Natrix tessellata issue!

[Ilian Velikov]

Hi, everyone

This are some pictures that I took this weekend. It's a Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) with a freshly cought Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)! The photos were taken on the shore of a dam where this invasive fish are numerous! It's an introduced species to Europe and someone said on Euroherp that there are reports of N.tesselata dieing by trying to swallow one of these! The reason was the fish's very sharp spiky back flipper! Yet,in that particular dam,I think these fish are the main food item the snakes eat!
Do you, guys have any information on that case and what do you think about it in general!?

Here you can see the sharp spikes of the Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)!

[Peter Oefinger]

Hi Ilian,
great photos! I think there exist similiar spiky native fishes - Hence I do not believe that this is a threat for the Natrix populations. Have you seen what happened to the fish and the snake afteryour photos were taken?
Regards
Peter

[Konrad Mebert]

Dear Ilian,

you may want to use this sequence for a Photo Note document in a book about Natrix tessellata. Write me a personal message and I explain you more.

best regards, Konrad

PS: tessellata is with a double L.

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Very good Documentation!

[Tibor Sos]

very interesting and nice photos!!! probably the snakes don't have any problem if they start to eat from the head... the blood on the last picture is from the snake, isn't? lucky pictures, Ilian

[Ilian Velikov]

Yes, no problem if swallowed head first, but that one was going to do just the opposite...I think the blood was from the fish!

[Tibor Sos]

so, fish versus snake blood?