COLUBER 



187 



In Europe the 

 to the steppes 

 Caucasus and 

 figured on Plate 

 Habits. — This 

 ities, and is only 

 Nothing more is 



habitat of this snake is restricted 

 of Southern Russia, between the 

 the Lower Ural. The specimen 

 VI. is from Sarepta, on the Volga, 

 snake frequents arid, sandy local- 

 exceptionally found in small woods, 

 known of its habits. 



n. Coluber longissimus, Laurenti 

 {Coluber cesculapii, Lacepede ; C. flavescens, Gmelin) 



The yEsculapian Snake 



Form. — Slender. Snout obtuse, scarcely promi- 

 nent ; head narrow. Tail about one-fifth to one- 

 fourth of the total length. 



Head-Shields. — Rostral broader than deep, just 

 visible from above. Frontal once and one-fourth 

 to once and 

 one-third as 

 long as broad, 

 as long as its 

 distance from 

 the rostral or 

 the end of the 

 snout, shorter 

 than the par- 

 ietals. Loreal 



as long as deep or longer than deep, 

 two postoculars. Temporals 2 + 3. 



Fig. 24 



One pre- and 

 Upper labials 



