You are here » home advanced search search results Zamenis scalaris

Zamenis scalaris (SCHINZ, 1822)

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Zamenis scalaris?

Add your own observation of
Zamenis scalaris »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Ladder Snakes
G: Treppennatter
D: Trapslang 
SynonymColuber scalaris SCHINZ 1822: 123
Rhinechis agassizii
Xenodon Michahelles SCHLEGEL 1837: 92 (fide DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854)
Rhinechis scalaris — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 227
Coluber scalaris — BOULENGER 1894: 65
Coluber scalaris — BOULENGER 1913
Elaphe scalaris — KAHL et al. 1980: 227
Elaphe scalaris — ENGELMANN et al 1993
Elaphe scalaris — SCHULZ 1996: 229
Rhinechis scalaris — HELFENBERGER 2001
Rhinechis scalaris — UTIGER et al. 2002
Rhinechis scalaris — AGUILAR 2005
Rhinechis scalaris — VENCHI & SINDACO 2006
Rhinechis scalaris — GRUBER 2009
Rhinechis scalaris — PYRON et al. 2011
Zamenis scalaris — ZAHER et al. 2012
Rhinechis scalaris — SINDACO et al. 2013: 135
Rhinechis scalaris — KWET & TRAPP 2015
Zamenis scalaris — WALLACH et al. 2014: 809
Zamenis scalaris — FIGUEROA et al. 2016
Rhinechis scalaris — DIECKMANN 2018
Zamenis scalaris — SALVI et al. 2018
Zamenis scalaris — SPEYBROECK et al. 2020 
DistributionSpain (except for the North, introduced to Menorca, Ibiza), Portugal, Gibraltar, S France

Type locality: S France (Schinz, 1822)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesType: nondesignated, location unknown (fide V. Wallach, pers. comm.) 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): The only external feature that differentiated the genera Rhinechis and Zamenis is the rostral shield (Boulenger, 1894; Venchi & Sindaco, 2006). In R. scalaris the rostral shield forms an acute angle posteriorly, clearly pointing behind and wedged between the internasal scales, which represents a unique trait in ratsnakes (Boulenger, 1894, Salvi et al. 2018).


Additional details (1808 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentDistribution: Might occur in Morocco (fide JOGER 1983). Listed as questionable for Italy by Geniez 2018 (only ONE specimen found in Liguria, possibly introduced from France? [E. RAZZETTI, pers. comm.]). For a map see Sindaco et al. 2013.

Type species: Rhinechis agassizii (= Rhinechis scalaris) is the type species of the genus Rhinechis MICHAHELLES in WAGLER 1833.

Synonymy: Rhinechis is nested within Zamenis in several studies (reviewed by Salvi et al. 2018) including Zaher et al. 2012 (Appendix S1) who do not recommend any taxonomic changes. WALLACH et al. 2014: 809 synonymized Rhinechis with Zamenis. However, with an extended dataset Salvi et al. 2018 found Rhinechis and Zamenis to be monophyletic each.

