
– a large, up to 1.6 m, snake (on average 1-1.3 m). The color ranges from olive to brown with rows of dark spots running along the body, forming a checkerboard pattern. The lateral rows of spots may merge into continuous stripes. On the back of the head there is usually a V-shaped dark spot, with its apex facing forward. The abdomen is yellowish or reddish with dark spots.
Habitats and lifestyle. The specific name seems to hint to us that the existence of the water snake is inextricably linked with water. The snake lives along bodies of water, rarely moving more than 200 meters from them. Spends most of its time in water and can swim several kilometers from the shore.
Feeds mainly fish, less often amphibians and warm-blooded animals. Winters in secluded places near water bodies, singly or forming clusters. In some cases, it may go to winter together with the common grass snake. Mating season for water snakes - in April, eggs appear in June-July. Life expectancy is about 15 years.
When danger appears, the water snake uses the same protective techniques as the ordinary snake:
- Run away.
- Hiss and throw.
- Emit a foul stench.
- Play dead.
Distribution area water snake generally coincides with the distribution area of the common snake, but somewhat shifted south. Distributed throughout Southern Europe and the south of Russia and Ukraine (Don, Volga, Kuban, Black Sea and Azov coast, estuaries), as well as in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. But exactly in Tambov region it doesn't exist.
Not dangerous for humans! Non-aggressive. When meeting bipeds, the first thing they do is try to hide.
Water snake: video
I am pleased to add a video from our reader to this article. Enjoy.
Spreading.
From Southwestern France, eastern part of the North. Africa through Europe, Asia Minor, Western and Central Asia to the Persian Gulf. and Pakistan. The range covers the Black Sea coast, Crimea, the entire Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan. The species extends to the eastern border of the European part of Russia. In the Voronezh region. melanistic water snakes were found on the left bank and right bank of the river. Bityug in the vicinity X. Serov in 1996, 2002 and 2004.
Description.
A large snake with a body length of up to 140 cm and a tail approximately 56 times shorter. The length of males is 80 cm, females 98 cm. The muzzle is pointed. On the upper side of the body there are dark spots located in a checkerboard pattern or in the form of narrow transverse stripes. Individuals of one color, without a pattern, are not uncommon. There are also complete melanists.
Features of biology and ecology.
The water snake is closely associated with water and lives near flowing and standing bodies of water. Loves cliffs and rocky slopes along the banks of rivers and streams, floodplain lakes, oxbow lakes and swamps, reed thickets, swamps near springs.
Throughout the season, snakes are active during the day and spend most of their time in the water. They feed mainly on fish, as well as frogs, tadpoles, small rodents and birds. In spring they appear on the surface in March-April. Mating occurs throughout April.
In the summer, at the end of June and beginning of July, the female water snake lays from 4 to 18 eggs. By the end of summer or early September, young snakes appear; their body length (without tail) is 14.018.5 cm. The activity of snakes stops with the onset of cold weather in October-November.
Number and trends of its change. Unknown.
Limiting factors. Lack of suitable bodies of water.
Accepted and necessary measures security It is necessary to organize protected areas in key habitats of the species in which its presence has been established.
Information sources: Key to amphibians... 1977; Amphibians and reptiles... 1998; Tkachenko, 2004. Compiled by: S. V. Repitunov, A. I. Masalykin; photo: S. V. Smirnov.
Water snake - close relative common snake. It is more heat-loving and even more moisture-loving.
In size, the water one is practically no different from the ordinary one. The largest known specimen reached a total length of one and a half meters. The water snake has large SCALES located on its head somewhat differently than the common snake. It also differs in color: yellow spots it does not have a head on the back, the pattern on the back is different, the ventral side is pink-red or orange-yellow. The general color background is greenish-gray or brownish; dark spots or narrow transverse stripes are usually located along it in a checkerboard pattern. Sometimes these spots form longitudinal stripes. There are also monochromatic individuals (without a pattern of spots) and even completely black ones - melanists.
