CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTERPAGE
I.Definition and Classification[1]
II.External Characters—Integument[8]
III.Coloration[29]
IV.Skeleton[40]
V.Dentition[53]
VI.Poison Apparatus—Different Kinds of Poisons[62]
VII.Nervous System-Sense Organs[73]
VIII.Viscera[77]
IX.Organs of Reproduction; Pairing; Oviposition; Development[82]
X.Habits[91]
XI.Parasites[107]
XII.Distribution[118]
XIII.Snakes in Relation to Man[133]
SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SNAKES
OF EUROPE
First Family: TYPHLOPIDÆ
Genus TYPHLOPS, Schneider[144]
1.Typhlops vermicularis, Merrem—The Greek Blind-Snake[144]
Second Family: BOIDÆ
Genus ERYX, Daudin[147]
2.Eryx jaculus, Linnæus—The Javelin Sand-Boa[147]
Third Family: COLUBRIDÆ
Genus TROPIDONOTUS, Kuhl[152]
3.Tropidonotus natrix, Linnæus—The Grass-Snake,
or Ring-Snake[152]
4.Tropidonotus tessellatus, Laurenti—The Tessellated
Water-Snake[160]
5.Tropidonotus viperinus, Latreille—The Viperine
Water-Snake[165]
Genus ZAMENIS, Wagler[170]
6.Zamenis gemonensis, Laurenti—The European Whip-Snake[170]
7.Zamenis dahlii, Fitzinger—Dahl’s Whip-Snake[177]
8.Zamenis hippocrepis, Linnæus—The Horseshoe Whip-Snake[179]
Genus COLUBER, Linnæus[181]
9.Coluber quatuorlineatus, Lacepède—Aldrovandi’s Snake[182]
10.Coluber dione, Pallas—The Dione Snake[185]
11.Coluber longissimus, Laurenti—The Æsculapian Snake[187]
12.Coluber leopardinus, Bonaparte—The Leopard Snake[191]
13.Coluber scalaris, Schinz—The Ladder Snake[194]
Genus CORONELLA, Laurenti[196]
14.Coronella austriaca, Laurenti—The Smooth Snake[197]
15.Coronella girondica, Daudin—The Southern Smooth Snake[202]
Genus CONTIA, Baird and Girard[205]
16.Contia modesta, Martin—The Dwarf Snake[205]
Genus CŒLOPELTIS, Wagler[207]
17.Cœlopeltis monspessulana, Hermann—The Montpellier Snake[208]
Genus MACROPROTODON, Guichenot[212]
18.Macroprotodon cucullatus, I. Geoffroy—The False
Smooth Snake[213]
Genus TARBOPHIS, Fleischmann[216]
19.Tarbophis fallax, Fleischmann—The Cat-Snake[217]
20.Tarbophis iberus, Eichwald—The Caucasian Cat-Snake[219]
Fourth Family: VIPERIDÆ
Genus VIPERA, Laurenti[221]
21.Vipera ursinii, Bonaparte—Orsini’s Viper[221]
22.Vipera renardi, Christoph—Renard’s Viper[227]
23.Vipera berus, Linnæus—The Northern Viper, or Adder[230]
24.Vipera aspis, Linnæus—The Asp Viper[239]
25.Vipera latastii, Bosca—Lataste’s Viper[247]
26.Vipera ammodytes, Linnæus—The Sand-Viper, or
Long-Nosed Viper[249]
27.Vipera lebetina, Linnæus—The Blunt-Nosed Viper, or Kufi[257]
Genus ANCISTRODON, Palisot de Beauvois[261]
28.Ancistrodon halys, Pallas—Pallas’s Pit-Viper[262]
Index[265]

LIST OF PLATES

PLATEFACING PAGE
I.Typhlops vermicularis, Eryx jaculus[144]
II.Tropidonotus natrix and Vars. cettii and persa[152]
III.Tropidonotus tessellatus, T. viperinus and
var. aurolineatus[160]
IV.Zamenis gemonensis and vars. persica and
viridiflavus[170]
V.Zamenis gemonensis, var. caspius, Z. dahlii,
Z. hippocrepis[176]
VI.Coluber quatuorlineatus and var. sauromates,
C. dione[182]
VII.Coluber longissimus, C. leopardinus and
var. quadrilineatus[188]
VIII.Coluber scalaris[194]
IX.Coronella austriaca[196]
X.Coronella girondica, Contia modesta[202]
XI.Cœlopeltis monspessulana, Macroprotodon
cucullatus, Tarbophis iberus, T. fallax[208]
XII.Vipera ursinii, V. renardi, V. berus[220]
XIII.Vipera aspis, V. latastii[240]
XIV.Vipera lebetina, V. ammodytes, Ancistrodon halys[250]

THE SNAKES OF EUROPE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I
DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION

Snakes, Ophidia—regarded by some authorities as an order of the class Reptilia, by the author as a sub-order of the order Squamata, which includes besides the Lizards, Lacertilia, the Chameleons, Rhiptoglossa, and the extinct Dolichosauria and Mosasauria—may be defined as greatly elongate scaly Reptiles without limbs, or with mere vestiges of the hind pair, without movable eyelids, without ear-opening, with elongate, deeply forked tongue retractile into a basal sheath, with transverse vent and paired copulatory organs, and with the two halves of the lower jaw independently movable, connected at the symphysis by an elastic ligament.

The latter character alone distinguishes them from all Lizards, but no single Lizard possesses all the others in combination.