It is absent from the Salentine Peninsula (Salento), which is the "heel" of the "boot" of Italy.

[2] The Italian Aesculapian snake is a medium to large snake that reaches a maximum total length (including tail) of 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft).

The iris of the eye is red, giving it the common name in Italian of saettone occhirossi (red-eyed racer).

The natural habitats of Z. lineatus are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, and urban areas, at altitudes from sea level to 1,600 m (5,200 ft).

[2] The Italian Aesculapian snake feeds on lizards, small mammals, and eggs.