PREFACE

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George Albert Boulenger

There is no work in the English language dealing with the Reptiles of Europe. I have therefore endeavoured to supply this desideratum, so far as the Snakes are concerned, by drawing up in a concise form an account of what is known of their characters, their distribution, and their life-histories. Professor Sordelli, of Milan, having kindly acceded to my request to reproduce some of the beautiful figures drawn by him for the work published in collaboration with the late Professor Jan under the title of “Iconographie GÉnÉrale des Ophidiens,” I have been able to supplement my descriptions with illustrations which leave nothing to be desired from the point of view of accuracy. A few drawings have been made specially for this book by Mr. J. Green. I have further to acknowledge the permission given by the Trustees of the British Museum, the India Office, and the Zoological Society, to reproduce a few figures from previous publications of which I am the author.

In order to render this little book more useful, the account of the Snakes of Europe has been preceded by an Introduction summarizing what is known of Snakes generally.

I have purposely avoided overburdening a work of this kind, which aims at concision, with bibliographical references and synonymic lists. I am sure my readers will be thankful for being spared this display of erudition. Whenever I have had to compile, and to trespass on ground that is not my own, I have been careful to draw only from the writings of the most trustworthy authorities. The descriptions of the species are based on the collection in the British Museum, which has been considerably increased since the publication of the Catalogue of Snakes (1893-1896). I have also had access to Monsieur F. Lataste’s rich private collection, now under my care, and Dr. R. Gestro has kindly entrusted to me for study the collection of Italian Snakes in the Genoa Museum. I am indebted to Dr. L. W. Sambon for the chapter on Parasites, which he has written at my request.

To all who have helped me I beg to tender my hearty thanks.

G. A. B.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER PAGE
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. Coelopeltis 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
PLATE FACING 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. Coelopeltis 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
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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