.::::: Snakes of the World - Colubridae - Coluber :::::.
Last update: 10 May, 2004

This genus contains a lot of species from north- and central America, Europe, Africa and Asia. This genus is possibly going to be split into smaller genera in a few years time.

Coluber
 
Coluber algirus
 
Distribution: .
Coluber atayevi
 
Distribution: .
Coluber bholanathi
 
Distribution: .
Coluber brevis
 
Distribution: .
Coluber caspius
 
Distribution: .
Coluber constrictor Linnaeus, 1758
  • constrictor Linnaeus, 1758
    Bascanion constrictor (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Bascanium constrictor (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Coryphodon constrictor (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • anthicus (Cope, 1862)
  • etheridgei Wilson, 1970
  • flaviventris Say, 1823
    Bascanion flaviventris (Say, 1823)
    Coluber flaviventris Say, 1823
    Coryphodon flaviventris (Say, 1823)
  • foxii (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  • helvigularis Auffenberg, 1955
  • latrunculus Wilson, 1970
  • oaxaca (Jan, 1863)
    Coluber constrictor stejnegerianus (Cope, 1895)
    Coluber ortenburgeri Stuart, 1934
    Zamenis stejnegerianus Cope, 1895
  • paludicola Auffenberg & Babbitt, 1953
  • priapus Dunn & Wood, 1939


    • Distribution:     Belize (oaxaca), Canada (foxii), Guatemala (oaxaca), Mexico (oaxaca) and USA (all).
    Coluber cypriensis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber dorri
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber elegantissimus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber florulentus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber gemonensis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber gracilis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber gyarosensis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber hippocrepis Linnaeus, 1758
    Calopeltis hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Coluber diadema Bonelli, 1834
    Coluber domesticus Linnaeus, 1766
    Coluber hippocrepis hippocrepis Linnaeus, 1758
    Coluber hippocrepis nigrescens Cattaneo, 1985
    Hemorrhois hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Natrix bahiensis Wagler, 1824
    Natrix hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Periops hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Tyria hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Zamenis hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Distribution: Algeria, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia.
    Coluber insulanus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber jugularis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber karelini
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber largeni
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber manseri
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber messanai
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber mormon Baird & Girard, 1852

    Coluber constrictor mormon Baird & Girard, 1852
    Distribution: Mexico and USA.
    Coluber najadum
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber nummifer
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber ravergieri
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber rhodorhachis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber rogersi
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber rubriceps
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber schmidti
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber schmidtleri
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber scortecci
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber sinai
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber smithi
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber socotrae
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber somalicus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber spinalis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber taylori
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber thomasi
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber variabilis
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber ventromaculatus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber viridiflavus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber vitticaudatus
     
    Distribution: .
    Coluber zebrinus
     
    Distribution: .
    Literature
     
    Anderson, R. 1989. The Great Outdoors Book of Florida Snakes. Great Outdoors, St. Petersburg, 129 pp.

    Auffenberg, W. 1955. A reconsideration of the racer, Coluber constrictor, in eastern United States. Tulane Stud. Zool., 2(6): 89-155.
     
    Baird, S.F. & C. Girard. 1852. Characteristics of some New Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 6: 68-70.
    Barabanov, A. 2002 (2003). Taxonomic status of Coluber ventromaculatus bengalensis Khan et Khan, 2000 (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae). Russ. J. Herpetol., 9(3): 255.
    Bealor, M.T. & G.M. Burghardt. 2002. Coluber constrictor constrictor. Ingestion of Plant Material. Herpetol. Rev., 33(3): 210.
    Behler, J.L. & F.W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 743 pp.
     
    Bringsøe, H. 1997. Hesteskosnogen som ådselsæder. NHF, 40(6): 150.
    Brown, W.S. & W.S. Parker. 1976. Movement ecology of Coluber constrictor near communal hibernacula. Copeia, 1976: 225-242.
    Burger, J. 1990. Effects of Incubation Temperature on Behavior of Young Black Racers (Coluber constrictor) and Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getulus). J. Herpetol., 24(2): 158-163.
    Cale, W.G., Jr. & J.W. Gibbons. 1972. Relationships between Body Size, Size of the Fat Bodies, and Total Lipid Content in the Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the Black Racer (Coluber constrictor). Herpetologica, 28(1): 51-53.
     
