Urartian Rat Snake Elaphe urartica

The Urartian Rat Snake is native to the Caucasus, specifically Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey. It was described by science only in 2019, being split from the closely-related Blotched Snake of Eastern Europe. It is named after the ancient kingdom of Urartu in the Caucasus region.

It typically reaches 1-1.5 metres long, but can reach 2 metres. Like other rat snakes it is non-venomous and preys on rodents.