AnimalvsAnimal
2017.07.17. 17 Tiefer See oder Grubensee Storkow (Mark) Ringelnatter🐍

Photo: Andreas Eichler · CC BY-SA 4.0

SpeciesColubridae
Reptiles

🐍Grass snake

Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758)

The grass snake, sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian semi-aquatic non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.

Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Videos
4
Photos
4
Measurements
9
vs you
≈ 1/640th of your weight
Also called
Natrix natrix
Conservation status
LCLeast concern

IUCN Red List assessment, 2021.

Population trendStable
Key measurements
Body mass
0.1 kg
Body length
2 m
Shoulder height
not recorded
Top speed
not recorded
Bite force
not recorded
Maximum lifespan
20 years
All measurements ↓
Facts and figures

Everything we know about the Grass snake

Typical adult figures. Where a value is an estimate rather than a measurement, it says so.

Body mass
0.1 kgrecord 2.8 kg · ReptTraits
AnAge
Details ↓

data quality: acceptable

Record: largest individual on record

Source: AnAge · AnAge build 15, 2023-07-03 (HAGR) · CC BY 3.0

Body length
2 mmaximum recorded
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Maximum lifespan
20 yearsrecord 20 years · ReptTraits
AnAge
Details ↓

data quality: acceptable

Record: largest individual on record

Source: AnAge · AnAge build 15, 2023-07-03 (HAGR) · CC BY 3.0

Diet
Carnivorous
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Activity cycle
Cathemeral
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Foraging mode
ACT
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Venomous
No
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Snout–vent length
0.32 mmaximum recorded
ReptTraits
Details ↓

Source: ReptTraits · v1.2 (Oskyrko et al. 2024) · CC BY 4.0

Volume l
0.1 Laverage
Details ↓

Body mass at ~1.0 kg/L, the density of vertebrate tissue.

average = a mean across sexes or species in a group.

Not recorded for Grass snake yet: shoulder height, top speed, bite force.

Where it sits

Family tree

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. ›phylumChordata
  3. ›classSquamata
  4. ›familyColubridae
  5. ›genusNatrix
  6. ›speciesNatrix natrix
Full lineage
  1. superorderLepidosauria
  2. orderLizards & snakes · Squamata
  3. infraorderSnakes · Serpentes
  4. genusNatrix
All 12 branches ↓
  1. kingdomMetazoa
  2. phylumChordata
  3. subphylumCraniata
  4. subphylumVertebrata
  5. superclassGnathostomata
  6. superclassSarcopterygii
  7. superclassTetrapoda
  8. orderSauria
  9. superorderLepidosauria
  10. orderLizards & snakes · Squamata
  11. infraorderSnakes · Serpentes
  12. genusNatrix
More

More about the Grass snake

In other languages
Zaskroniec zwyczajny (pl), Natrix natrix (es), vízisikló (hu), Parastais zalktis (lv), Natrix natrix (it), Ringelnatter (de) … and 26 more languages
More photos
2017.07.17. 17 Tiefer See oder Grubensee Storkow (Mark) Ringelnatter0405 Ringelnatter PICT99040405 Ringelnatter PICT9905
All 4 photos in the gallery →

Animals caught on camera

Real footage of the animals on this site — hunting, fighting, and getting on with it.

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Tools

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Side by side

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Scaling lab

How speed, brain and bite scale with body size. This animal isn't in the sample yet.

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Tree of life

See where it sits in the tree of life.

12 branchesOpen →