A genus of three snakes, two of which are found in Europe from England east as far as Kazakhstan, and one in India.
The genus is characterised as follows: length not usually more than 75cm; strongly muscled; small head only slightly set off from the body; large, smooth head shields. The species prey mainly on lizards, although captives do apparently adapt to mice quite readily. Nevertheless it seems that Coronella species are rarely seen in captivity for the reasons below.
Despite its wide range, Coronella austriaca is under threat in at least some countries due to intensive agricultural methods which have diminished the populations. This is the rarest of the UK's three snakes.
| QUICK INDEX | ||
| C. austriaca, Smooth Snake | C. brachyura, Indian Smooth Snake | C. girondica, Southern Smooth Snake |
| Species | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Coronella | ||||
| C. austriaca | Smooth Snake [D Glattnatter, Schlingnatter, Haselnatter, Kupfernatter: E culebra lisa europea]
|
Scandinavia (not Denmark), Benelux, S England, France, N Spain, N Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Czech, Hungary, all former Yugoslavia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Baltic states, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, W Kazakhstan, N Iran | Avg. 60-70 cm, max 80cm
|
Smallish but very widely distributed snake. It is diurnal and is only out in early evening during high summer. Smooth Snakes are found in grasslands, wooded steppes, on the edges of forests, in hedges, rubble at the foot of steep rocks, on rocky outcrops and sometimes in gardens. In the UK they are confined to sandy heathland. They are solitary creatures and their dull-brown colouring and subtle markings make them hard to see. They feed mainly on lizards (Arnold cites these as about 70% of their diet) but also snakes, including young vipers, young rodents and even insects. Hibernation begins in September-October (depending on the weather) and ends in April, when the snakes emerge and mate. Incubation is ovoviviparous: the females give birth to up to 15 live young, which are 5-7" long. Occasionally eggs will emerge at the same time, from which the hatchlings emerge almost immediately. Although not naturally aggressive, if it feels cornered a Smooth Snake will hiss threateningly first and then attack, attempting to bite: musking (the voiding of the anal glands) is also quite usual. The small recurved teeth latch into flesh very efficiently! A distinguishing feature of this species is its head, which widens behind the eyes. The subspecies C. a. fitzinger is not recognised by some authorities: see EMBL database entry. Scalation details: 1 preocular, 2 postoculars; 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 temporals; 7 supralabials, of which 3rd and 4th usually touch the eye: rostral extends into supranasals; 4 sublabials in contact with anterior submaxillaries. Dorsal scalation: 19 rows at midbody. Ventral scales: 153-199. Subcaudal scales: 41-70. Coloration: dorsal coloration and pattern are very variable, ranging from grey-yellow to rust-red with all stages between [Englemann et al]. Melanistic or albino individuals may also be encountered. Reproduction: courtship takes place in March-April and also again in August-September: birth is ovoviparous, with 2-15 live young being born. The young from France tend to be somewhat larger at birth than those from the UK [Salvador]. Sexual maturity is reached in the fourth or fifth year. |
| C. a. austriaca | ||||
| C. a. acutirostris | ||||
| C. a. fitzingeri | ||||
| C. brachyura | Indian Smooth Snake, North Indian Olive Brown Snake | India | I am grateful to the Nasik District Gazetteer of Maharashtra, India, for the following description by Dr P J Deoras of the species: "This snake is olive brown above, with indistinct light variegations on the anterior half of the body. It grows to 2 feet and is not a very common snake." This would seem to imply that it is scarce even within its range. | |
| C. girondica | Southern Smooth Snake [D Girondische Schlingnatter: E culebra lisa meridional] | Spain, Portugal, S France, Italy (inc. Sicily), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia | Avg. 50-60 cm, max 80cm | Although closely related to the Smooth Snake, the Southern Smooth Snake is different in several ways: it is less aggressive, lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young, and is slower (although a good swimmer) and more secretive. KKS claim that it seems to avoid bright light, and may often sit in half-shadow. It is generally more of a lowland species than C. austriaca. The main visible differences are in the markings on the underside of the belly and the configuration of the head plates. C. girondica has two black bars on most of its ventral scales, whereas those of C. austriaca are darker and a uniform colour. The rostral plates and some small plates in the upper jaw are the other difference. The Southern Smooth Snake is considered the older of the two species. The areas of the two species do overlap. Although normally found in lowlands, C. girondica has also been found at up to 3,200 m. It prefers the usual stony sunny areas with some bushes. Prey is mainly lizards and some snakes, although insects may also be taken. Captives adapt quickly to a diet of mice and have been known to live for 15 years in captivity. Mating takes place in April-May, and up to five young hatch in August-September: these prey on small lizards and insects. Scalation details: 1 (sometimes 2) preocular, 2-3 (sometimes 1) postoculars; 2 x 3 or 3 x 3 temporals; 8 supralabials, of which 4th and 5th usually touch the eye: rostral does not extend into supranasals; 49-72 sublabials. Dorsal scales: 21 (rarely 19 or 23) at midbody. Ventral scales: 170-200. Subcaudal scales: 43-72, paired. Other: anal plate divided. Coloration: overall greyish-brown, at times somewhat reddish, with a dark band behind each eye. Ventrally whitish, orangeish or yellowish with irregular black bars: iris yellow with black and reddish patches. Clutch size: 5-7 (usually 7) which are laid at the end of July. |
| C. g. girondica | ||||
| C. g. amaliae | Not recognised by most authorities (see EMBL database entry). | |||
Reptiles and Amphibians, Vaclav Lanka and Zbysek Vit, Hamlyn Colour Guide, Prague, 1985
Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas, Engelmann, Fritzsche, Günther and Obst, Enke, Leipzig 1986.
Collins Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe, E N Arnold, J A Burton and D W Ovenden, HarperCollins, London 1978. An invaluable guide, although a few of the taxonomic details are in need of revision.
Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa, W Kästle, H H Schleich and K Kabisch, Koeltz Scientific Books, Germany 1996. Outstanding review of N African herpetofauna giving detailed account of each species. I gratefully acknowledge their details for the N African species.
Guia de campo de los anfibios y reptiles de la peninsula iberica, islas baleares y canarias [Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic and Canary Islands], Alfredo Salvador, Madrid. ISBN: 84-86238-07-2. Excellent book covering all reptiles and amphibians in the aforementioned areas with a section on each species. The one drawback for English speakers is that the text is Spanish. This book is unfortunately now out of print, but well worth purchasing if you can get a second hand copy.
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