Spalerosophis diadema

Diadem Snake
Israeli subspecies, Spalerosophis diadema cliffordi, commonly called Clifford's Snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Spalerosophis
Species: S. diadema
Binomial name
Spalerosophis diadema
(Schlegel, 1837)
Synonyms

Coluber diadema Schlegel, 1837
Zamenis diadema - Boulenger, 1893

The diadem snake (Spalerosophis diadema) is a species of large colubrine snake.

Geographic range

It is found in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Western Pakistan, Northern India, U.S.S.R., South Turkmenistan, South Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sinai, Israel, Jordan, Syria Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Northern Sudan, Turkey, Arabia, and Oman.

The named races or subspecies are found as follows:

Type locality: Shiraz, Iran

Description

Adults may attain a total length of 1.8 m (about 6 feet) of which about 34 cm (13½ inches) is tail. Dorsally they are pale buff or sandy grey, with a median series of dark blotches, and smaller dark spots. Ventrally they are usually uniform white, but rarely have small blackish spots.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I. London.
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