Natrix helvetica

Natrix helvetica helvetica, Arlay, Jura, Franche-Comté, France

Natrix helvetica — distribution map

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Colubroidea

Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Unikonta Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Megaclassis: Osteichthyes Cladus: Sarcopterygii Cladus: Rhipidistia Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes Cladus: Elpistostegalia Superclassis: Tetrapoda Cladus: Reptiliomorpha Cladus: Amniota Classis: Reptilia Cladus: Eureptilia Cladus: Romeriida Subclassis: Diapsida Cladus: Sauria Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha Superordo: Lepidosauria Ordo: Squamata Cladus: Unidentata, Episquamata Cladus: Toxicofera Subordo: Serpentes Infraordo: Caenophidia Superfamilia: Colubroidea

Familia: Colubridae
Subfamilia: Natricinae
Genus: Natrix
Species: Natrix helvetica
Subspecies (5): N. h. cetti – N. h. corsa – N. h. helvetica – N. h. lanzai – N. h. sicula

Name

Natrix helvetica (Lacépède, 1789) [conserved name]

• Type material: Unknown.
• Type locality: “Mont-Jorat & de ses environs” [=Parc Naturel du Jorat], Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology by Opinion 1686 (1992: 174).

Combinations

• Coluber helveticus Lacépède, 1789: 100 [original combination]
• Natrix natrix helvetica — Mertens, 1934: 15 [subsequent combination, reduced to subspecies]
• Natrix helvetica — Kindler, Chèvre, Ursenbacher, Böhme, Hille, Jablonski, Vamberger & Fritz, 2017: 10 [subsequent combination, restored to species]

References

Primary references

• Lacépède, B.G.E. 1789. Histoire naturelle des serpens. Tome Second. Hôtel de Thou: Paris. 462 pp. BHL Reference page. 
• International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 1992. Opinion 1686. Natrix gemonensis Laurenti, 1768 (currently Coluber gemonensis), Coluber viridiflavus Lacépède, 1789 and Coluber helveticus Lacépède, 1789 (currently Natrix natrix helvetica) (Reptilia, Serpentes): specific names conserved . Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 49(2): 174–175. BHL Reference page. 
• Kindler, C., Chèvre, M., Ursenbacher, S., Böhme, W., Hille, A., Jablonski D., Vamberger, M. & Fritz, U. 2017. Hybridization patterns in two contact zones of grass snakes reveal a new Central European snake species. Scientific Reports 7: 7378. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07847-9 Reference page. 

Additional references

• Kindler, C. & Fritz, U. 2018. Phylogeography and taxonomy of the barred grass snake (Natrix helvetica), with a discussion of the subspecies category in zoology. Vertebrate Zoology 68(3): 269–281. Full article (PDF). Reference page. 
• Schild, A., Baur, H., Hertwig, S.F., Fritz, U. & Ursenbacher, S. 2024. Genetic identification, morphology and distribution of Natrix helvetica subspecies in southern and western Switzerland (Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes). ZooKeys 1205: 233–238. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1205.123911 Reference page. 

Vernacular names

English: Barred Grass Snake
français: Couleuvre helvétique

For more multimedia, look at Natrix helvetica on Wikimedia Commons.