Green Whip Snake

About the Green Whip Snake

The green whip snake or western whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. This species is present in Andorra, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and possibly Luxembourg.

Currently two subspecies are distinguished, a melanic (H. v. carbonarius) and a striped form (H. v. viridiflavus). The melanic form occurs in the eastern part of the range and the striped in the western part, with a contact zone throughout most of northern Italy.

Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas. The green whip snake is a slender species with a small but well-defined head, prominent eyes with circular pupils, and smooth scales. The background colour is greenish-yellow but this is mostly obscured by heavy, somewhat irregular bands of dark green or black, particularly in the front half of the snake. The underparts are grey or yellowish and the tail has narrow longitudinal stripes. The young are a greyish colour and develop their full adult... Wikipedia →