Coronella girondica

Coronella girondica
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Colubrinae
Genus:	Coronella
Species:	C. girondica
Binomial name
Coronella girondica (Daudin, 1803)
Synonyms
Coluber girondicus Daudin, 1803 Coluber riccioli Metaxa, 1823 Zamenis riccioli - Bonaparte, 1839 Coronella girondica - Duméril & Bibron, 1854 Coronella riccioli - De Betta, 1857

Common names: southern smooth snake, Riccioli's snake.

Coronella girondica is a harmless colubrid species found in southern Europe and northern Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.^[1]

Geographic range

Found in Spain, Portugal, southern France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.^[1] Monaco is also mentioned.^[2] The type locality given is Bordeaux, France.^[1]

Description

Coronella 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

Its natural habitats are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, pastureland, and plantations.^[2]

It is threatened by habitat loss.

Conservation status

This species 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]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Coronella girondica at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2 September 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Coronella girondica at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 2 September 2007.
3. ^ Boulenger, G.A. 1894. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume II. London.
4. ^ 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 2 September 2007.

• List of reptiles of Italy

External links

• Coronella girondica at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2 September 2007.