Where do water snakes live?
In Europe, the water snake is found only in the south of its central and eastern parts. Also widespread in Central and Asia Minor, the Caucasus, western India and China. In Russia it is known from the Southern Volga region and Ciscaucasia.
These snakes rarely live far from bodies of water. This is where they spend the bulk of their active season; found on the banks of ponds, lakes, streams, rivers and even seas. There are many of them in artificial canals, ditches, reservoirs, and fish ponds. They prefer open, warm, stagnant or slowly flowing waters, but are also found in fast, cold mountain streams. In the mountains they are found at altitudes up to 3000 meters. Because these snakes hunt in water, they avoid muddy, polluted bodies of water. Favorite places their resting spots are branches bent over the water or flat stones on the banks. Snakes swim perfectly on the surface and in the water column, cope with strong currents, and swim from the shore to a distance of up to five kilometers. In addition, the water snake climbs trees and bushes well and often crawls into the crowns of semi-aquatic plants.
Lifestyle of a water snake
These snakes are active during daylight hours. At night, they take refuge under stones and other objects lying on the shore, in burrows of other animals, in various cracks and depressions under plants. They may hide in hay or dense vegetation. Large nocturnal concentrations of grass snakes are observed in reed thickets. On cool mornings they are slow and bask in sunlit areas. Having warmed up, they go into the water to hunt. Well-fed, they also often rest in the sun. But they don’t like intense heat - they hide from it in thickets or in water.
Water snakes spend the wintering period on the shore - in rodent burrows, voids in the soil - at a considerable depth (up to 80 cm). They usually spend the winter alone or in small groups, but massive concentrations of snakes have also been found - up to two hundred individuals of different sexes and ages. Such collective shelters are used by snakes from year to year.
Reproduction of water urchins
Clusters of these snakes can also form during the breeding season. In the spring, soon after leaving the winter, they sometimes move away from the reservoir and gather in groups of 150-200 individuals, where mating occurs. Mating behavior the same as that of an ordinary grass snake.
The female lays in end of June-at July from 6 to 25 eggs. Masonry is made under stones, in a loose substrate. Like the common grass snake, collective clutches of up to a thousand eggs are formed in the most suitable places. Incubation lasts about two months, newborns immediately begin to catch small fish. They become sexually mature in the third year of life.
Water snakes also have a pronounced autumn period of mating activity, when they again move away from the water and can mate.
The fertilized eggs are laid the following summer.
The water snake has many natural enemies. It more often than usual becomes prey for large fish and shorebirds.
Nutrition of water snakes
The water snake feeds mainly on fish, which it catches in both fresh and sea water. In one hunt it can swallow up to forty small (2-3 cm) fish, but it also catches larger fish - up to 15 centimeters in body length. This snake uses two hunting tactics - either actively searches for, pursues and catches fish, or lies in wait for it and grabs it in a throw; if the attack is unsuccessful, it does not catch up with the lost prey. Tries to grab the victim by the middle of the body. Sometimes he swallows small fish right under water; larger ones are more difficult for him to cope with. The problem is that neither kill nor swallow is relatively big catch He can’t do it right in the water: he needs solid support. Therefore, he swims ashore, holding the fish tightly in his mouth and lifting it above the water. Having caught on some stone with the back of its body, it with difficulty pulls the struggling victim onto land, where it swallows it, always from the head. It happens that a snake catches a fish that is too large or wide (for example, crucian carp), which it cannot swallow, and then with such effort the prey pulled ashore has to be thrown away. In addition to fish, they catch frogs and toads in the water, as well as their tadpoles. Occasionally they eat snakes small mammals and birds.
Eating a large number of small fish, water snakes can cause significant damage to fish farms where they have to be controlled.
When in danger, the water snake tries to hide in the water and hide at the bottom. When picked up, it secretes a foul-smelling yellow liquid, just like a common grass snake.
