The ladder
snake (Rhinechis scalaris) is a species of snake in the Colubridae family which is found in south western Europe.
This is a snake of scrub bushy cover, including orchards, vineyards, hedges and overgrown dry-stone walls and is common in the maquis. Habitats with stones and boulders and low shade are preferred. Although known from altitudes up to over 2,000m, this is a species which prefers altitudes from sea level to 700m.
The Ladder
Snake is a medium-sized snake which reaches a maximum length of around 160cm but which averages 120cm.It has a pointed snout. As an adult the Ladder Snake is less variable than many related snake species, the basic colour goes from yellowish to dark brown, with two of darker stripes running down the length of the body from neck to tail.
It normally also has a dark stripe running from the rear of the eye to the angle of the jaw and sometime subtle, darker markings on the sides. The ventral side is pale, varying from a silvery-grey to whitish, with the occasional dark spot. The eye is dark.
The juvenile
snakes have lighter and brighter colouration, varying from yellow to light brown, with the characteristic “ladder” pattern picked out in black along the upperside. The pale underside has black markings which sometimes coalesce to cover the whole of the underside. As the snake ages these colours and patterns fade until the simpler adult pattern is left.