Diet of the Grass Snake, Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Colubridae), in northern Iran

• Published in: Zoology in the Middle East Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 132 - 134
• Main Authors: Hojati, Vida, Faghiri, Afshin, Shiravi, Abdolhossein
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2012
• Subjects: Colubridae; Natrix natrix; Oryza sativa; Serpentes; ISW, Iran; Eurasia, Caspian Sea
• ISSN: 0939-7140; 2326-2680
• DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2012.10648929

The Grass Snake, Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758), is a semi-aquatic snake which lives in moist areas usually very close to water in the form of streams, rivers and ponds, and it feeds mostly on amphibians. Sometimes it is found in drier habitats away from water. This study was conducted to find out food preferences in northern Iran. For this purpose, 20 specimens were captured between April and Septzember 2010 in Sari county (36 degree 32'N, 54 degree 07'E) in Mazandaran province, located at the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Four stations near Sari city were selected as collecting sites: Ab-Bandansar fish training pond, Shahid Zaree Forest, rice fields and Tajan River. The climate of this area is wet and temperate (between 1.6 degree C and 22.5 degree C). Sampling was done during daylight from 8 am to 4 pm and with the most successful sampling time at noon. The specimens were preserved in ethanol 96%. Body and tail length were measured by dial calipers with an accuracy of 0.02 mm and food was extracted from the stomachs.