unknown snake

[Mario Schweiger]

you all have got it!

Zamenis situla from the Neretva Delta area.
Original photos by: Kevin Eßer, Germany.

Note from the "Handbook" (Band 3/I: Schlangen I; Elaphe situla, p. 435) by Wolfgang Böhme:

„Eine weitere Morphe, uns bislang nur von einem Individuum aus Süddalmatien (Neum na More, ZFMK-Beleg), bekannt, erscheint primär völlig zeichnungslos und weist auf beigem Grunde 4 verwaschene braune Längslinien auf (Böhme, unpubl.).

in english language: another morph, up to now only known by one individual from southern Dalmatia (Neum na More, ZFMK specimen), looks nearly without markings. On a ligth brown basic colour there are 4 obscure brown lines.

So another specimen from this morph!

Mario

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Very interesting! In fact, I have seen a picture from a somewhat similar animal from Crete once, but I cannot remember where I put it... Ilias also saw it, if I remember well.

[Ilias Strachinis]

Yes I was the one who send it to you. I suggested then it was a situla, but now I'm thinking maybe it was an obsoletus.
The in situ photo is very strange for a situla.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Remember this one too? (don't know who is the photographer, so sorry if "stolen" from you...)

weird Zamenis situla

[Ilias Strachinis]

yes i do, and here's the one from Crete (I think photo belongs to Petros Lymberakis):





Have a look to some obsoletus:

black rat snake.jpg (189.76 KiB) Viewed 4501 times

elaobsgr 1.jpg (76.68 KiB) Viewed 4511 times

Elaphe_obsoleta_quadrivittata_June2003Yalaha_1f.jpg (21.21 KiB) Viewed 4512 times

I think this one at Mario's photo is too thick for situla and also the in situ photo on the tree shows a very strange behavior for a situla... How sure we are this is the species? (although the face is so situla like!)

[Francesco Tri]

That was mine, Jeroen!


Incredible exemple, Mario!

I think that he specimen was in pre- exchange, Mario ?

At first I thought Zamenis lineata, but the head did not convince me!

I wonder if Zamenis lineata and Zamenis situla can breed ....?