Viperine snake
Natrix maura is a natricine water snake of the genus Natrix. Its common name is viperine water snake or viperine snake. Despite its common names, it is not a member of the subfamily Viperinae. This nonvenomous, semiaquatic, fish-eating snake was given its common names due to behavioural and aesthetic similarities with sympatric adder species.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Pi
PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
Se
SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Ge
Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
Hi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
V
starts withThe Viperine water snake is a nonvenomous, semiaquatic snake that was given its common names due to behavioral and aesthetic similarities with sympatric adder species. It is gray, brown, or reddish dorsally, with a black zigzag vertebral stripe, and lateral series of black ocelli with yellow centers. The labials are yellow with black sutures. It has a diagonal dark band on each temple, and another behind it on each side of the neck. Ventrally, it is yellow or red, checkered with black, or all black.
Viperine water snakes are found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. They live in meadows and open woodlands near rivers, lakes, ponds, streams and have also been recorded from areas of brackish water.
Viperine water snakes are not aggressive and rarely bite. They are active during the day spending most of their time in water hunting aquatic animals. They may gather in groups to warm in the sun, shelter, or hibernate together under rocks. Viperine water snakes look like an adder and behave like one. They are known to strike like an adder, but not bite. However, when in water, Viperine snakes look like Grass snakes and hunt their prey in the same way.
Viperine water snakes are carnivores (piscivores). Their diet includes fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals.
The breeding season of Viperine water snakes starts in March when they emerge after hibernation. Females lay up to 20 eggs in moist soil usually in close proximity to water.
The main threats to Viperine water snakes include modification and pollution of their wetland habitat. These snakes are also sometimes killed by people, who mistake them with venomous vipers.
According to IUCN, the Viperine water snake is locally common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.