Skip to main content
837 Featured Specimen
Smooth snake

Details

Smooth snake

Coronella austriaca

Size
Total length 50–90 cm · 50–150 g
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan

Smooth snake is a discreet European snake of dry grassland and heathland with smooth scales. Populations are often local and depend on the condition of heath and grassland habitat.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearctic

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It inhabits dry grassland, heath, woodland edges, rocky slopes, and open mountain sites. Main habitat types in this guide are grassland, forest, mountain.

Appearance

Typical length 50-90 cm, weight 50 g-150 g. It is small and slim, with smooth scales, dark blotches, and a stripe through the eye.

Behavior

It is diurnal and usually solitary. It often stays under vegetation or stones and searches quietly for lizards and small animals.

Feeding

It is carnivorous. Lizards, small snakes, young rodents, and invertebrates may be subdued and eaten.

Reproduction

It is live-bearing, with females giving birth to developed young in late summer.

Notes

Although still widespread in places, it remains sensitive to habitat change. Populations are often local and depend on the condition of heath and grassland habitat.