CONFUSION IN THE POND: NEW ITEM ON THE MENU FOR THE NAIVE GRASS SNAKE (NATRIX NATRIX LINNAEUS) VERSUS AN UNEXPECTED GREAT RAMSHORN (PLANORBARIUS CORNEUS LINNAEUS)

Adnan Zimić,Tajna Klisura

doi:10.37828/em.2016.9.2

Abstract

This article reports a case of a sub-adult of the naive Grass snake (Natrix natrix) trying to ingest the Great ramshorn (Planorbarius corneus) in a small artificial pond in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Highlights

Grass snake – Natrix natrix (Linnaeus 1758) is a semiaquatic species that is widely distributed in Europe, central Asia and north-western Africa (European Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group 1996), from lowland plains (e.g. Ćurić et al 2015) to high-altitude lakes (e.g. Filippi & Luiselli 2002; Šunje et al 2014)
Sub-adult N. natrix was trying to ingest large P. corneus in small artificial pond were the snail has been accidentally introduced the same year by the locals (Zimić A. & Šunje, E. personal observation), but no stable population was established
To the best of our knowledge, what we presented here is only the second record of a grass snake trying to eat a snail (Consul et al 2009)

Summary

Introduction

Grass snake – Natrix natrix (Linnaeus 1758) is a semiaquatic species that is widely distributed in Europe, central Asia and north-western Africa (European Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group 1996), from lowland plains (e.g. Ćurić et al 2015) to high-altitude lakes (e.g. Filippi & Luiselli 2002; Šunje et al 2014). It feeds primarily on amphibians (e.g. Gregory & Isaac 2004), and is among the top predators in aquatic ecosystems (Šukalo et al 2014).

Results

Conclusion