NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Viperine Water Snake
Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Viperine water snake (Natrix maura), Extremadura, Spain
Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The viperine water snake or viperine snake (Natrix maura) is a semiaquatic, fish-eating natricine water snake. Despite its common names, it is not a member of the subfamily Viperinae. It was given its common names due to exhibiting a dorsal colour pattern that superficially resembles that of sympatric adder species. In comparison to other Natrix species its head is also somewhat wider and more distinct from the neck. Like most members of the Natricinae it possesses a venom gland on each side of the upper jaw (Duvernoy's gland) that produces a mild venom that may play a role in swallowing or digestion. The gland is not associated with an enlarged specialized tooth and the venom has to be applied by chewing. The species usually does not bite as a means of defense, and the effect of a bite would be harmless to humans.
Wikipedia contributors, Natrix maura; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:00:25.583145+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- Viperine Water Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Natrix
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyColubridae
- subfamilyNatricinae
- genusNatrix
- speciesNatrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Natrix. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Common Grass SnakeNatrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Red-eyed grass snakeNatrix astreptophora (Lopez-Seoane, 1885) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Natrix ocellata Wagler, 1824 Wagler, 1824 | synonym |
| Coluber maurus Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Natrix cherseoides Wagler, 1824 Wagler, 1824 | synonym |
| Coluber viperinus aurolineatus Grvis, 1836 Grvis, 1836 | synonym |
| Coluber viperinus Sonnini & Latreille, 1802 Sonnini & Latreille, 1802 | ambiguous synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Natrix&species=maura Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6S63L. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.