Coronella girondica

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Coronella girondica
BennyTrapp Coronella girondica.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Coronella
Species:
C. girondica
Binomial name
Coronella girondica
(Daudin, 1803)
Coronella girondica distribution.png
Synonyms [1]

Coronella girondica, commonly known as the southern smooth snake or Riccioli's snake, is a species of harmless snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southern Europe and northern Africa. No subspecies are recognized as being valid. [1]

Contents

Geographic range

C. girondica is found in Spain, Portugal, southern France, Monaco, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. [1] [2] The type locality given is Bordeaux, France. [1]

Description

C. girondica is brown, grayish, or reddish dorsally, with dark brown or blackish transverse bars or spots. On the nape there is a dark U-shaped mark, or a pair of dark elongate spots. There is a dark streak from the eye to the corner of the mouth, a dark band from eye to eye across the prefrontals, and a black line below the eye. Ventrally it is yellowish or red with black markings. The dorsal scales, which are smooth, are in 21 rows (rarely 19). Adults may attain a total length of 62 cm (2 feet), of which 12.5 cm (5 inches) is tail. [3]

Habitat

Coronella girondica in Peneda-Geres National Park, Portugal Coronella girondica Geres 2.JPG
Coronella girondica in Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal

The natural habitats of C. girondica are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, pastureland, and plantations. [2]

It is threatened by habitat loss.

Conservation status

This species, C. girondica, is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001). [2] Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. Year assessed: 2005. [4]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Coronella girondica at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 2 September 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 Coronella girondica at the IUCN Red List . Accessed 2 September 2007.
  3. Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I-XX. (Coronella girondica, pp. 194-195).
  4. 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List . Accessed 2 September 2007.

Further reading