Provence snake: viperine snake

Physical features

• Length: 50 to 80 cm
• The viperine snake is a small snake.
• Keeled dorsal scales
• Round pupils (like most garter snakes)
• Body sides: series of light spots on flanks
• Ventral side: irregular checkerboard pattern
• 1 row of scales between eye and mouth
• 2 pre-ocular scales
• 2 post-ocular scales
• 3rd and 4th supra-labial scales touch the eye.
• 1 large frontal scale (between the 2 eyes)
• 9 large scales on head (like most garter snakes)
• Tapered tail (like most snakes)
• Triangular head
• Some viperine snakes may have 2 continuous light lines on their backs: they are said to be “lined”. This pattern is called “bilineata”.

Habitat

• It lives :
  • Under stones at the edge of fresh or even brackish water;
  • Groves and woods;
  • Rivers ;
  • Lakes, ponds and puddles;
  • Plains and mountains (up to 1,700 m altitude).

Overview

• The viperine snake is an aquatic snake.
• It can remain in prolonged apnea for long periods (up to 20 minutes underwater).

Diet

• The viperine snake is an outstanding hunter.
• It hunts in water, burrowing under stones and in vegetation.
• It also stalk hunts by lying in wait at the water’s edge.
• It feeds on :
  • Fish ;
  • Young amphibians, tadpoles and larvae;
  • Aquatic invertebrates.

Breeding

• The viperine snake is oviparous: the female lays eggs.
• Mating: March to May
• Egg-laying: July
• Hatching: August and September

• Domain: biota
• Kingdom: animalia
• Phylum: chordata
• Class: reptilia
• Order: squamata
• Family: natricidae
• Genus: natrix
• Species: Natrix maura