Southern smooth snake: illustrated description
Physical features
- Length: between 50 and 80 cm. It’s part of the small snakes (less than a 1-meter long).
- A slender snake;
- Some Southern smooth snakes have salmon-colored sides;
- Metallic gray coat scales;
- Round pupils;
- One pre-ocular scale;
- Two post-ocular scales;
- Lateral eye band at the corner of the mouth;
- Ventral scales in black checkerboard pattern on plain background (yellow, orange, red).
Habitat
- Old walls ;
- Rockery ;
- Dry areas;
- Plains ;
- Mountains (up to 1,200 m).
Overview
- The Southern smooth snake is a ground snake.
- It’s a very common snake (in Provence);
- It is active from March to October;
- However, it is discreet and difficult to observe, as it is active at night;
- During the day, it likes to hide (under stones, for example);
Diet
- It hunts and feeds mainly on lizards, but also on snakes, seps, orvets, birds, small mammals and insects.
Breeding
- Breeding takes place from May to June;
- The Southern smooth snake is oviparous;
- Its youngs are born in September.
What is the origin of the word “coronella”?
“Coronella” comes from the name of the nymph Coronis. And “coronis” has the (Greek) root “koronis” meaning crow. Indeed, Athena turned her into a crow to escape Poseidon, who had fallen in love with her.
The nymph Coronis wore a snake as a crown on her head.
She had a child with Apollo, son of Zeus, named Asclepius.
Asclepius was struck by lightning by Zeus and transformed into the constellation of the serpent.
Asclepius, or Aesculapius, god of medicine, is the one who carries the famous staff around which a snake is wrapped: the Rod of Asclepius.
South smooth snake and smooth snake: how to tell them apart?
Here is a table showing the main differences between the Southern smooth snake and the smooth snake:
Southern smooth snake
- It is larger than the smooth snake;
- Two-tone black checkerboard pattern on ventral side;
- Rounded, “low” rostral scale (= not rising to the top of the snout);
- 4th and 5th supralabial scales touch the eye;
- Active at night.
Smooth snake
- It is smaller than the Southern smooth snake;
- Unpatterned ventral scales;
- Rounded rostral scale, “high-pointed” (= rising to the top of the snout);
- 3rd and 4th supralabial scales touch the eye;
- Active during the day.
Southern smooth snake: scientific classification
- Domain: biota
- Kingdom: animalia
- Phylum: chordata
- Class: reptilia
- Order: squamata
- Family: colubridae
- Genus: coronella
- Species: Coronella girondica
Sources:
- Webinar hosted by Nicolas FUENTO, who is an LPO wildlife officer & herpetologist (Western Provence) on October 1st 2024.
- Serpentsdefrance.fr where this list of the 10 Provence snakes comes from.
- "Serpents & autres reptiles" published by Komet (book in French)
- "Sur la piste des reptiles & des amphibiens" published by Dunod (book in French)
- "Mes Guides Nature : Reptiles & amphibiens" published by Milan Jeunesse (book in French)
- "Mon amie, la couleuvre", DVD published by Salamandre