Ladder snake
Rhinechis, (Elaphe), scalaris
Couleuvre à échalons
they will also hunt at dusk and during the night in hot conditions, the young are nocturnal. Being discrete and fearful they flee from any disturbance taking cover in a hole in the ground or hollow tree, however they become extremely irritated when cornered, hissing furiously and sometimes "biting" if handled. Very susceptible to cold – hibernation takes place from October until April.
Coupling takes place in April / May or a little later at higher altitudes or if weather conditions are poor. About 12 eggs are deposited under an old tree stump or a layer of pine needles in July, hatching can take anything from 6 to 12 weeks dependent upon the temperature.