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Aesculapian snake

Aesculapian snake

The longest snake in Slovenia

The aesculapian snake is the largest snake in Slovenia, reaching over two meters in length. This non-venomous reptile is beneficial in gardens, orchards, and vineyards, as it preys on mice and voles.

The aesculapian snake lives all over the world. It can be found almost everywhere in Slovenia, most often in light deciduous forests. It prefers dry areas with plenty of sun, hiding among rocks or the ruins of buildings. It is incredibly agile and climbs well on walls and trees.

Its back is dark brown to almost black, sprinkled with white spots. The belly is white to yellowish. In proportion to its overall size, it has a very small head. There is a light spot behind the head, which is more pronounced in juveniles.

 

 

In Slovenia, the aesculapian snake is a protected species.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Source: Pixabay

Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus)

Size
  • up to 225 cm, on average from 140 to 160 cm
Weight
  • up to 1 kg
Diet
  • small mammals, birds, and their eggs
Habitat

  • throughout Slovenia, in light deciduous forests
   
Kingdom
  • Animalia
Phylum
  • Chordata
Class
  • reptiles
Order
  • Squamata

Suborder
  • snakes
Family
  • Serpentes
Genus
  • Zamenis
Species
  • Aesculapian snake
The Aesculapian snake is the largest snake in Slovenia, reaching over two meters in length. This non-venomous reptile is beneficial in gardens, orchards, and vineyards, as it preys on mice and voles.

It feeds on small mammals, birds, and their eggs. Those who are not afraid of it do not chase it away from their gardens, orchards, and vineyards, as it consumes a large number of mice, voles, and other pests. It kills its prey by wrapping around it, squeezing, and suffocating it.

Aesculapian snakes spend the winter in groups. In the fall, they migrate to their winter quarters, where they hibernate and come out again only in spring. Soon after they wake up, they start to moult and reproduce. They mate in May or June. The female can lay more than 20 eggs in cracks in the ground or under bushes. The young hatch after six to eight weeks. 

 

The aesculapian snake is a non-venomous snake that may bite when scared. The bite is not poisonous, but it can be painful.

DO YOU KNOW?

  1. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, the snake represented a beneficial creature. They revered it as a human- friendly deity and dedicated it to Asclepius, the god of healing. The Romans especially honored the aesculapian snake, which is why it is still depicted in many places as a symbol of physicians and pharmacists.