The European ratsnake ( Zamenis situla), or the leopard snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake belonging to the family Colubridae. This species is found in southeastern Europe and western Anatolia.
Taxonomy
The European ratsnake was first formally described as
Coluber Situla by
Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of
Systema Naturae published in 1758. Linnaeus gave the type locality as Egypt but this species does noy occur there.
This species is classified in the genus
Zamenis which belongs to the
subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae.
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Geographic range
The European ratsnake is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Turkey, Ukraine, and possibly Cyprus.
Description
The European ratsnake is gray or tan with a dorsal series of reddish or brown transverse blotches, which have black borders. On each side is a series of smaller black spots, alternating with the dorsal blotches. There is a Y-shaped dark marking on the occiput and nape, a crescent-shaped black band from eye to eye across the prefrontals, and a black band from the Ocular scales diagonally to the corner of the mouth. The belly is white, checkered with black, or almost entirely back. The dorsal scales are in 25 or 27 rows, and are smooth. Adults may attain in total length, with a tail of .
Habitat
The European ratsnake is found in Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, pastureland, , and rural gardens. It can be found up to above sea level.
See also
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List of reptiles of Italy
Further reading
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Arnold EN, Burton JA (1978). A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. London: Collins. 272 pp. + Plates 1-40. . ( Elaphe situla, pp. 197–198 + Plate 36 + Map 110 on p. 266).
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Carl Linnaeus (1758). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata. Stockholm: L. Salvius. 824 pp. ( Coluber situla,new species, p. 223). (in Latin).
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Venchi A, Sindaco R (2006). "Annotated checklist of the reptiles of the Mediterranean countries, with keys to species identification. Part 2 — Snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes)". Annali del Museo di Storia Naturale "G. Doria", Genova 98: 259–364.
