Pet Grass Snake, Not as Scary as the Others

While walking through the pet store I was looking at one of the tanks and saw a little head poking out of a plant in the tank. It was a baby grass snake. It was very small, about six inches in length. The head was about the size of your nail on your pinky finger. I thought to myself, “Now, this is a snake that I could live with.” Then I read the small tag that was attached to the tank and it said that these snakes get to be about twelve inches in length. That is not that big compared to other snakes but it’s still too big for my liking.

These snakes like to live in areas with a lot of grass, usually fields and marshy areas because they love areas that are damp and wet. You will probably find grass snakes hanging around your local park close to some source of water. They are harmless snakes and they are not poisonous. The baby snakes are a lime green color and the adults are more of a dark grey or green color.

Grass snakes do not go out and look for their food. They will sit in the same area, close to water, and wait for a few frogs to jump by. Perhaps this is another reason that they love to hang out around rivers and streams. They will also eat tadpoles if they are given the chance. These snakes will wait for the food and then eat it as it goes jumping by. They can actually live for about six months on just a few frogs which is truely amazing for a snake or any animal.

Grass snakes have a black ring around their head and a few black markings on the head as well. Some of them can be hard to identify when they are curled up on the ground. If you come face to face with a snake, the best thing to do is back away slowly. If you are within striking range, back away even faster. If you turn around the snake may try to bite you in the back of the leg. Always keep your eye on the snake so you can tell if it starts to chase after you. Grass snakes will usually not bite you unless they feel like they are going to get harmed or if you run up on a snake and scare it. It might try and raise up a bit and start making a fuss.

Grass snakes should not be feared like other snakes. If you get a grass snake while it is young, you can get the snake to be tame. Young grass snakes are about one tenth of the size of your adult grass snake. Keep this in mind when purchasing a tank to keep the grass snake in. A small tank might be good for a little while but not when the snake is full grown.