Smooth snake

About

The Smooth snake is a small snake that suffers greatly due to its resemblance to the viper. It is often killed, considered dangerous, although it poses no real threat to humans. In Ukraine, the Smooth snake can be found in all regions, but more frequently in the west, in the Carpathians and in Crimea. In the Ukrainian Carpathians, it mainly inhabits bright clearings among beech forests, overgrown clearings, and rocky slopes with shrubs, and does not rise above 1400 m. It is absent in dark spruce forests.

The length of the snake in Ukraine usually does not exceed 60–75 cm, and its weight can reach up to 180 g. The back is gray, brown, or copper-red — hence the name, with 2–4 rows of dark spots running along it. There are two brown spots or stripes on the back of the head, and a dark stripe runs from the nostril through the eye to the corner of the mouth. The scales are completely smooth, the pupil is round, and the iris is orange or red.

The Smooth snake is active during the day, most often in the morning and evening, and is very attached to its small area, where it can be found year after year. It emerges from hibernation at the end of March — in April; in the Ukrainian Carpathians, the first Smooth snakes in spring were seen at air temperatures of +15–18 °C. The Smooth snake can live up to 14 years. Its main food consists of lizards, including the common lizard, viviparous lizard, and slow worm, and less frequently mice, nestlings, and other snakes. It swallows its prey alive or first constricts it with its body. The Smooth snake is ovoviviparous: in August–September, the female lays from 2 to 17 eggs in thin shells, from which hatchlings measuring 12–17 cm emerge immediately.

When caught, the Smooth snake may hiss and bite, but it poses no danger to humans. The Smooth snake is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine as a vulnerable species, and in the EU, it is included in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive. It is prohibited to kill, catch, or keep it at home. It is best to simply walk around any snake and let it crawl away.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Ukraine · Romania · Slovakia · Hungary · Czechia · Austria

Mountain ranges

Maramureș Mountains, Svydovets, Chornohora, Gorgany, Krasna Polonyna, Polonynian Ridge, Pokuttia-Bukovina Carpathians, Chyvchyn Mountains, Almăj and Locva Mountains, Vihorlat-Gutin Volcanic Ridge

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m) · Conifer forests (1200–1600 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Safety

The Smooth snake is safe for humans, but if caught, it may bite. Do not handle snakes and do not kill them: all snakes can simply be walked around. If you are unsure whether it is a viper, keep your distance — and in any case, do not touch.

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

Protection and rules

A species in the Red Data Book of Ukraine: it is prohibited to kill, catch, and keep in captivity. In the EU — Annex IV of the Habitats Directive.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

FAQ