Abstract
The first works written about Italian snakes started being published in 1500 with V. Aldrovrandi, and shortly afterward by P.A. Mattioli. Snakes have always seemed to have the stigma of strange/mystical powers, certainly due to their curious appearance and their venom. This explains why snakes have often had an important role in religious and popular beliefs, for example, in Cocullo (Abruzzo) and Bolsena (Lazio). The chapter concludes with a biogeographical presentation by Prof. F. Pedrotti, describing Italy from an environmental point of view.
The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the Lord God had made.
(Gen. 3:1)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bodson L (1981) Les Grecs et leurs serpents. Premiers résultats de l’étude taxonomique des sources aniciennes. L’Antiquité Classique, L(1–2):57–59. Bruxel
Heimes P (1991) Zum Vokommen der Äskulapnatter im Rheingau-Taunus. Nattur. u. Mus., M., 121(6):171–181. Frankfurt
Pedrotti E, Ferrari M (1974) I serpenti del Trentino. Natura Alpina, XXV n3 p. 131–164
Saccardo PA (1895) La botanica in Italia: Materiali per la storia di questa scienza. Tipografia Carlo Ferrari. Venezia, 236 pp
Schulz KD (1996) A monograph of the Colubrid snakes of the genus Elaphe Fitzinger - Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein
Tassi F (1990) Animali a rischio, salvare la fauna del mondo un impegno per l’umanità. Giorgio mondadori editore, Milano
Zimmermann H (1982) Reptilien im Alten Griechenland. Aquarien Mag, (7):4’7–410. Stuttgart
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Achille, G. (2015). Introduction. In: Snakes of Italy. SpringerBriefs in Animal Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14106-0_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14106-0_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14105-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-14106-0
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)