Four-lined Snake
Four-lined Snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata Lacépède, 1789) is a snake of the family Colubridae. It is the longest Italian snake and one of the longest in Europe. Its length goes from 80 to 240 cm, even if it rarely exceed 160. It is brown-yellowish coloured with four dark longitudinal strips. It is present in the peninsular Italy, in Toscany, in Calabria and in Campania. This species seem to be very rare and localized. It has been located in two place in the Monti Lattari: near to Agerola and in the Valle delle Ferriere Natural Reserve (Amalfi). Here this snake finds a perfect habitat thanks to the peculiar vegetation of the reserve.
This species can be threatened by the destruction of the maquis, the increasing of the boar’s population (which feed on snake’s eggs) and the killing from humans due to fear.
Four-lined Snake is decreasing in number. It is protected by the Berne’s agreement, while the WWF’s red book consider it at low risk.
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Notes
“Monitoraggio del patrimonio di biodiversità. Analisi per la gestione delle risorse ambientali per la conservazione della biodiversità” , Agriconsulting per il Parco Regionale dei Monti Lattari