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Description
Harmless snake of small size and not very thick cylindrical body, with smooth and brilliant, scales, rarely exceeding 65 cm.
The head is little different from the body and is small and somewhat flattened. It has a prominent snout and somewhat rounded. The eyes are small, with the round pupil and the iris is yellow - orange or ochre.
The eye tends to be in contact with the 4th and 5th supralabials scales (3rd and 4th in Austrian C.).
It has a rostral scale in triangular shape which extends between the internasales (not in Austrian C.).
The ventral design is checkered (is smooth in Austrian C.).
In the upper part of the head may appear two parallel dark spots that extends through the neck. It also presents a dark line that starting from the nostrils reaches the neck across the lower area of the eye. This line may occur more diffuse between the nose and eye. The supralabials scales tend to be clearer.
The body is cylindrical, not very thick, with smooth and shiny scales. The back features ochre, brown or grey, colors on which you can see darker spots transverse or oblique which are blurringthe oldest is the copy or nearest this shedding. More diffuse dark spots on the sides may also appear.
The color of the belly tends to be dark grey or black, sometimes with darker spots and more whitish edges.
The females can reach a greater size (more than 70 cm), while males rarely exceed the 65 cm. In addition the latter have a proportionately longer tail. Juveniles are darker colors and more contrasting designs, having found, in some specimens, reddish or orange colorations.
The newborns measure between 13 and 18 cm and weigh between 1.5 and 3 grams.
• Total length: up to 75 cm (usually 40-50 cm).
• Weight: 50 g.
| Scientific name | Coronella girondica |
Common name
Southern smooth snake
Family name
Colubridae
Biology
This species is generalist in the occupation of Habitat, although usually prefer clear forests with large stones, edges of roads, abandoned quarries, vacant and all kinds of planes with scattered vegetation.
Snake primarily crepuscular and nocturnal activity, remains hidden in the bushes or under stones and roots during the day.
Basically feeds on small lizards, lizards and geckos, including sporadically in his diet micromamíferos and arthropods.
Oviparous, put 8-10 eggs that hatch at the end of August-September
Quieter than the European smooth Snake (C.austriaca), it is not a snake very agile and quick, although sometimes you can climb to the bushes. To be molested, it can defend biting.
Similar Species
• European smooth Snake (C.austriaca), which is distinguished by:
The eye tends to be in contact with the 4th and 5th supralabials scales (3rd and 4th in Austrian C.).
The rostral plate does not penetrate between the internasales (si in Austrian C.).
Dark line of the cuelllo to the eye, sometimes linking both eyes above your head,
The ventral design is checkered (is smooth in Austrian C.).
It is oviparous, while C.austriaca is ovoviviparous.
•Sinónimos:
Coluber girondicus (Daudin 1803: 432)
Coluber meridionalis (Daudin, 1803)
Natrix meridionalis (Daudin)-(Merrem, 1820)
Coluber riccioli (Metaxa 1823)
Zamenis riccioli (Metaxa 1823)
Psammophis girondicus (Daudin) (Boie, 1826)
Coronella meridionalis (Daudin) (Boie 1827)
Coluber rubens (Gachet 1829)
Zacholus girondicus (Daudin)-(Wagler, 1830)
Zamenis riccioli (Metaxa)-(Bonaparte 1840)
Coronella (Daudin)-(Duméril) girundica(& Bibron 1854: 612 (lapsus))
Coronella riccioli (Metaxa)-(De Betta 1857)
Coronella girondica (Jan 1866)
Coronella var. laevis. Hispanica (Boettger, 1869)
Coronella girondica (Boulenger, 1913)
Coronella girondica (Mertens & Müller 1940)
Coronella girondica (Engelmann et to 1993)
Coronella girondica (Schleich, Kästle & Kabisch 1996: 487)
Coronella girondica amaliae (Boettger, 1881)
Ladder amaliae (Boettger 1881: 570)
Coronella amaliae (Boulenger, 1889)
Conservation status
• IUCN Status: Least concern
• Consists of annex II "Protected species" of the Berne Convention
| Other names | Colobra bordelesa, Colobra llisa meridional, Serp llisa meridiona [ca]. Girondische Glattnatter, Girondische Glatt, Schlingnatter [de]. Culebra lisa meridional [es]. Southern Smooth Snake [en]. Coronelle girondine [fr]. Colobra bordeles [it]. |
| Media source | Josep Pascó |
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