Natrix is a genus of Old World snakes found mainly across Eurasia (although the range of Natrix tessellata extends into Egypt and those of N. astreptophora and N. maura into north-west Africa) in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. They are commonly called grass snakes and water snakes, but some other snake species also known commonly as "grass snakes" and "water snakes" are not in the genus.
Species
The genus Natrix contains five extant species and at least five extinct (fossil-only) species.
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! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution
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| 120px|| Natrix astreptophora || Iberian grass snake || Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal), southern France, coastal north-west Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia)<br>120px
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| 120px || Natrix helvetica || barred grass snake || Western Europe, including southern Great Britain<br>120px
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| 120px ||Natrix maura || viperine water snake ||Portugal, Spain, France, north-west Italy and into Switzerland; north-west Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia)<br>120px
|-
| 120px || Natrix natrix || grass snake
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| || †Natrix merkurensis || extinct species (Miocene) || Czech Republic, France
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|-
| || †Natrix mlynarskii || extinct species (Eocene–Miocene) || France
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| || †Natrix parva || extinct species (Miocene) || Poland
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| || †Natrix sansaniensis || extinct species (Miocene) 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 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.
References
Further reading
- Laurenti JN (1768). Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum. Vienna: "Joan. Thom. Nob. de Trattnern". 214 pp. + Plates I-V. (Natrix, new genus, p. 73). (in Latin).