Predators include badgers, red foxes, domestic cats, hedgehogs and a number of birds; when caught, grass snakes hiss and release a foul-smelling substance from their anal gland. Although they may also strike with the head, they do not bite and are harmless to humans.
Grass snakes can grow to a maximum length of around 180cm, making it our largest native terrestrial reptiles. However they rarely reach this maximum size. The snakes do however regularly exceed lengths of one metre, with the females being larger than males.
Grass snakes are Britain's only egg-laying snake. Females lay eggs in June or July, normally in rotting vegetation (including garden compost heaps) which acts as an incubator. The eggs hatch into miniature versions of the adults in the late summer months.
What do grass snakes look like? Britain's longest snake, grass snakes can exceed a metre in length. The species is typically grey-green in colour. It has a distinctive yellow and black collar around the neck and black markings along the length of the body.
Humans are not prey and snakes tend to detect them by the mechanisms above and will mostly move out of the way if possible. If one is cornered however or inadvertently trodden on or rolled on in sleep it may bite defensively.
Snakes are most active in the early mornings on spring and summer days when the sun is warming the earth. Snakes turn in for the evening, sleeping at night.
Because of their liking for gardens and particularly for compost heaps, grass snakes are often encountered in gardens. They are harmless to humans, though they can act quite aggressively if cornered, puffing up their bodies, hissing loudly and even lunging to make a strike with a closed mouth.
Britain's largest reptile is shy by nature and wary of humans.
Answer. Nothing! Grass Snakes are a natural predator of frogs (and fish) and it's best not to interfere; one snake will not make much impact on the population. Grass Snakes often hunt in water and will prey on amphibians and fish in garden ponds.
The adder is the only venomous species, grass snakes and smooth snakes aren't venomous and don't tend to bite. Adders tend to keep themselves to themselves and don't bite unless they are scared, unfortunately, dogs tend to approach them without fear, startle them and get bitten.
Clearly to attract grass snakes a wildlife pond is a good idea but we should also aim to attract as much insect life as possible. To this end a mixture of native wildflowers is a good idea, these should be grown in a sheltered sunny area of the garden. Cultivated flowers rich in nectar are also good for insects.
Grass snake (Natrix natrix)
Grass snakes do not have the dark zigzag down their backs like adders, making them easy to tell apart. Grass snakes are grey-green coloured with black bars down their sides and a yellow and black 'collar' around the neck.
Females seek out nest sites where warmth is generated artificially by the surroundings. Manure and compost heaps, together with piles of rotting leaves or reeds, are ideal and it is into these that between 30 and 40 eggs are laid during June or July.
The recurved small teeth of the grass snake form two rows in the upper jaw and one row on the dentary (Fig. 7.36).
The grass snake is a diurnal animal being active throughout the day, sometimes seen basking on trees in the lower branches or in a trunk fork.
Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes are extremely wary of humans and are not prone to strike. A bite is their last-ditch effort to avoid harm. Simply leaving a snake to do its job in the landscape is the best way to avoid a bad encounter.
It's likely that most snakes won't choose to go near dogs. They're bigger, noisier, and more of a hassle than a good snack. Simply by having your dog around, you will likely help to keep snakes away.
Having some snakes in your yard is a great sign that you have a healthy environment. Snakes are members of the basic food chain to help control unwanted pests and supply food for larger predators like birds. Harmless snakes may even eat venomous snakes, further ensuring a safe yard.
Ammonia is a common snake repellent. Snakes hate the smell of ammonia and won't come near it. Soak rags in ammonia and place them in unsealed plastic bags. Leave the bags where you usually see snakes to keep them away.
Rough green snakes are docile and do not bite. Although rough green snakes usually live in trees, they are also very good swimmers.
Though garter snakes will use their sharp teeth to catch prey, it's very unlikely these pests will choose to bite a human. They typically only lash out at humans when they are provoked or feel threatened.
Research has shown that cinnamon oil, clove oil, and eugenol are effective snake repellents. Snakes will retreat when sprayed directly with these oils and will exit cargo or other confined spaces when these oils are introduced to the area.
Sarpagandha. Known by a variety of names, for example, Sarpagandha, Indian Snakeroot, and Insanity herb, this plant is known for its capacity to repel snakes.
Do Snakes Sleep In The Same Place? In the wild, snakes choose different locations to sleep and rarely ever stay in a place for long, as doing so would make them easy targets for predators. As you probably know, several animals prey on snakes, and like other animals in the wild, snakes have to actively avoid predators.