Beware of snakes!

The warm season also brings with it the risk of encountering snakes. The greatest diversity is recorded in forest biotopes, at forest edges and in natural open ecosystems, near water bodies, but sometimes they can also be found in rural and urban areas, near households or even inside the buildings.

There are 8 species of snakes in the Republic of Moldova: grass snake (Natrix natrix), dice snake (Natrix tessellata), smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), Caspian whipsnake (Dolichophis caspius), Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus), blotched snake (Еlaphe sauromates), common adder (Vipera berus) and meadow adder (Vipera ursinii). Of these 8 species of snakes, 6 are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova, 3rd edition, the grass snake and the dice snake being common species.

Snakes become active with the arrival of spring, starting with April and until the beginning of October. They vary in size from 50 cm to 2.5 m. Most species are not dangerous, do not have venom and avoid direct contact with humans, only the common adder and the meadow adder are venomous. The common adder or common viper is very rare, is found mainly in forest areas and does not show aggression. The meadow adder was found in some steppe sectors in the south of the country, the last report was in 1964. The Aesculapian snake, the Caspisn whipsnake, also known as the "evil snake" and the blotched snake, also known as the "Dobrogea dragon" or "big dragon" are not venomous species, but they are the largest snakes in the Republic of Moldova.

Snakes generally arouse disgust and fear in people. They are invariably associated with danger, and the first reaction of people is to kill them. During the breeding season, they can be observed in full mating ritual on country roads, completely indifferent to the approach of humans. Lately, snakes can be seen more often in cities (mostly the common species), because construction has expanded greatly in the natural habitats of snakes and then they have little choice, but to survive in contact with people, that is, in urbanized areas.

If you notice a snake in the park or in the city, it is best to avoid it or leave it alone and it will retreat. If you find a snake in a basement, cellar, warehouse, etc., we recommend to remove it out of there, very carefully, put it in a container (box, bag, jar etc.), with a broom and a dustpan, and release it into nature.

Alina Larion, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Vladimir Țurcan, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Vladislav Caldari, Ph.D.