#1597 · 🦎 reptiles

East-Four-lined Ratsnake

🇳🇱 Gevlekte Rattenslang ·Elaphe sauromates

LCleast concern 🦎 Reptiles 📍 in Europe, not in NL

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Roman · CC BY 4.0
2. © Aleksandr Popov / Александр Попов · CC BY-NC 4.0
3. © Roman · CC BY 4.0
4. © Roman · CC BY 4.0
5. Дніпровський район, Дніпропетровська область, Україна:© Sergii Markov · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. 6247 Markovo, Bulgaria:© SteveM4560 · CC BY 4.0
7. Ulus, 34537 Büyükçekmece/İstanbul, Türkiye:© coramane · CC BY-NC 4.0
8. Мангистауский район, Казахстан:© Pavel Gorbunov · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. Vitovskyi raion, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine:© Roman · CC BY 4.0
10. Muynak District, Republic of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan:© Shakhzod Dekhkonov · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

The Blotched snake ( Elaphe sauromates ), a member of the Colubrinae subfamily of the family Colubridae, is a nonvenomous snake found in Eastern Europe. It grows up to 260 cm (8' 6") in length but the medium is 120 to 160 cm. It is one of the largest European snakes. The species has been of cultural and historical significance for its role in ancient Greek and Roman mythology and derived symbolism.

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 556iNaturalist observations
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
556 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811 (215 years ago).