Re: [tied] Ophiolatry [There was a crooked snake]

Well, in English at least, the *common adder* = the *European viper* (_Vipera berus_), the one that sports a dark zigzag. The golden-marked one without a zigzag is the harmless *grass snake* _Natrix natrix_ (In America, members of the same genus are usually called *watersnakes*). I suppose you may have some smooth snakes (_Coronella austriaca_) as well. They are found throughout Europe (including Great Britain and Scandinavia), but are rarer than the other two species and their camouflage colouring makes them hard to see (they are supposed to occur widely in Poland but I've never spotted one).

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: tgpedersen@...

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2001 11:50 AM

Subject: Re: [tied] Ophiolatry [There was a crooked snake]

We were told in school that there are two kinds of snakes in Denmark, the adder (to be recognized by said two yellow spots), and the viper (to be recognized by a zig-zag line down its back). Bur isn't it strange that a snake should choose to have the symbol of snakeness, the zigzag line, on its back (or is it the other way round)? Torsten
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