In Schulz's Monograph he has a good distribution map of longissima. He also includes fossil finds and extinct disjunct populations. Although there are a few documented introduced locales he is of the opinion that the disjuct populations in Germany are the result of natural forces. He also has a short section on Man and Ratsnakes that includes that Italian saint day that includes draping snakes over the saint's statue. All in all, a very valuable book.

Of course he could be wrong about the disjoint populations being natural. The story about the legions carrying the ratsnakes is pretty widespread.

The population in the British Isles is the result, I believe, of escapes from a local zoo population (although that's only what I've read elsewhere and isn't verified by me).

I work with a German locale of longissimus. They are very interesting ratsnakes and (I think) very cool looking. Their link to the demigod Asclepios is of course an interesting fact but at no time have I felt that contact with them has given me divine healing powers. In fact several snakes have died in my snake room over the last four years since I received the longissima and not one of them has been resurrected while in proximity to the asclediads.

Best regards
John

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