| Italian Aesculapian Snake | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Zamenis |
| Species: | Z. lineatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Zamenis lineatus (Suckow, 1798) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Italian Aesculapian Snake (Zamenis lineatus) is a species of snake in the Colubridae family.
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It is endemic to southern Italy and Sicily. The northern limit of its geographical range is the Province of Caserta in the west and the Province of Foggia in the east. It is absent from the Salentine Peninsula (Salento), which is the "heel" of the "boot" of Italy.
It is a medium to large snake that reaches a maximum length of 2 m (6½ feet). It is yellowish brown and may have four dark brown stripes. If present, the stripes are of equal width and equidistant. The dorsal scales are smooth. The iris of the eye is red, giving it the common name in Italian of saettone occhirossi (red-eyed racer).
Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, and urban areas.
It feeds on lizards, small mammals, and eggs.