Dolichophis schmidti

Description

Dolichophis schmidti, the red-bellied racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in the Caucasus and the Middle East, from Dagestan to Turkmenistan and south into Syria and Jordan and northern Iran. This species occurs in a wide variety of habitats including rocky, stony and bushy river banks, deserts, semi-deserts, rocky outcrops, hillsides, montane steppe, cultivated fields, gardens, vineyards and other rural areas. They are often observed near to large colonies of rodents on which they prey; they also prey on lizards, birds and snakes. It can occur close to human habitation and tolerates human disturbance. Females of this species lay clutches of between 5 and 11 eggs.