Food and Hunting

Young smooth snakes feed exclusively on small reptiles.  Adults will eat small rodents, lizards, other smooth snakes(!) and occasionally invertebrates.

Smooth snakes are constrictors, they strike their prey swiftly and subdue it by gripping it in their mouths whilst wrapping their coils around their bodies to suppress struggling.  Once suitably weakened, the prey is swallowed alive. If threatened, they will bite readily, and tend to hang on. They also produce a foul-smelling substance from their anal glands as a means of defence. Their bite, though painful is not poisonous.