Reptiles
Four-lined Snake
Elaphe quatuorlineata · also called cervone
On a sun-baked stone wall in southern Italy, a four-lined snake lies stretched along the top, its dark stripes running the length of a body as thick as a man’s wrist.
Overview
The four-lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, is a Near Threatened constrictor of dry scrub, open woodland, and rocky ground from Italy and the Balkans east through Greece and Turkey. Its size, stripes, and role in an Italian snake procession make it one of the best-known non-venomous snakes of southern Europe.
A snake in a procession
Every spring, villagers in Cocullo carry a statue draped with live snakes through the streets, and the four-lined snake is among the species used.
Status
Near Threatened, with a declining population.
Four-lined Snake: common questions
Why is it called the four-lined snake?
It is named for the four dark stripes that run along the back of an adult, which are absent in the blotched young.
Is the four-lined snake venomous?
No, it is a non-venomous constrictor that kills its prey by wrapping coils around it and squeezing.
What is the Cocullo procession?
It is an annual religious procession in the Italian village of Cocullo in which a statue of a saint is draped in live snakes, including this species.
Where is the four-lined snake found?
It lives in dry scrub, open woodland, and rocky ground from Italy and the Balkans east through Greece and Turkey.