Rhinechis scalaris

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	COLUBRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Rhinechis scalaris

Species Authority:

(Schinz, 1822)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Ladder Snake
Spanish	–	Culebra de Escalera, Culebra De Escalera

Synonym/s:

Elaphe scalaris (Schinz, 1822)

Taxonomic Notes:

This species is included in Rhinechis following Utiger et al. (2002).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

Juan M. Pleguezuelos, Paulo Sá-Sousa, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Rafael Marquez, Marc Cheylan, Claudia Corti, Iñigo Martínez-Solano

Reviewer/s:

Cox, N. and Temple, H.J. (Global Reptile Assessment)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

History:

2006	–	Least Concern (IUCN 2006)
2006	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is found through much of Portugal and Spain (it is absent from much of northernmost Spain) and southern France. There is a record from northwestern Italy, but there is no recent confirmation of its occurrence in this country. It is present on the islands of Ons and Arousa in Galicia (Spain), Minorca (an old introduction) in the Balearic Islands (Spain), and Iles d'Hyères, France. The species ranges from sea level to 2,200 m asl.
Countries:	Native: France; Portugal; Spain
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is generally an abundant species.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This mainly crepuscular and nocturnal species can be found in sunny and stony Mediterranean-type habitats with good vegetation cover, including riparian habitats. It can also be found in open woodlands and shrubland, at field edges, hedges, vineyards, olive groves, overgrown areas, stone walls and ruins. The females lay between four and 15 eggs that are deposited under ground cover.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Although there appear to be no overall major threats to this species, it is locally threatened by accidental mortality on roads and loss of vegetation cover due to intensive agricultural methods. Because of the species nocturnal habits, many individuals uses roads, because of the heat retention of the road surface, and are frequently traffic casualties (Juan M Pleguezuelos pers. comm., October 2008).

Major Threat(s):

Although there appear to be no overall major threats to this species, it is locally threatened by accidental mortality on roads and loss of vegetation cover due to intensive agricultural methods. Because of the species nocturnal habits, many individuals uses roads, because of the heat retention of the road surface, and are frequently traffic casualties (Juan M Pleguezuelos pers. comm., October 2008).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is listed on Annex III of the Bern Convention and it is present in many protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

It is listed on Annex III of the Bern Convention and it is present in many protected areas.

Citation:	Juan M. Pleguezuelos, Paulo Sá-Sousa, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Rafael Marquez, Marc Cheylan, Claudia Corti, Iñigo Martínez-Solano 2009. Rhinechis scalaris. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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