viperine snake (Natrix maura)

distribution:
The range of the viperine snake includes the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, France (except Brittany, Normandy, the Channel coast and Alsace), parts of Switzerland (exclusively in the canton of Geneva as well as in isolated localities in the canton of Vaud and Valais), Northwest Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and North West Africa. The population on Mallorca lt is due to animals from the south-east France, which have been introduced by man.

Habitat and behavior:
The closely tied to aquatic habitats water snake is in an appropriate place and in good weather often to find several copies in the field of sunny brook depressions. There they hunt fish, tadpoles and salamander larvae. But also provides after adult amphibians, in Sardinia, for example, the Sardinian Brook Newt. The good swimming and diving serpent uses the sunny shores for lt thermoregulation. Are Sundays courts in the water environment rarely, she climbs into the trees and shrubs of riparian vegetation.

Short description :
The species is 70 to 90 (rarely 100) centimeter long , with males remain smaller than the females. The rather broad head is clearly separated from the fuselage , the dorsal scales are keeled strong. The slightly stocky body is brownish or gray ground color with yellow, red or olive-green tint. On the back there are usually two rows of staggered dark spots that may merge to form a zigzag stripes or bars . This creates a likelihood of confusion with the viper . But in contrast to this the viper snake has round pupils , among others . Either simple dark spots or large eye-spots are located at the edges with a bright center. Sometimes two narrow , light (yellow or reddish ) longitudinal stripes are on the back. The head is often strongly marked , such as with one or two V-shaped characters that can be connected by a center spot . Striking are also bright upper lip Signs ( supralabials ) , lined dark.