A medium to large, slender snake. Largest Egyptian specimen has a total length of 900 mm. Tail relatively short, tail / total length = 0.17-0.18; nostril large, round, in a divided nasal; 1 loreal, 8 supralabials, fourth enters the eye, 160-197 ventrals, 48-86 paired subcaudals, dorsals strongly keeled, 19 scale rows around mid-body, anal divided. Dorsum dark green-olive, with a pattern of regularly spaced black spots; a black chevron on the nape. Venter yellow, variably chequered with black squares, or is sometimes almost completely black.

In Europe this species ranges from southern Switzerland (and possibly adjacent France), and Germany (where there are isolated populations in the west), eastwards into eastern Austria, Italy (islands excluded), Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and southern Russia, southwards into Croatia (including some Adriatic islands), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Greece (including the islands of Lesbos, Crete, Rhodes and Samos). In Asia the species ranges from Turkey into Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and northern Egypt (Nile Delta and lower Nile Valley). It also ranges from the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan eastwards into Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and northwest China. It might be present on Cyprus, although this requires confirmation. It occurs from sea level up to 2,800 m asl.

Throughout the Nile Delta and lower Nile Valley, also Fayoum and the Suez Canal zone. Anderson (1898), Flower (1933), and Marx (1968) all recorded the species solely from the northern parts of the Delta. However, it appears that since the con­struction of the High Dam (late 1960s) and as a result of subsequent ecological changes (establishment of extensive swamp vegetation fringing the Nile River), the species seems to have spread southward, along with other wetland wildlife previously also confined to the northern Delta wetlands, most notably the Purple Gallinule {Porphiryo porphiryo: Aves). A specimen reported by Barbour (1914) from "Fuweila in Sinai," is actually a locality in Jordan (Hoofien 1965).

Central Europe east to western China, south to Egypt and possibly Yemen.

Continent: Africa Near-East Asia Europe
Distribution: Germany, S Switzerland, E Austria, France, Belgique, Yugoslavia: Croatia (including some adriatic islands), Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegowina, Monte Negro, Macedonia, Serbia, Italy, Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia), Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Greece (incl. Crete, Lesbos, Samos, Corfu), Cyprus, Soviet Union, Afghanistan (LEVITON 1959: 461), S Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon,  NE Egypt, Israel, east to northern Pakistan and NW China (Xinjiang)  Sinonatrix dunni: West Malaysia  
Type locality: Italy

Holotype for Natrix tessellata
Catalog Number: USNM 141749
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Sex/Stage: Male;
Preparation: Ethanol
Year Collected: 1958
Locality: Vienna, Wein, Austria, Europe

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

Freshwater wetlands of all kinds, rivers, canals, swamps, and lake shores. Particularly common in waterways fringed with dense reeds and other swamp vegetation.

 In Egypt appears to be largely crepuscular or nocturnal, but also seen active during the day. Almost entirely aquatic.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1

Common and widespread. Large numbers are collected by animal traders.

Least Concern

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions