Provence snake: Western whip snake

Physical features

• Total length: 43 to 59 in (110 to 150 cm)
• The Western whip snake is part of the large snakes.
• Its coat has smooth scales.
• Its coat is dark green to black, dotted with yellow spots: yellowish and greenish transverse bars follow one another (in adults).
• Its belly is yellow.
• And like all garter snakes, it has a long, tapering tail.
• On the top of its skull, you can make out dark patterns reminiscent of an African mask.
• The green and yellow snake has round pupils (like garter snakes do).
• It also has :
  • 1 pre-ocular scale
  • 2 post-ocular scales

Habitat

• Hedges ;
• Gardens ;
• Dunes ;
• Plains ;
• Mountains (up to 1,900 m) ;
• Marshes.

The Western whip snake also climbs trees, making it easy to hunt by sight.

Overview

• The Western whip snake is a ground snake.
• It’s a diurnal snake (active during the day).
• The Western whip snake is not a very discreet snake.
• It is particularly thermophilic: it readily lays under the sun to capture its heat.
• It is very fast, reaching speeds of up to 7 miles/h (11 km/h), making it the fastest snake in France (along with the Western Montpellier snake).
• It’s also known as the “whipping snake”, because it whips its tail when it runs away.

Diet

• The Western whip snake hunts by sight.
• It feeds on :
  • Lizards ;
  • Micro-mammals ;
  • Birds; Amphibians;
  • Amphibians;
  • Vipers.

Breeding

• The Western whip snake is oviparous (= it lays eggs).
• Mating takes place in May and June.
• Incubation (of these eggs) lasts around 2 months.

• Domain: biota
• Kingdom: animalia
• Phylum: chordata
• Class: reptilia
• Order: squamata
• Family: colubridae
• Genus: hierophis
• Species: Hierophis viridiflavus