Already - a large snake, on average, its body has a length of up to ninety centimeters. However, some individuals reach one and a half meters. From above, the body color of the snake is brown, black or olive. From above, the reptile is covered with black spots, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. But the most expressive distinguishing feature it has are two bright orange spots on the sides of the head and neck. Let's take a closer look at her.
Cute snake: snake - description and habitat
This reptile is ubiquitous in Europe. It is not found only in the northern part of England and in some areas of Scandinavia. In Russia, three out of ten subspecies can be found. Already - a snake that lives in reservoirs. Both standing and filled with running water. And also on the sea coasts and on marshy lowlands. The snake swims well, holding its head high above the surface of the water, dives and is not afraid to swim far into the open sea. Without problems, the snake rises high into the mountains. It tolerates pressure drops well. The reptile hides under heaps of stones and branches, in the hollows of the roots of large trees, in abandoned rodent burrows. If the soil is soft and loose, then she can herselfmake moves in it.
Already - a snake that is often seen near settlements. It is active most of the year - from late March to November. It feeds on amphibians, lizards and relatively rarely can include small fish in its menu. It swallows its victims alive and whole. Sometimes it even catches small birds or mammals. During mating, snakes gather in large groups, forming clusters. The female lays eggs, and at the end of August, young individuals emerge from them. The snakes are not poisonous. That is why you need to learn and remember their external signs well. Because a snake that looks like a snake can actually be poisonous. Snakes are active during the day, spending the night in shelters. They hunt more at dawn and dusk. You can often see the snake when it basks in the sun, lying on hummocks, branches and warm stones. When it does shed, it feels the need to constantly crawl into narrow cracks and rub against hard surfaces. This helps him shed the old skin - it peels off the reptile, starting from the head.
Wintering snake, its habits and captivity
Before the onset of cold weather, the snake begins to fall into a stupor. Previously, she finds herself a secluded refuge and settles in it. The snakes hibernate singly, occasionally collectively. Hibernation begins quite late - at the end of October and November. The first weak frosts cannot damage the snake in any way. He wakes up early - at the end of March, even in the coldest areas, you can see awakened reptiles. This snakenon-aggressive. Seeing a person, most often she flees. Being caught, at first it actively defends itself (hissing, dodging and emitting a disgusting smell from special glands), and then pretends to be dead. In captivity, snakes are quite easily tamed and tolerate well the content in the terrarium. If you install a small pond and several shelters there, pour soil from a mixture of gravel, earth and sphagnum moss, then it will live for quite a long time.
