#zamenis

[herpsandbirds]

Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris), juvenile, family Colubridae, Portugal

photograph by Benny_Trapp

[arminreindl]

Aesculapian snakes might be my favorite native reptile. They are tree climbers and with a length of up to two meters our largest snake. Here's a juvenile with gorgeous coloration I found in a field and next to it an adult, decently long but not a two meter giant either.

[herpskeepers]

Herp of the day: European Rat Snake

The European Rat Snake or Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla) is a nonvenomous species native to southern and eastern Europe. 

These snakes are crepuscular, most active around dawn and dusk, and are considered threatened in certain parts of its range such as Italy and Albania.

[herpsandbirds]

European Rat Snake aka Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla), family Colubridae, Greece

photograph by Alberto González 

[herpsandbirds]

Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris), family Columbidae, Portugal

photograph by Benny_Trapp

[herpsandbirds]

Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla), family Colubridae, Croatia

photograph by Tomaz Jagar

[herpsandbirds]

Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla), family Colubridae, SW Bulgaria

photograph by Martin Popov

[herpsandbirds]

Aesculapian Snake (Zamenis longissimus), family Colubridae, Switzerland

This species was recently removed from the genus Elaphe.

photograph by FelixReimann