Behavior: Geniez (2018) says that the snake is “quite lethargic” but some reports found the species to be rather aggressive (e.g. R. Leye, pers. comm., 21 Jan 2021). 
EtymologyNamed after Latin scalaris, of or belonging to a flight of steps or a ladder, in reference to the ladder-like dorsal pattern. 
References
  • Aguilar, F. 2005. Rhinechis scalaris - Ladder Snake. Reptilia (GB) (40): 43-46 - get paper here
  • BARBADILLO, L.J. 1983. About the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the province of Burgos. Goal. I am. Cat. Ictio. Herp. 5-10-10-7 - get paper here
  • Bonny, Klaus 1998. Elaphe scalaris (Schinz, 1822) - Haltung und Vermehrung der Treppennatter im Terrarium. Elaphe 6 (4): 13-16
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1913. The snakes of Europe. Methusen & Co. Ltd, London, 151 pp.
  • Boulenger, George A. 1894. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. British Mus. (Nat. Hist.), London, xi, 382 pp. - get paper here
  • CASTRO-EXPÓSITO, ARANCHA DE; ENRIQUE GARCÍA-MUÑOZ & FRANCISCO GUERRERO. 2021. Reptile diversity in a Mediterranean wetlands landscape (Alto Guadalquivir region, southeastern Spain): are they affected by human impacts? Acta Herpetologica 16(1): 27–36. - get paper here
  • Cheylan,M. & Guillaume,C.P. 1993. Elaphe scalaris - Treppennatter. In: Böhme,W. (ed.), Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas, Band 3/I., Schlangen (Serpentes) I. Aula-Verlag Wiesbaden, pp. 397-430
  • Cortés, J.E. 1982. The herpetofauna of Gibraltar - status, recent history and current research. British Journal of Herpetology 6: 273-275 - get paper here
  • DI NICOLA, MATTEO RICCARDO 2019. A revised dichotomous key to the snakes of Italy (Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes), according to recent systematic updates. Zootaxa 4686 (2): 294–296 - get paper here
  • Dieckmann, Martin 2018. Das südliche Frankreich und seine Herpetofauna. Terraria-Elaphe 2018 (2): 14-28 - get paper here
  • Engelmann, W.E. et al. 1993. Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas. Neumann Verlag (Radebeul, Germany), 440 pp.
  • Febrer-Serra, M. M., Lassnig, M. N., Colomar, M. V., & Gomila, A. S. 2021. Tail breakage and predatory pressure upon two invasive snakes (Serpentes: Colubridae) at two islands in the Western Mediterranean. Canadian Journal of Zoology - get paper here
  • Feriche, M≤nica;Pleguezuelos, Juan M.;Cerro, Angeles 1993. Sexual dimorphism and sexing of mediterranean colubrids based on external characteristics. Journal of Herpetology 27 (4): 357-362 - get paper here
  • Fernández-Ortín, Daniel; Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Íñigo Martínez-Solano 2019. A catalogue of reptiles of Monfragüe National Park (Spain), with molecular characterization of populations of Blanus WAGLER, 1830 in this protected area. Basic and Applied Herpetology - get paper here
  • Figueroa A, McKelvy AD, Grismer LL, Bell CD, Lailvaux SP 2016. A Species-Level Phylogeny of Extant Snakes with Description of a New Colubrid Subfamily and Genus. PLoS One 11 (9): e0161070.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161070 - get paper here
  • Geniez, Philippe 2018. Snakes of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Princeton University Press, 384 pp. - get paper here
  • Glandt, Dieter;Schlüpmann, Martin;Thiesmeier, Burkhard 1998. Herpetologische Beobachtungen in der Algarve, Südportugal. Zeitschrift für Feldherpetologie 5: 181-208 - get paper here
  • Gruber, U. 2009. Die Schlangen Europas, 2. Aufl. Kosmos Naturführer, 266 pp.
  • GUERRERO-CASADO, JOSÉ; ANTONIO CARPIO, MARTA CANÓS-BURGUETE, MIZAR TORRIJO-SALESA & FRANCISCO S. TORTOSA. 2022. The modernization of traditional vineyards into intensive trellis systems reduces the species richness and abundance of reptiles. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 20(2): e0302. - get paper here
  • Helfenberger, Notker 2001. Phylogenetic relationship of Old World Ratsnakes based on visceral organ topography, osteology, and allozyme variation. Russ. J. Herpetol. (Suppl.): 1-56 - get paper here
