Aesculapian Snake
Zamenis longissimus
Identification 3
The body usually has dark green collor on top with light yellow scales on the bottom. Head is egg-shaped and the pupil is round. Upper lip tends to be yellow. The most telling is the size of the snake as these can grow up to 2 meters long. Largest specimens recorded in Czechia are 1,6m though as this is the edge of their distribution. Juveniles can have spots and resemble juvenile Natrix natrix although the dead giveaway is the bright underbelly, while the grass snake has black centered belly scales.
Ecology & Behaviour 3
As I mentioned above the population live on the edges of Czech borders and even there it's a rarity. It prefers semi-open land near runing water (for example some vineyards in South Moravia). Adult females are docile in comparison to juveniles and males, who tend to bite when captured. Otherwise the snake isn't agressive. The activity ranges from being a diurnal animal in spring to be almost nocturnal in the high summer heat.
Identifikace (CZ) 3
Dobrým indikátorem užovky stromové je zelená barva, zespodu zcela světlé břicho a často také umístění nálezu. Oproti neznalcem zaměnitelným užovkám podplamatým se stromovka vyskytuje pouze v západních čechách a na jižní moravě. Navíc se neživí rybami a vodě se až na výjimky vyhýbá. Uvidíte-li tedy plavat užovku: není pravděpodobné, že se jedná o stromovku. Mláďata mají půlměsíce za hlavou, stejně jako užovka obojková, pak je nutné zkontrolovat barvu břicha.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Paul Cools, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Cools
- (c) Emiliano Mori, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Emiliano Mori
- (c) Martin Vohralík, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
