Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Portugal, Spain, Andorra

Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Robert Andrews » Thu May 25, 2017 2:43 pm

Whilst I am familiar with all U.K Herps I am not familiar with the Algarve. This photo was sent to me by my uncle who owns a villa that we will be staying it next week. He asked what type of snake this was, to which I replied that it looked to me like a Viperine snake but I would ask this site.

So there, my guess is Viperine, but can anyone correct me if I am wrong?
Algarve.jpg





Thanks,

Rob
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Michal Szkudlarek » Thu May 25, 2017 2:46 pm

I'm snake n00b but i think that European Viperine snakes do not climb trees.
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Ruggero M. » Thu May 25, 2017 2:53 pm

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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Ilian Velikov » Thu May 25, 2017 3:15 pm

Michal Szkudlarek wrote:I'm snake n00b but i think that European Viperine snakes do not climb trees.

Almost all snakes climb trees/bushes. Some more often than others but it's not unheard of for Natrix to do it.

Ruggero Morimando wrote:I would say http://www.sci-news.com/biology/iberian ... 03650.html

I thought this at first because it looks quite big/stocky but it's very difficult to tell from this photo and there's nothing for size comparison. I think I can vaguely see some spots/ocelli on the first part of the body between the dark dorsal and light ventral colouration...? So could be maura...
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Matthieu Berroneau » Thu May 25, 2017 3:22 pm

Hello.
This is a (large) Rhinechis scalaris, the Ladder snake. ;)
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Ruggero M. » Thu May 25, 2017 3:23 pm

On the contrary I've thought first an maura, but the head looks to me more for N.natrix group. And the flanks ocelli are very irregular and look more like dirt flecks. And the basic colour is greenish, so typical for astreptophora. Size comparison is not present but the snake seems to be rather big anyway.
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Ruggero M. » Thu May 25, 2017 3:27 pm

Matthieu Berroneau wrote:Hello.
This is a (large) Rhinechis scalaris, the Ladder snake. ;)


Probably you are right... :lol:
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Matthieu Berroneau » Thu May 25, 2017 3:30 pm

For me it is scalaris, ususal to find it in the threes.

This morph :
Image

We can see one of the two dark line on the back of the first picture.
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Ruggero M. » Thu May 25, 2017 3:33 pm

Sure! If you look carefully you'll find one dorsal line in the picture! :D
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Re: Help identifying this snake in the Algarve

Postby Matthieu Berroneau » Thu May 25, 2017 3:46 pm

;)
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