  • Joger U 1983. Book Review: Welch, Herpetology of Africa, Krieger 1982. Salamandra 19 (1-2): 102-104 - get paper here
  • Kahl B, Gaupp P & Schmidt G 1980. Das Terrarium. Falken Verlag, Niederhausen (Germany), 336 pp.
  • Kreiner, G. 2009. Die Schlangen Nordspaniens - Reiseeindrücke aus dem Kantabrischen Gebirge und angrenzenden Gebieten. Draco 10 (39): 38-48 - get paper here
  • Kwet, A. 2010. Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Kosmos-Verlag, Stuttgart, 252 pp.
  • Kwet, Axel & Benny Trapp 2014. Liste der Reptilien Europas. Draco 15 (60): 72-79 - get paper here
  • Lantermann, Werner & Yvonne Lantermann 2015. Reptilien- und Amphibienfauna der Quinta do Barranco da Estrada im portugiesischen Alentejo – ein Reisebericht. Terraria-Elaphe 2015 (3): 44-48 - get paper here
  • Lenk, P.; Joger, U. & Wink, M. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships among European ratsnakes of the genus Elaphe Fitzinger based on mitochondrial DNA sequence comparisons. Amphibia-Reptilia 22 (3): 329-339 - get paper here
  • Malkmus, R. 1982. Beitrag zur Verbreitung der Amphibien und Reptilien in Portugal. Salamandra 18 (3-4): 218-299 - get paper here
  • Malkmus, R. 1990. Herpetofaunistische Daten aus Nordostportugal. Salamandra 26 (2-3): 165-176 - get paper here
  • Malkmus, R. 1995. Die Amphibien und Reptilien Portugals, Madeiras und der Azoren. Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei, Bd. 621. Westarp Wissenschaften (Magdeburg)/Spektrum Akademischer Verlag (Heidelberg)
  • Malkmus, R. 2011. Talsperrenmarathon in Portugals Norden. Elaphe 19 (3): 38-43
  • Martinez-Freiria, Fernando; Marcial Lorenzo and Miguel Lizana 2019. Zamenis scalaris prefers abandoned citrus orchards in Eastern Spain. Ecological insights from a radio-tracking survey. Amphibia-Reptilia 40 (1): 113-119 - get paper here
  • Moura, M.R., Costa, H.C., Abegg, A.D., Alaminos, E., Angarita-Sierra, T., Azevedo, W.S., Cabral, H., Carvalho, P., Cechin, S., Citeli, N., Dourado, A.C.M., Duarte, A.F.V., França, F.G.R., Freire, E.M.X., Garcia, P.C.A., Mol, R., Montero, R., Moraes-d 2022. Unwrapping broken tails: Biological and environmental correlates of predation pressure in limbless reptiles. Journal of Animal Ecology. 92(2):324–337 - get paper here
  • Naulleau, G. 1987. Les serpents de France, 2.ed. Rev. Francaise d'Aquariologie, Herpet. (Nancy) 56 pp. - get paper here
  • Nulchis, V., M. Biaggini, M., Carretero, M.A. & Harris, D.J. 2008. Unexpectedly low mitochondrial DNA variation within the ladder snake Rhinechis scalaris. North-Western Journal of Zoology 4 (1): 019-124 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Pfau, J. 1988. Beitrag zur Verbreitung der Herpetofauna in der Niederalgarve (Portugal). Salamandra 24 (4): 258-275 - get paper here
  • Picó, G.; M.J. Fernández, J.E. Moreno and V. Colomar. 2019. Control of the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris) on Formentera using experimental live-traps. In: Veitch et al., eds. Island invasives, IUCN, pp. 332-336
  • Pinya, Samuel and Miguel A. Carretero. 2011. The Balearic herpetofauna: a species update and review on the evidence. Acta Herpetologica 6 (1): 59-80 - get paper here
  • Pleguezuelos, Juan M.; Feriche, Mónica 2006. Reproductive ecology of a Mediterranean ratsnake, the ladder snake Rhinechis scalaris (Schinz, 1822). The Herpetological Journal 16: 177-182 - get paper here
  • Pleguezuelos, Juan M.; Mónica Feriche, Senda Reguero, Xavier Santos 2010. Patterns of tail breakage in the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris) reflect differential predation pressure according to body size. Zoology 113 (5): 269-274 - get paper here
  • Salvi D, Mendes J, Carranza S, Harris DJ. 2018. Evolution, biogeography and systematics of the western Palaearctic Zamenis ratsnakes. Zoologica Scripta 47 (4): 441-461 - get paper here
