Leopard snake
| Leopard snake | ||||||||||||
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Leopard snake ( Zamenis situla ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Zamenis situla | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The Leopard Snake ( Zamenis situla , Syn. : Elaphe situla ) is a snake of the family of snakes (Colubridae).
features
Leopard snakes have a slim body. As with most snakes, a sexual dimorphism can be seen in terms of length, the males are between 70 and 100 cm, the females, however, up to a maximum of 120 cm long. Due to its distinctive drawing and color, it is considered one of the most beautiful snakes in Europe and there is no risk of confusion in its area of distribution. The color of the upper side ranges from yellowish to brownish to light gray and blue-gray, that of the underside is mostly yellowish on the front part of the body and becomes darker and darker towards the end of the body. The leopard-like drawing consists of large, red-brown, black-rimmed spots on the middle of the back, small black spots on the sides and two black, open transverse bands on the head, which is only slightly separated from the body. What all leopard snakes have in common is the black band, called glasses, which connects the two eyes. In addition to the spotted shape just described, there is also a striped shape. This shape is characterized by the fact that they have a yellowish to gray stripe on the back. This light stripe is flanked by two narrow brown stripes. Both sides of the body are streakless and have small dark spots. In general, juvenile animals have a yellowish background color. With age, the yellow increasingly changes to a gray hue.
The scales are smooth, not keeled and usually in 27, less often in 25, rows, based on the middle of the body. The eyes are reddish, the pupils are round like all European snakes, with the exception of the European cat snake .
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the leopard snake stretches from southern Italy , the western and southeastern Balkan Peninsula to northwestern Turkey and the Caucasus . It is also at home on many Mediterranean islands such as Sicily , Malta and the Aegean Islands . The preferred habitat is at a height of up to 600 meters, rarely up to 1000 meters, is sunny, rich in vegetation and cover, stony and dry, warm to moderately humid. They are also often found near bodies of water such as streams.
Way of life
The day and twilight active Zamenis situla is mainly ground-living, but they can also climb very well. It is neither poisonous nor aggressive and also very shy. If they are cornered, they vibrate with their tail as a threatening gesture and can bite hard.
The mating season is in April and May, with the female usually laying 3 to 5 eggs after mating, from which the 20 cm long juvenile adders hatch at the end of August, which feed on lizards and insects. The adults also prey on small birds and mammals such as mice.
The rigid winter begins for the first animals in September and lasts until March.
Life expectancy in captivity is over 20 years. The animals are very suitable for keeping in terrariums and do not make any special demands on their environment. However, some experience with other snakes is recommended for these animals. These animals also have more frequent breaks to eat. However, these feeding breaks do not necessarily have to be related to poor environmental conditions. The procurement of these animals is currently a bit laborious because they are protected by species. For this reason, too, experience is recommended, as otherwise the authorities may refuse a purchase.
protection
The leopard snake is listed by the European Union in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and is therefore a species of community interest to be strictly protected, for whose preservation special protected areas must be designated by the member states.
literature
- T. Klesius: The leopard snake - Zamenis situla. Kleintierverlag, 2015, ISBN 978-3-944484-07-5 .
- Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 .
Individual evidence
Web links
- Zamenis situla in The Reptile Database
- Biology, keeping and reproduction of the leopard snake (Zamenis situla): http://www.schlangenland.de/index.php/schlangen/zamenis/zamenis-situla
- Zamenis situla inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Wolfgang Böhme, Petros Lymberakis, Rastko Ajtic, Varol Tok, Ismail H. Ugurtas, Murat Sevinç, Pierre-André Crochet, Claudia Corti, Idriz Haxhiu, Roberto Sindaco, Aziz Avci, Jelka Crnobrnja Isailovic, Yusuf Kumlutaş, 2008. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.