Natrix

Natrix
	Natrix natrix
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Natricinae
Genus:	Natrix; Laurenti, 1768

Natrix is a genus of Old World snakes in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae.

Common names

Member species of the genus Natrix are collectively called grass snakes and water snakes. However, some other snake species also known commonly as "grass snakes" and "water snakes" are not in the genus Natrix.

Species

The genus Natrix contains the following species, five of which are recognized as being valid, and one of which is disputed.[1]

Natrix astreptophora (Seoane, 1885) – Iberian grass snake[2]
Natrix helvetica (Lacépède, 1789) – barred grass snake[3]
Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) – viperine water snake [4]
Natrix megalocephala Orlov & B. Tuniyev, 1987 – large-headed water snake (status controversial)
Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) – grass snake [4]
Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768) – dice snake [4]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Natrix.

Etymology

Natrix is classical Latin for a water snake. The word comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "snake", with cognates in the Celtic and Germanic languages, the latter including the English adder. It was probably influenced through folk etymology by the Latin nare and natare meaning "swim";[5][6] it appears to be a grammatically feminine word for "swimmer".

Geography

The refuge of a widely distributed western European lineage regarding the barred grass snake commonly known as the Natrix helvetica was most likely located in southern France and outside the classical refuges in the southern European peninsulas. One genetic lineage of the common grass snake (N. natrix) is also distributed in Scandinavia, Central Europe and the Balkan Peninsula[7]

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References

Genus Natrix at The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
de Lazaro, Enrico (February 23, 2016). "Iberian Grass Snake: Cryptic New Species of Snake Identified". Sci-News.com.
"New snake species identified in the UK". BBC News. 7 August 2017.
"Natrix Laurenti, 1768". Encyclopedia of Life. http://eol.org/pages/35261/overview
"adder, n.1". OED Online. Oxford University Press. March 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
"adder". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
Kindler, Carolin; Graciá, Eva; Fritz, Uwe (29 January 2018). "Extra-Mediterranean glacial refuges in barred and common grass snakes (Natrix helvetica , N. natrix)". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 1821. Bibcode:2018NatSR...8.1821K. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20218-2. PMC 5788984. PMID 29379101.