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Natrix tessellata

Dice snake - Natrix tessellata - Laurenti, 1768

Description:
Natrix tessellata is a snake rather slender with the head rather elongated and narrow; snout obtuse, not prominent. Maximum size is about 120 - 135 cm, usually 70-110 cm. Females are bigger than males. It has strongly keeled dorsal scales in 19 rows and a divided anal scale; rostral broader than deep, visible from above; nasal often semidivided; 2 (rarely 1 or 3) preoculars, with or without a small subocular below; 3 postoculars, often with 1 or 2 suboculars below; 8 supralabials; eye in contact with one supralabial.
The coloration is olive, olive-gray, grayish-brown, brown, or almost black with four or more longitudinal rows of dark spots on the back; the sides have often lighter vertical bars. The neck often has a more or less distinct A-shaped dark band. Lower parts are whitish, yellow, orange, or red, marbled or checkered with black, or nearly entirely black; iris golden, bronzy, or coppery red. Sometimes, albinistic and melanistic forms can be seen. Juveniles have lighter colors.






Biology:
Natrix tessellate is an aquatic snake and can be found in or near almost any aquatic habitat. In water is a perfect diver and swimmer, on land is equally agile. In accordance with these aquatic habits, it feeds mostly on fish. Sometimes it feeds also on frogs and toads and their tadpoles. Small fish are swallowed in the water, but large ones are landed.
Pairing takes place in spring (from March to May) when they congregate in large groups for the purpose. Female lays her eggs on land in a moist sheltered environment such as loose soil beneath objects, rotting vegetation, anthropogenic refuse, and crevices of stone walls, usually in July, and one clutch consists of 10-30 eggs. The young snakes hatch in early September. Dice snakes hibernate together in large groups from October to April in dry holes near the water. As harmless as Natrix natrix, when threatened, the dice snake can feign death to deter a predator. As a defense, they spread a bad-smelling secretion from its cloak.

Habitat:
This is a largely aquatic species associated with rivers, coasts, streams, lakes, ponds and the surrounding terrestrial habitat (where may bask in bushes or trees near the water) so, Natrix tessellata can be found in a huge variety of habitats, from oases in deserts of Jordan, Syria and Iran, to marine habitats in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, from below sea level in the Caspian Sea to mountainous valleys as high as 2800 m, and from remote sites in the steppes of central Asia to thriving populations in busy cities such as Bucharest and Prague.

Distribution:
In Europe Natrix tessellata has a very broad distribution from southern Switzerland (and possibly France), and Germany, eastwards into eastern Austria, Italy (without islands), Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and southern Russia, southwards into Croatia (including some Adriatic islands), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Greece (including the islands of Lesbos, Crete, Rhodes and Samos). Also, it might be present on Cyprus. In Asia the species ranges from Turkey into Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and northern Egypt (Nile Delta and lower Nile Valley). It also ranges from the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan eastwards into Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and northwest China.

Scientific name: Natrix tessellata

Common name: Dice snake, tessellated water snake

IUCN Status: LC (Least Concern)

This species appears not to be globally threatened. It is threatened by loss or modification of wetland habitats in parts of its range, for example through river channelization, lake-shore development and by pollution. Eradication of invasive wetland plant species is an important future conservation action.

This species is considered to be threatened in a number of western and central European range states. As with many snakes, this species is generally persecuted by people and it is often killed by road traffic, particularly in the mating season.

References:
Arnold, E. N., and J. A. Burton. 1978. A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. Collins, London;
Boulenger, G.A. 1913, The Snakes of Europe;
Fuhn, I. & S. Vancea, 1961: Fauna Republicii Române, 14. Reptilia (Testoase, Sopârle, Serpi). Bucuresti;
Gasc, J.-P., A. Cabela, J. Crnobrnja-Isailovic, D. Dolmen, K. Grossenbacher, P. Haffner, J. Lescure, H. Martens, J.P. Martinez-Rica, H. Maurin, M.E. Oliveira, T.S. Sofianidou, M. Veith & A. Zuiderwijk (1997): Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe. - Societas Europaea Herpetologica und Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle (IEGB/SPN), Paris;
Joger, U. & N. Stümpel, 2005: Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas, Wiebelsheim.
IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. .



 

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