    Cavitt, J.F. 2000. Tallgrass Prairie Snake Assemblage. Food Habits. Herpetol. Rev., 31(1): 47-48.
     
     
    Corn, P.S. & R.B. Bury. 1986. Morphological variation and zoogeography of Racers (Coluber constrictor) in the Central Rocky Mountains. Herpetologica, 42(2): 258-264.
    Crnobrnja-Isailovic, J. & I. Aleksié. 1999. First record of Coluber najadum Eichwald (1831) in Serbia. Arch. biol. Sci., Belgrade. 51(3):47P-48P.
     
     
     
    Feriche, M., J.M. Pleguezuelos & A. Cerro. 1993. Sexual Dimorphism and Sexing of Mediterranean Colubrids Based on External Characteristics. J. Herpetol., 27(4): 357-362.

    Fitch, H.S. 1963. Natural history of the racer Coluber constrictor. Univ. Kansas Publ. Mus. Nat. HIst., 15(8): 351-468.

    Geissler, P. 1994. Haltung und Nachzucht der Hufeisennatter Coluber hippocrepis Linnaeus, 1758. elaphe (N.F.), 2(3): 20-24.
     
    Greene, H.W. 1984. Taxonomic Status of the Western Racer, Coluber constrictor mormon. J. Herpetol., 18(2): 210-211.
    Gruber, U. 1989. Die Schlangen Europas und rund ums Mittelmeer. Kosmos Naturführer, Franckh’sche Verlag, Stuttgart, 248 pp.
     
     
    Hobert, J., R. Donoho, C. Montgomery, K. Waldron & S.P. Mackessy. 1996. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor flaviventris. Herpetol. Rev., 27(1): 33.
     
    Iverson, J.B., H. Higgins, A.G. Sirulnik & C.A. Young. 1995. Coluber constrictor flaviventris. Nesting. Herpetol. Rev., 26(3): 147-148.
     
     
    Keller, W.L. & E.J. Heske. 2000. Habitat Use by Three Species of Snakes of the Middle Fork Fish and Wildlife Area, Illinois. J. Herpetol., 34(4): 558-564.
    Keogh, J.S. & F.P. DeSerto. 1994. Temperature Dependent Defensive Behavior in Three Species of North American Colubrid Snakes. J. Herpetol., 28(2): 258-261.
    Khan, M.S. 1997. Taxonomic notes on Pakistani snakes of the Coluber karelini- rhodorachis- ventromaculatus species complex: a new approach to the problem. Asiatic Herpetol. Res., 7: 51-60.

     
     
    LaDuc, T.J. & C.R. Harrison. 1997. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor flaviventris. Herpetol. Rev., 28(3): 159.
    Landwer, A.J. & T.E. Lee, Jr. 2001. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor. Herpetol. Rev., 32(2): 122.
    Lillywhite, H.B. 1985. Trailing Movements and Sexual Behavior in Coluber constrictor. J. Herpetol., 19(2): 306-308.
     
    Marco, A. 2002. Coluber hippocrepis. Caudal Autotomy. Herpetol. Rev., 33(3): 210.
     
     
     
     
    Olsen, U. 1985. Lidt mere om pilsnogene (slægten Coluber). NHF, 28(8): 227-242.
    Olson, D.J. & R.E. Warner. 2001. Grassland Snakes. Diet. Herpetol. Rev., 32(3): 186-187.

    Ortenburger, A.I. 1923. A note on the genera Coluber and Masticophis and a description of a new species of Masticophis. Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 139: 1-14.

    Ortenburger, A.I. 1928. The whip snakes and racers: genera Masticophis and Coluber. Mem. Univ. Michigan Mus., 1: 1-247.
     
