Aesculapian snake

reptile

Also known as: Elaphe longissima

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July 23, 2026

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The Aesculapian snake, scientifically known as Elaphe longissima or Coluber longissimus, is a harmless European snake. It was considered sacred to Aesculapius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine. This snake is also referred to as a rat snake, a group that includes many species found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Rat snakes are nonvenomous and kill their prey, typically rats and mice, by constriction.12

The term "Aesculapian" itself relates to Aesculapius or the art of healing. The symbol associated with Aesculapius is a staff with a serpent coiled around it, which is a true symbol of medicine.34

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rat snake
The Aesculapian snake (E. longissima), plain and dark coloured, is native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. In ancient times it was sacred to Aesclepius, god of medicine; the present isolated populations in Germany and Switzerland are descended from specimens conveyed to health resorts there by…
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The Aesculapian snake (E. longissima), plain and dark coloured, is native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. In ancient times it was sacred to Aesclepius, god of medicine; the present isolated populations in Germany and Switzerland are descended from specimens conveyed to health resorts there by…
Read More