Contribution to the knowledge of the distribution of the Balkan whip snake Hierophis gemonensis (Laurenti, 1768) in the inland Balkan Peninsula

Knez, Katja (author), Kastelic, Maj (author), Frcovski, Edi (author), Dajčman, Urban (author)

The Balkan whip snake (Hierophis gemonensis) is found along the Adriatic coast from northern Croatia to the south of the Balkan Peninsula, while its inland range remains poorly understood. We report on three new records: the first record for Kosovo and two juveniles from south-eastern North Macedonia. This sug-gests that the species’ distribution range extends further inland than previously documented.

• Language: English
• Keywords: whip snake, new records, distribution, Balkan Peninsula, Hierophis gemonensis
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.03 - Other scientific articles
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 1-3
• Numbering: Vol. 28, no. 1, art. 26242
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190736
• UDC: 598.162
• ISSN on article: 1854-3081
• DOI: 10.14720/ns.26242
• COBISS.SI-ID: 284062979
• Publication date in RUL: 06.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Natura Sloveniae : revija za terensko biologijo = journal of field biology
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-3081
• COBISS.SI-ID: 221920000

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Prispevek k poznavanju razširjenosti belice Hierophis gemonensis (Laurenti, 1768) na celinskem delu Balkanskega polotoka

Abstract

Belica (Hierophis gemonensis) je razširjena vzdolž jadranske obale od severne Hrvaške do južnega dela Balkanskega polotoka, medtem ko je njena razširjenost v notranjosti polotoka še vedno slabo poznana. Predstavljamo tri nove podat-ke o pojavljanju vrste: prvo potrjeno najdbo na Kosovu ter dve najdbi juvenilnih osebkov na jugovzhodu Severne Makedonije. Ti podatki kažejo, da se območje razširjenosti belice razteza globlje v notranjost Balkanskega polotoka, kot je bilo znano doslej.

• Keywords: belica, novi podatki, razširjenost, Balkanski polotok, Hierophis gemonensis