Tessellated Water Snake
Natrix tessellata
Identification 4
The uniformly coloured arrow-shaped green head wtih "fish eye" is the only discernable identification I can think of, the pattern on it's back evokes an adder's in some cases which leads to misidentification. The tessalated water snake can be distinguished from other snakes by the exclusion method. It doesn't have the hourglass pattern on it's head (Coronella austriaca), nor the crescent spots (Natrix natrix) and it doesn't have pure white belly (Zamenis longissimus) the snake has uniformly coloured green head, round pupil and belly with dark center and white edges (It displays it when threatened).
Ecology & Behaviour 4
As this snake also belongs to the "water colubrids" therefore it can by found near water. Unlike the grass snake the tessalated water snake is more comonly found near runing water. Like grass snake the tessalated snake preys on fish and aphibians. Unlike grass snakes however the tessalated snake lives in exposed rocky areas, river canyons in particular, where it hides in the debris in large numbers and in spring migrates to the river bank. When disturbed the snake plays dead similarly to the grass snake.
Identifikace (CZ) 4
Užovka podplamatá je charakteristiká svým "rybím okem". Dále se jedná o hada, který loví ryby a spolu s užovkou obojkovou se tak řadí mezi naše "vodní" užovky. Její poznání spočívá spíše na vyloučení ostatních možností (bez půlměsíců, s černým břichem a bez "přesýpacích hodin") viz ostatní naše druhy užovek.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Jakob Fahr, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jakob Fahr
- (c) Alexandre Roux, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/30142279@N07/8995457919/
- (c) Alexander A. Fomichev, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexander A. Fomichev
- (c) Martin Vohralík, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
