page_title: Grass snake
hierarchical_section_title: Grass snake
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Wczesnośredniowieczne grodzisko Talerzyk w Topolnie, VIII - XI wiek, na zboczu Doliny Dolnej Wisły, zaskroniec zwyczajny na drodze do grodziska
context_page_description: The grass snake is a non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians and lizards.
  The grass snake is widely distributed in mainland Europe, ranging from mid Scandinavia to southern Italy. It is also found in Middle East and northwestern Africa.
  It is one of only three snakes to occur in Great Britain, the others being the adder and the smooth snake. It is found in lowland areas of England and Wales. It is almost absent from Scotland and is not found in Ireland, which has no native snakes.
  It is now known that there are two species in Britain. One is Natrix natrix, the original type species. It is olive green with a yellow collar or black-and-white collar. The other is the barred grass snake, Natrix helvetica, which is grey-brown with black stripes and no collar. The difference had been noticed, but was regarded as a difference between subspecies. Both forms are protected by law: it is an offence to harm them.
  The new species was discovered by the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany which lead a study into the genetics of over 1,600 grass snakes.
context_section_description: The grass snake (Natrix) is a non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians and lizards.
  The grass snake is widely distributed in mainland Europe, ranging from mid Scandinavia to southern Italy. It is also found in Middle East and northwestern Africa. 
  It is one of only three snakes to occur in Great Britain, the others being the adder and the smooth snake. It is found in lowland areas of England and Wales. It is almost absent from Scotland and is not found in Ireland, which has no native snakes.
  It is now known that there are two species in Britain. One is Natrix natrix, the original type species. It is olive green with a yellow collar or black-and-white collar. The other is the barred grass snake, Natrix helvetica, which is grey-brown with black stripes and no collar. The difference had been noticed, but was regarded as a difference between subspecies. Both forms are protected by law: it is an offence to harm them. 
  The new species was discovered by the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany which lead a study into the genetics of over 1,600 grass snakes.
caption: Natrix natrix
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