The largest snakes in Europe have been activated in Ukraine: an expert explained whether to panic

In various regions of Ukraine, particularly in Transcarpathia, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, and Kyiv regions, locals have started to actively notice the appearance of yellow-bellied snakes on social media - the largest non-venomous snakes in Europe listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Faced with these snakes, people, driven by fear, try to scare or even kill them due to their enormous size, but experts argue that there is no need to be afraid of these reptiles, it is enough to know the rules of conduct.

"The situation in Ukraine is quite calm - we have only two venomous snake species: the common viper and the steppe viper, both listed in the Red Book and are rare," - explained Vadim Manyuk, associate professor of geography at DNU. Non-venomous snakes, particularly yellow-bellied snakes, are the most common species of snakes in Ukraine, and although their enormous size may cause fear, the bite of such reptiles is usually not fatal. The expert noted that in summer, snake activity may increase due to more contacts with people, but this is not related to specific 'seasonality'.

Where and how the yellow-bellied snake lives

Yellow-bellied snakes are distributed in the steppe zone of Ukraine, particularly in the southern regions of the country, as well as in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as in nature reserves such as the Pryingulsky regional landscape park and the Kreminets Mountains national park. In Europe, they are found in the Balkans, the Caucasus, southern Russia, Moldova, and Western Asia. Yellow-bellied snakes are beneficial for the ecosystem as they consume rodents, birds, lizards, and other small animals. They are active during the day and spend nights in burrows of rodents or stone debris. In spring, they come out of hibernation, and young snakes appear in autumn. In winter, such snakes gather in groups of up to 10 individuals.

The appearance of yellow-bellied snakes in various regions of Ukraine causes a certain fear among residents, but it is important to remember that these reptiles are non-venomous. It is essential to treat them with respect and follow safe interaction rules, as yellow-bellied snakes play an important role in the natural balance of the ecosystem.