European ratsnake
The European ratsnake or leopard snake, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to Europe, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus.Z. situla is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Malta, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey, Ukraine, and possibly Cyprus.Description
The leopard snake is gray or tan with a dorsal series of reddish or brown transverse blotches, which have black borders. On each side is a series of smaller black spots, alternating with the dorsal blotches. There is a Y-shaped dark marking on the occiput and nape, a crescent-shaped black band from eye to eye across the prefrontals, and a black band from the postoculars diagonally to the corner of the mouth. The belly is white, checkered with black, or almost entirely back. The dorsal scales are in 25 or 27 rows, and are smooth. Adults may attain in total length, with a tail of.Habitat
Natural habitats of the European ratsnake are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, pastureland, plantations, and rural gardens.
