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Grass Snakes in Bulgaria Were Recorded Eating at Least 11 Amphibian Species

Grass snake coiled in dry grass in Sofia, Bulgaria
Research · Ecology

A 2026 study of grass snakes (Natrix natrix) in Bulgaria brought together previous published records and 17 new feeding observations to clarify the species’ amphibian diet in the country. The authors documented at least 11 amphibian species as prey.

The 17 new records were gathered opportunistically during field trips and surveys from 1998 to 2025 rather than through a standardized prey-sampling programme. The authors therefore caution that the material is limited: the frequencies show which prey have been documented, but cannot by themselves measure how strongly snakes prefer each amphibian relative to its availability.

The most frequently represented prey in the compiled material was Pelophylax ridibundus. Rana dalmatina and Bufo bufo were also important components of the diet, while the authors found evidence that Salamandra salamandra may be taken more often in some areas than earlier records suggested.

A broad amphibian prey spectrum

Other recorded prey included Triturus ivanbureschi, Bombina variegata, Pelobates balcanicus and Rana temporaria, although these species occurred less frequently in the available records. The study therefore portrays grass snakes in Bulgaria as flexible amphibian predators rather than specialists on a single prey species.

The authors note that the feeding ecology of grass snakes in Bulgaria remains incompletely studied. They argue that better knowledge of prey use can help identify the wetland and amphibian communities that are important for maintaining suitable habitat for the species.

Sources and image credit

  1. Mitrevichin, E., Sakelarieva, L., Peshev, H., Grozdanov, A., & Pulev, A. (2026). Batrachophagy of the Eastern Grass Snake, Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758), in Bulgaria: Published data and new records. Ecologia Balkanica, 18(1), 183–188. https://doi.org/10.69085/eb20261183Primary article, issued 12 May 2026; reviews published Bulgarian diet records and adds 17 new observations.

Image: Termininja — grass snake photographed in Sofia, Bulgaria, 16 April 2022; representative species image, not a snake from the published diet records. Source: Wikimedia Commons. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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