  • SANTOS, B. S., MARQUES, M. P., & CERÍACO, L. M. 2024. Lack of country-wide systematic herpetology collections in Portugal jeopardizes future research and conservation. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 96, e20230622 - get paper here
  • Santos, X., Pleguezuelos, J. M., Chergui, B., Geniez, P., & Cheylan, M. 2022. Citizen-science data shows long-term decline of snakes in southwestern Europe. Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-17 - get paper here
  • Schinz, H. R. 1822. Das Thierreich eingetheilt nach dem Bau der Thiere als Grundlage ihrer Naturgeschichte und der vergleichenden Anatomie von dem Herrn Ritter von Cuvier. Vol. 2. J. G. Cotta, Stuttgart. - get paper here
  • Schlegel, H. 1837. Essai sur la physionomie des serpens. Partie Descriptive. La Haye (J. Kips, J. HZ. et W. P. van Stockum), 606 S. + xvi - get paper here
  • Schlüter, U. 2009. Die Schlangenfauna Europas. Draco 10 (39): 4-21 - get paper here
  • Schlüter, U. 2012. The Rock. Die Herpetofauna Gibraltars. Reptilia (Münster) 17 (94): 93-101 - get paper here
  • Schulz, K. D. 1996. Eine Monographie der Schlangengattung Elaphe Fitzinger. Bushmaster, Berg (CH): 1-460
  • Schulz, Klaus-Dieter 1996. A monograph of the colubrid snakes of the genus Elaphe Fitzinger. Koeltz Scientific Books, 439 pp.
  • Silva-Rocha I, Salvi D, Sillero N, Mateo JA, Carretero MA 2015. Snakes on the Balearic Islands: An Invasion Tale with Implications for Native Biodiversity Conservation. PLoS One 10 (4): e0121026. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121026 - get paper here
  • Sindaco, R.; Alberto Venchi & Cristina Grieco 2013. The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic, Volume 2: Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Snakes of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia, with an Update to Volume 1. Edizioni Belvedere, Latina (Italy), 543 pp. - get paper here
  • Speybroeck, Jeroen; Wouter Beukema, Christophe Dufresnes, Uwe Fritz, Daniel Jablonski, Petros Lymberakis, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Edoardo Razzetti, Melita Vamberger, Miguel Vences, Judit Vörös0, Pierre-André Crochet 2020. Species list of the European herpetofauna – 2020 update by the Taxonomic Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica.. Amphibia-Reptilia 41: 139-189 - get paper here
  • Stevens, Kevin 1995. The European ratsnakes of the genus Elaphe. British Herpetological Society Bulletin (54): 10-20
  • Trutnau, L. 1975. Europäische Amphibien und Reptilien. Belser Verlag, Stuttgart 212 pp.
  • Utiger, Urs, Notker Helfenberger, Beat Schätti, Catherine Schmidt, Markus Ruf and Vincent Ziswiler 2002. Molecular systematics and phylogeny of Old World and New World ratsnakes, Elaphe Auct., and related genera (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). Russ. J. Herpetol. 9 (2): 105-124. - get paper here
  • Venchi, Alberto and Roberto Sindaco 2006. Annotated checklist of the reptiles of the Mediterranean countries, with keys to species identification. Part 2 -Snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes). Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale "G. Doria", Genova, XCVIII: 259-364
  • Wagler, J. 1833. Descriptiones et icones amphibiorum. Vol. 3. J. G. Cotttae, Stuttgartiae, Monachii et Tubingiae, xxv-xxxvi pp. - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Warnke, Lars W 2017. Eine Schlange mit Charakter: Haltung und Nachzucht der Treppennatter (Rhinechis scalaris). Terraria-Elaphe 2017 (6): 24-30 - get paper here
  • Zaher, Hussam; Felipe g. Grazziotin, Roberta Graboski, ricardo g. fuentes Paola sáncheZ-martineZ giovanna g. montingelli ya-Ping Zhang, robert W. murPhy 2012. Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sibynophis (Serpentes: Colubroidea). Pap. Avuls. Zool. 52 (12): 141-149 - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:

As link to this species use URL address:

https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Zamenis&species=scalaris

without field 'search_param'. Field 'search_param' is used for browsing search result.



Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator