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from yellowish to dark brown, with two darker stripes running down the length of the body from neck to tail. It normally also has a dark stripe running from the rear of the eye to the angle of the jaw and sometime subtle, darker markings on the sides. The ventral side is pale, varying from a silvery-grey to whitish, with the occasional dark spot. The eye is dark. The juvenile snakes have lighter and brighter colouration, varying from yellow to light brown, with the characteristic “ladder” pattern picked out in black along the upperside. The pale underside has black markings which sometimes coalesce to cover the whole of the underside. As the snake ages these colours and patterns fade until the simpler adult pattern is left.
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The ladder snake is a medium-sized snake which reaches a maximum total length (including tail) of around 160 cm (63 in) but which averages 120 cm (47 in). It has a pointed snout. As an adult the ladder snake is less variable than many related snake species, the basic colour goes
493:
with an average size of 15 eggs (varies between 4 and 24 eggs) is laid 3–6 weeks after mating. Incubation takes between 5 and 12 weeks. The young measure 20 cm (7.9 in) long as hatchlings. Unusually for snakes, their mother may remain with the newly hatched juveniles for a few days. Males
480:
It is a more mobile snake than many of its relatives and movements of up to 100 m per day have been recorded, while the average home territory of an individual is 4,500 m. Adults may enter barns or similar buildings in search of rodent prey, but they do not normally use such places for shelter and
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is mammals such as mice, rabbits and shrews, making up 75% of prey items with a further quarter being spiders, insects (especially grasshoppers) and a few birds. To prey on birds the ladder snake will climb to search for active nests in trees or on man-made structures. Lizards are also eaten.
477:. Defensive signals include hissing and lunging forward with the mouth open. Any attempt to pick up a ladder snake may be greeted by sharp bites and also the emptying of the cloacal glands, releasing an offensive odour.
422:. Habitats with stones and boulders and low shade are preferred. Although known at altitudes over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), this is a species which prefers altitudes from sea level to 700 metres (2,300 ft).
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Das
Thierreich eingetheilt nach dem Bau der Thiere als Grundlage ihrer Naturgeschichte und der vergleichenden Anatomie von dem Herrn Ritter von Cuvier. Zweiter Band
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and females reach sexual maturity at approximately 5 years of age, when they reach a length of 50 cm (20 in) and 65 cm (26 in), respectively.
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has rated this species as Least
Concern. This is a generally abundant species which is tolerant of a wide range of habitats and has a large geographic range.
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In Iberia ladder snake courtship occurs during May and June, however some females do not breed every year. Copulation lasts around an hour, and a
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The ladder snake enjoys scrub bushy cover, including orchards, vineyards, hedges and overgrown dry-stone walls; it is common in the
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Catalogue of the Snakes in the
British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ.
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London: Trustees of the
British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxi + 382 pp. + Plates I-XX. (
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468:. It is more aggressive and defensive than most of the species formerly classified alongside it in the
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The ladder snake is normally active by day, but during the hottest summer months it may be
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Juvenile ladder snakes prefer small lizards, baby rodents, spiders, and grasshoppers.
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410:. The population on Menorca may stem from an introduction by humans.
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A Field Guide to the
Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe
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Like other “rat snakes”, the majority of the ladder snake’s
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Ministerio de
Agricultura, AlimentaciĂłn y Medio Ambiente
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prefer rodent burrows, piles of stones or hollow trees.
853:
830:
Stuttgart and TĂĽbingen: J.G. Cotta. xvi + 835 pp. (
354:The geographic range of the ladder snake includes
460:. Its behaviour is said to be more like that of
751:Wildsideholidays.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-15.
828:Reptilien, Fische, Weichthiere, RingelwĂĽrmer.
8:
639:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61565A12516902.en
456:, while in the spring months it may be more
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790:. London: Collins. 272 pp. + Plates 1–40.
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834:, new species, p. 123). (in German).
802:, pp. 200–201 + Plate 36 + Map 113).
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400:Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park
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7:
1090:Taxa named by Heinrich Rudolf Schinz
1075:IUCN Red List least concern species
625:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
394:(although the species is found on
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382:, but it is absent from northern
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699:. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
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1085:Reptiles described in 1822
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81:Scientific classification
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596:PĂ©rez-Mellado, Valentin
612:MartĂnez-Solano, Iñigo
386:including much of the
1024:Paleobiology Database
632:: e.T61565A12516902.
588:Pleguezuelos, Juan M.
667:The Reptile Database
464:rather than that of
741:Culebra de escalera
681:Culebra de escalera
498:Conservation status
249:Xenodon michahelles
51:Conservation status
899:Rhinechis_scalaris
855:Rhinechis scalaris
816:, pp. 65–66).
766:Rhinechis scalaris
747:2012-05-16 at the
692:2015-04-19 at the
261:Rhinechis scalaris
18:Rhinechis scalaris
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847:Taxon identifiers
768:Information Sheet
338:. The species is
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350:Distribution
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304:et al., 2012
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291:et al., 1980
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244:Schinz, 1822
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29:
933:iNaturalist
879:Wikispecies
645:15 November
458:crepuscular
426:Description
362:, southern
1069:Categories
569:References
466:rat snakes
462:whipsnakes
396:Ons Island
336:Colubridae
225:Range map
158:Colubridae
144:Suborder:
820:Schinz HR
784:Burton JA
780:Arnold EN
732:Rhinechis
527:in France
454:nocturnal
448:Behaviour
404:Cantabria
398:, in the
176:Species:
148:Serpentes
104:Kingdom:
98:Eukaryota
1042:scalaris
951:10521462
870:Q1860532
864:Wikidata
822:(1822).
808:(1894).
786:(1978).
745:Archived
737:scalaris
690:Archived
659:Species
614:(2009).
485:Breeding
406:and the
388:Pyrenees
380:Provence
374:and the
356:Portugal
254:Schlegel
231:Synonyms
154:Family:
138:Squamata
128:Reptilia
118:Chordata
114:Phylum:
108:Animalia
94:Domain:
71:IUCN 3.1
1080:Zamenis
1052:8056187
977:1081834
925:2453018
510:Gallery
414:Habitat
392:Galicia
372:Menorca
370:, also
340:endemic
331:in the
325:species
323:) is a
210:, 1822)
169:Zamenis
164:Genus:
134:Order:
124:Class:
69: (
1049:uBio:
1029:318123
1003:122933
964:116708
794:
728:Elaphe
523:Young
491:clutch
474:Elaphe
420:maquis
384:Iberia
364:France
344:Europe
333:family
278:, 1854
273:&
271:Bibron
256:, 1837
208:Schinz
1016:81020
990:61565
946:IRMNG
938:73934
912:10759
907:EUNIS
734:]
730:[
470:genus
368:Italy
360:Spain
329:snake
302:Zaher
998:NCBI
985:IUCN
972:ITIS
920:GBIF
792:ISBN
647:2021
630:2009
504:IUCN
502:The
441:prey
435:Diet
378:off
313:The
289:Kahl
959:ISC
894:ADW
798:. (
739:),
665:at
634:doi
402:),
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1039::
1037:RD
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743:.
708:^
687:)"
628:.
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598:;
594:;
590:;
577:^
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300:—
287:—
269:,
265:—
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683:(
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317:(
206:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
