Invasive snakes in Germany: why the green-yellow western whip snake alarms conservationists

From a rubbish tip in the Western Palatinate, the green-yellow whip snake is spreading across Germany; reptile expert Hubert Laufer has already caught over 300 of this invasive species and tells Euronews why he continues the hunt. The snake species Coluber is called "Zornnatter" in German because these animals – when they are held – defend themselves vehemently and aggressively by biting and constricting. The green-yellow Zornnatter (Coluber viridiflavus) can grow to 1.5 or even 2 metres in length. Reptile expert Hubert Laufer has often been bitten by such a snake, as he has been tracking down Zornnattern in Germany for years. More than 300 specimens of the green-yellow Zornnatter have ended up in his cloth capture bag. "When you catch a Zornnatter, it tries to bite the person catching it. But if the snakes can escape, they do. If you leave the snakes alone, they won’t do anything," the expert tells Euronews. "Imagine you reach into a blackberry bush and end up with lots of small scratches on your skin. That is roughly what a Zornnatter bite feels like," he explained in a report by broadcaster SWR. The snakes are therefore not really dangerous for humans. Many animal conservationists see the presence of Zornnattern as a sign of an intact natural environment. The reptiles are mostly black with a fine yellow-green pattern; their well-camouflaged scaly skin makes them almost invisible in grass and other vegetation. Artenschutz Franken, an organisation that works to preserve biodiversity in Germany, reports with photos (source in German) that Zornnattern are often run over by cars on roads, and calls for these snakes to be protected. Why are green-yellow Zornnattern a problem in Germany? Landscape ecologist Laufer, who captures the green-yellow Zornnattern at a rubbish dump in Zweibrücken – about 40 kilometres from Saarbrücken – is also an amphibian protector. "There are almost no lizards left at the landfill site. If there is nothing else, they eat mice or young rats. But lizards are their favourite food," says Hubert Laufer. And he explains: "The Zornnattern are invasive and have negative impacts on the native fauna in Germany. That is why we want to catch and remove the Zornnattern as quickly as possible." Coluber viridiflavus actually occurs in southern France and Italy. In Germany these snakes are an invasive species that threatens native animals and thus becomes dangerous for biodiversity – similar to how the poisonous pufferfish in the Mediterranean displaces other fish species. At the landfill site in Zweibrücken the Zornnattern mostly make themselves comfortable under roofing felt, because it quickly warms up underneath and these animals from southern Europe love higher temperatures. Expert Laufer assumes that the snakes arrived at the dump in 2017 with waste that had been disposed of. "Among it there was certainly a pregnant animal. They reproduced." In the meantime there are apparently several hundred green-yellow Zornnattern on the waste disposal site and in the adjacent area. Call for sightings: please report Zornnattern with a photo The Umwelt- und Servicebetrieb Zweibrücken (UBZ), which is responsible for the Mörsbach landfill, is calling on everyone who believes they have seen a Zornnatter in the region to report it, as is the snake hunter. The best thing, reptile protector Laufer tells Euronews, is if a mobile phone photo of the snake is sent to him. This year there have already been around 25 reports. "But not all of them are Zornnattern. Other native species have also been reported. But we would rather receive observations of grass snakes as well than have a Zornnatter go unreported." He passes the snakes he catches on to people who can house the animals in a way appropriate to the species and ensure that they do not devour lizards and other reptiles. For his commitment, BUND Baden-Württemberg honoured Hubert Laufer in 2025 with the Gerhard Thielcke Nature Conservation Prize. If you believe you have seen a Zornnatter in Germany, UBZ Zweibrücken and amphibian protector Hubert Laufer are asking you to get in touch. The UBZ has a reporting portal (source in German) on the internet. The expert would prefer to be informed with a photo, by email at [email protected], by phone on 0175 9983307 or via WhatsApp.