Girondin smooth snake

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Girondin smooth snake
BennyTrapp Coronella girondica.jpg

Girondin smooth snake ( Coronella girondica )

Systematics
Subordination : Snakes (serpentes)
Superfamily : Adder-like and viper-like (Colubroidea)
Family : Adders (Colubridae)
Subfamily : True snakes (Colubrinae)
Genre : Smooth snakes ( Coronella )
Type : Girondin smooth snake
Scientific name
Coronella girondica
( Daudin , 1803)

The Girondic smooth snake or smooth snake ( Coronella girondica ) is a non-poisonous snake found in Europe and northwest Africa . It is crepuscular and nocturnal, mainly preying on reptiles and is not considered aggressive.

features

Like the other representatives of the smooth snake or smooth snake , the Girondic smooth snake is characterized by smooth body scales, especially those that are shiny on the head. The relatively small head is hardly separated from the neck, the eyes have round pupils and the muzzle is clearly rounded. A snake of this type usually reaches a body length of less than 70 centimeters, but it is also possible up to 80 centimeters. It is slightly longer but narrower than the also Europe occurring smooth snake ( C. austriaca ). In contrast to this, it usually doesn't bite when grabbed. The basic color of Girondin smooth snakes varies from gray to clay to red-brown, the back is covered by irregular cross bands. The belly can be marbled, but a drawing can also be missing here. The body drawing is particularly pronounced in males and disappears with increasing age. Young animals are therefore more contrasting than older animals. There are two U-shaped drawings on the head: one on the neck that is open towards the muzzle and one between the eyes that is open towards the body. Sometimes there is a small dark line under the eye that runs perpendicular to the mouth. The scales of this species are smooth and sessile.

Dandruff type Expression
Snout shield hardly visible from above

rarely between interim nose shields outstanding

Eye shields 1 (sometimes 2)
Rear eye shields 2 (sometimes 1 or 3)
Under-eye shields unavailable
Upper lip shields 8 (sometimes 7-9)
Rows of back scales 21 (rarely 19) around the middle of the body
Abdominal shields 170-200
paired under tail shields 52–64 (♀)

61–69 (♂)

Aft shield usually shared

distribution and habitat

Distribution area according to IUCN

In Europe , the Girondin smooth snake is found in Spain , Portugal , Italy and southern France , in North Africa it is found in areas in Morocco , Tunisia and Algeria . It populates different habitats, especially dry, warm, stony places with bushes, as well as roadsides, wasteland and walls. On the other hand, places with high humidity are avoided.

It occurs preferentially in plains, but also at heights of up to 2150 meters.

behavior

This species is generally active at dusk or at night. At sufficiently low temperatures, they can also be observed on the day when used as stalking and ambush predator geckos , skinks , crawl and lizards captured and killed by strangulation. The Gironde smooth snake or smooth snake is non-poisonous and does not usually bite when it is grasped by humans, but it repeatedly emits short sibilants and can empty its anal gland .

From the 6 to 16 eggs laid in June (14 × 19 to 14 × 25 millimeters), the young hatch in August to September, which can reach a body length of 11 to 18 centimeters. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of four and during the mating season there may be comment fights between the males, during which they entwine each other. If this is successful for a male, it comes to mating with a female, which can last over an hour and is repeated several times if necessary.

subspecies

Two subspecies have been described for the Girondin smooth snake or smooth snake : In Europe C. g. girondica and in northwest Africa C. g. amaliae Boettger, 1881. This division is based on differences in the shape of the snout shield, which C. g. amaliae is larger than that of C. g. girondica and between the nasal shields . This feature can also occur in the nominate form , a separation of the subspecies C. g. amaliae is therefore controversial.

literature

  • Guido Kreiner: Snakes of Europe. All species west of the Caucasus. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-89973-457-7 .

Web links

Commons : Girondas smooth snake ( Coronella girondica )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files