A large, slender non-venomous European colubrid named for the staff of Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine.
Description
A slim, dark olive to brownish snake reaching about 2 m, with a glossy unmarked back, paler yellow-cream belly, and small flecks that catch the light. Juveniles look completely different — boldly striped with dark and pale bars and often mistaken for grass snakes.
Behavior
Excellent climbers, Aesculapian snakes often hunt in trees and on walls, scaling rough stonework with ease using their angled belly scales. They constrict prey before swallowing and are unusually long-lived for a Eurasian snake, with wild individuals surviving over 25 years.
Range
Native to central and southern Europe, with relict populations as far north as a few isolated colonies in Germany and the UK. The species is the snake from which the medical caduceus and Rod of Asclepius symbols derive their imagery.
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