Smooth snake in Polissia
Coronella austriaca
Red Data Book of Ukraine: vulnerable
The smooth snake is a small, slender snake, grey, brown or copper-red in colour, with two rows of small dark spots along the back. A dark stripe runs through the eye, and the pupil is round. The head is small and not as sharply set off as an adder's.
In Polissia the smooth snake occurs in dry, sunny places: in pine forests on sand, on forest edges, clearings and sandy slopes. Because of its secretive habits it is rarely seen.
The smooth snake hunts mainly lizards, which it wraps in its coils. If grabbed, it may bite, but it is not venomous and poses no threat to people. Females give birth to live young at the end of summer.
The smooth snake is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Because it resembles an adder it is often killed, although it is harmless. The best rule for any snake is not to touch it and to let it crawl away in peace.
When to see: May–September, in sunny glades
Where it was seen in Polissia
Observations from the open scientific database GBIF since 1990. Locations are shown approximately, to within 10 km.
More in “Reptiles and amphibians”
Viviparous lizard
A small lizard of Polissia's bogs and damp forests that gives birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
European fire-bellied toad
A small toad of Polissia's ponds and bogs with a bright red-and-black belly; its soft “oom-oom” is heard in spring.
Great crested newt
A large newt of Polissia's ponds; in spring the male grows a tall, jagged crest.
Common European adder
Polissia's only venomous snake: it lives in bogs, clearings and forest edges and attacks people only in self-defence.