Dutch grass snakes infected with dreaded fungus – Early Birds

For the first time is the dreaded snake fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola established in wild grass snakes in the Netherlands. The fungus can cause a skin disease that sometimes leads to the death of the snake. The infections were discovered by the RAVON foundation and Ghent University, which have been investigating this since 2017.

The fungus causes the skin disease ophidiomycosis, also known as ‘snake fungal disease’. To date, the fungus has been identified in 62 snake species, spread across three continents: North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. This involved both wild and farmed snakes. The fungus seems to mainly occur in snakes that live in damp areas.

In North America, infections have already had negative effects on several species of snakes. The fungus has been linked to the declines of several populations. Heavily infected snakes are often slower, sunbathe longer and are less shy, making them easy prey for predators.

The fungus manifests itself in brown-green discolorations and deformations on the scales. These symptoms can be seen as scars on molting skin. It also happens that the infection is not visible on the hose from the outside. The disease can therefore only be diagnosed through genetic research.

Despite the many infections in North America, only a few cases are known in Europe. The RAVON Foundation and Ghent University examined molts, skin samples and carcasses of wild and farmed snakes between 2017 and 2023. The disease has also been found on molts of wild grass snakes, without external symptoms.

It is still unclear how far the fungus has spread within the habitat where tests were carried out. This information is necessary to determine the severity of the epidemic. It is also being investigated which variants are present in the Netherlands and what influence this has on individual snakes.