Fire brigade saves smooth snake: animal finder alerts immediately!

Fire brigade saves smooth snake: animal finder alerts immediately!

In Geislingen an der Steige, in the Göppingen district, an unexpected encounter with the local wildlife took place on Tuesday. A snake about 50 centimeters long was discovered by a resident in a residential area. The fire department was alerted immediately because it was not initially known what type of snake it was. After the fire department caught the animal, a consultation with the Wilhelma in Stuttgart took place to determine its exact identification. The results were reassuring: it was a smooth snake, which was then released back into the forest.

The smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) is a non-venomous snake that is a protected species in Germany. This species has a natural habitat in warm areas, especially in southern Germany, and usually reaches a length of 60 to 80 centimeters, but in individual cases can grow up to 90 centimeters long. The animal found was probably not yet fully grown. Smooth snakes are easily confused with the poisonous adder, which also occurs in German forests, which often leads to unjustified killings of this species worthy of protection. Both species of snakes are protected under the Federal Species Protection Ordinance, which means that they are legally protected and cannot be caught or killed.

Diversity of snake species in Germany

Only six of the world's approximately 3,000 snake species live in Germany. These native representatives are not only represented by the smooth snake and the adder, but also include other species such as the grass snake, the Aesculapian snake, the asp viper and the dice snake. The diversity is remarkable, although many of these species are critically endangered and also protected. Particularly outstanding is the Aesculapian snake, which is the largest snake in Central Europe with a maximum length of up to 1.60 meters and derives its name from the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius.

• Kreuzotter (Vipera berus) – giftig, bis zu 90 cm lang, kommt in verschiedenen Farben vor.
• Ringelnatter (Natrix natrix) – ungiftig, bis zu 2 m lang, lebt in Gewässern.
• Äskulapnatter (Zamenis longissimus) – ungiftig, bis zu 2 m lang, lebt in lichten Wäldern.
• Aspisviper (Vipera aspis) – giftig, bis zu 90 cm lang, vorkommen im Südschwarzwald.
• Schlingnatter (Coronella austriaca) – ungiftig, bis zu 80 cm lang, lebt in sonnigen Gebieten.
• Würfelnatter (Natrix tessellata) – ungiftig, bis zu 1 m lang, akut vom Aussterben bedroht.

These snakes are generally harmless to humans, but exhibit defensive behavior and attempt to flee when threatened. In Germany it is important to raise awareness of the protection of these species and promote respect for nature. The history experienced in Geislingen is an example of the need to properly deal with the local wildlife and protect it.