    Petzing, J.E. & C.A. Phillips. 1998. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor. Herpetol. Rev., 29(3): 175.
    Pinou, T. & H.G. Dowling. 2000. “Coluber” Versus “Ptyas”: A Regrettable Tangle of Names. Herpetol. Rev., 31(3): 136-138.
    Pleguezuelos, J.M. & M. Feriche. 1999. Reproductive Ecology of the Horseshoe Whip Snake (Coluber hippocrepis) in the Iberian Peninsula. J. Herpetol., 33(2): 202-207.
     
    Porchuk, B.D. & R.J. Brooks. 1995. Coluber constrictor, Elaphe vulpina and Chelydra serpentina. Reproduction. Herpetol. Rev., 26(3): 148.
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Schätti, B. 1986. Morphologie und Systematik von Coluber algirus und C. hippocrepis (Reptilia: Colubridae). Bonn. zool. Beitr., 37(4): 281-293.
    Schätti, B. 2001. A new species of Coluber (sensu lato) from the Dahlak Islands, Eritera, with a review of the herpetofauna of the archipelago. Russ. J. Herpetol., 8(2): 139-148.
    Schätti, B. & B. Lanza. 1989. Coluber messanai, a new species of snake from Northern Somalia (Reptilia, Serpentes). Boll. Mus. reg. Sci. nat. Torino, 7(2): 413-421.
    Schätti, B. & C. McCarthy. 2001. Coluber (sensu lato) schmidtleri n.sp. from the southern Zagros Mountains in Iran (Squamata: Colubridae). Herpetozoa, 14(1/2): 81-89.
     
    Shewchuk, C.H. & J.D. Austin. 2001. Food habits of the racer (Coluber constrictor mormon) in the northern part of its range. Herpetol. J., 11(4):151-155.
     
    Somers, P.H., L.J. Livo, R.R.J. Smith, D. Chiszar & H.M. Smith. 1995. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor mormon. Herpetol. Rev., 26(3): 156.
     
    Sperger, R.H., R. Humphrey, D. Chiszar & H.M. Smith. 1995. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor flaviventris. Herpetol. Rev., 26(1): 46.
    Springolo, M. & S. Scali. 1999. Sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic changes in Coluber viridiflavus: a head of morphometric analysis. 413-417 In C. Miaud and R. Guyetant, (ed.). Current Studies in Herpetology: Proceedings of the 9th Ordinary General Meeting of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica 25-29 August 1998, Le Bourget du Lac, France. SEH, Le Bourget du Lac.
     
    Stovall, R.H. 1976. Observations on the Micro- and Ultrastructure of the Visual Cells of Certain Snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae). J. Herpetol., 10(4): 269-275.
     
     
     
     
    Thomas, D.L., J.T. Eubanks & K.W. Pecor. 2000. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor latrunculus. Herpetol. Rev., 31(1): 54.
     
    Trape, J.-F. 1997. Geographic Distribution. Haemorrhois (= Coluber) dorri. Herpetol. Rev., 28(2): 97-98.
    Tucker, J.K. 1997. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor foxi. Herpetol. Rev., 28(4): 210.
    Tucker, J.K. 2000. Illinois Snakes. Young-of-Year Morphology and Food Habits. Herpetol. Rev., 31(2): 106-107.
    Tucker, J.K. & G.L. Paukstis. 1995. Geographic Distribution. Coluber constrictor foxii. Herpetol. Rev., 26(1): 46.
    Tuniyev, B.S., C.A. Atayev & S.M. Shammakov. 1997. On the distribution of Coluber ravergieri and Coluber nummifer in Turkmenistan and the possible evolutionary reasons for their polymorphism. Asiatic Herpetol. Res., 7:131-136.
     
     
     
     
     
    Webb, R.G. 2001. Proposed Deletion of Two Colubrid Snakes from the Mexican State of Durango Herpetofauna. Herpetol. Rev., 32(3): 159-160.
    Zuffi, M.A.L. 2001. Diet and morphometrics of Coluber (=Hierophis) viridiflavus on the island of Montecristo (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). Herpetol. J., 11(3):123-125.