Snakes in Italy
Italy is one of the top places in the world regarding natural and scenic beauty. When it comes to flora and fauna, the place has its share of evergreens, alongside wildlife like roe deer, chamois, and ibex. While speaking of the country’s snake population, it is essential to know that it has not more than twenty snake species.
The most venomous snakes in Italy are the viper species, the asp viper being the most dangerous.
Every year the serpari or snake festival is held on 1st May in Italy’s Cocullo city in honor of the patron saint, Saint Dominic. He miraculously kept snakes away from the fields. It is even celebrated to commemorate Angitia, the goddess of snakes that people in central Italy worship.
| Groups | Venomous | Non-Venomous |
|---|---|---|
| Vipers | Common European Viper Nose-horned Viper Asp Viper Walser Viper Meadow Viper | – |
| Whip Snakes | – | Green Whip Snake (Western Whip Snake) Balkan Whip Snake Horseshoe Whip Snake |
| Malpolon | Montpellier Snake | – |
| Telescopus | European Cat Snake | – |
| Natrix | – | Grass Snake Dice Snake Viperine Water Snake |
| Zamenis | – | Aesculapian Snake Italian Aesculapian Snake European Rat Snake Ladder Snake |
Elaphe | – | Four-lined Snake |
Coronella | – | Smooth Snake Southern Smooth Snake |
Snakes by Region
Snakes in Northern Italy: Aesculapian Snake
Snakes in Southern Italy: Italian Aesculapian Snake, Asp Viper
