DISSEMINATION
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DISSEMINATION |
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| Kingdom | Animalia |
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| Phylum | Chordata | |
| Class | Reptilia | |
| Order | Squamata | |
| Family | Colubridae | |
| Genus | Coluber | |
| Species | viridiflavus | |
| Classification | Lacépède, 1789 | |
| Common name | dark green snake | |
| Size | 100- 160 centimeters |
| Geographic Range | it is found in the Pyrenees, central and southern France, southern Switzerland, Italy (including Sicily, Sardinia and other little islands) and in north-western Yugoslavia. |
| Physical Characteristics | small head, smooth scales, big eyes with a rounded pupil. Most of the body is greenish-yellow but it is covered with black - green pigmentation, which becomes thicker on the upper part of the body. Adults are usually completely black, while young are light yellow or olive green and they acquire the adults' colour at around 4 years of age. Their head is covered with big scales. |
| Behaviour | it is agile, fast and when it is caught it becomes very aggressive and bites ferociously even if it is not poisonous. It is a good climber. It is active most of all during the day and in the period which goes from the end of March to October. Between September and April it hibernates and takes shelter in dens built inside the ground or in empty buildings. |
| Habitat | wood borders, open woods, bushes, ruins, gardens, damp lawns, banks of water courses. |
| Food habits | lizards, small mammals, birds, snakes, frogs. |
| Reproduction | between June and July it may lay from 5 to 35 eggs which will hatch in August in ground holes or in low walls hollows. |
| Status in the lagoon | it is found in the fishfarms (Grassabò, Lio Maggiore, Perini, Serraglia, Averto, Contarina, Cornio Alto, Figheri, Pierimpié, Ghebo Storto, Morosina), in Bosco Nordio, on Saint Nicolo's dunes, in the Cassa di colmata "A" ("A" reclaimed areas), in Alberoni's littoral and on dunes. |
| Sources | |
| References | Web Museo dell'Ittiofauna Europea Comunità Montana Alta Valle Scrivia Guida alla natura nella Laguna di Venezia - di Giampaolo Rallo - Franco Muzzio editore Le Aree Umide della Toscana Settentrionale |
| Web References | http://www.ittiofauna.org http://www.altavallescrivia.it/index.html http://www.zoneumidetoscane.it/ |
| Source of the photo | http://faculty.washington.edu/uetz/herp/photos/ |
Coluber viridiflavus
