Snakes are not as widespread in France as they may be elsewhere, and most of the species encountered are harmless to humans.
France is a country relatively poor in snakes, which prefer more arid and hot climates than our country which is sometimes too temperate for them. Even if the threat of global warming is expected to bring with it the migration of tropical snake species, the vast majority of these snakes in France do not present a danger to humans. But snakes are above all very fearful hunters, who do not hesitate to turn when they perceive danger around them. Here’s how to recognize the most widespread species in our region.
Green, black, brown, gray or white snakes… How to recognize a snake from a viper?
The dozen species of snakes that are frequently found in French forests and even gardens belong to two main types: snakes and vipers. If you come across a reptile while gardening or walking in the woods, there are three easy-to-spot clues to distinguish a snake from a viper. First, try looking at the shape of the pupil of the snake’s eye: that of a snake is round and full, like that of humans, while that of the viper looks like a simple vertical slit, like that of cats. On a snake’s head, you will see large scales that give it a shiny armored appearance; on that of a viper, the scales are much more numerous and smaller. Finally, the head of the snake is generally more oval and wider than that of the viper, flattened and triangular.
What are the main breeds of common snakes in France?
If you come across a snake somewhere in France, there is a good chance that it is a grass snake, a snake that is harmless to humans, because it does not have venom in its fangs. There are eight species of snakes in France, divided into three subspecies:
- THE colubridsscientific name for the grass snake : smooth coronella (recognizable by its gray-brown scales and the black band on each side of its head), Gironde coronella (smaller and with pinkish hues), green and yellow snake (more aggressive, but still non-venomous), grass snake stepped (yellow or brownish gray, present especially in the South), Aesculapian snake (brown-green color, which can reach two meters long);
- THE lamprophis : Montpellier snake, very slender with a narrow head, it is the largest snake observed in Europe and can reach 2.5 meters in length;
- THE natricidae : viper snake (also called “water asp”, because it lives in a semi-aquatic environment), grass snake (the most widespread species on French territory, also semi-aquatic, which can be aggressive by emitting repulsive odors if she feels attacked).
French venomous snakes: are the most dangerous types of vipers found in our gardens in France?
There are four species of vipers recorded in France. If their venom is venomous, even dangerous, they often stay away from areas of human activity and never attack first. This is the case of the Séoane viper, or viper of Pyrenees (it is only found south of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques), a small gray-brown viper with a dark stripe, 50 cm long. In the Alps, watch out for your cousin Orsini’s viper, the smallest viper in Europe (45 cm on average).
In the North or the Massif Central, you will be able to come across the Peliad viper with red eyes and brownish/grayish scales crossed by a dark brown zigzag. But most of the time, you will probably be dealing with the asp viper, difficult to distinguish, because its appearance varies depending on its location (it prefers warm environments). If you are bitten by this snake, go quickly to the nearest hospital, even if not all vipers directly inject their venom, as this venom is sometimes difficult to produce in them.
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