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Showing posts with label Snakes of Cyprus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snakes of Cyprus. Show all posts

Wednesday 22 July 2015

Montpellier snake - Malpolon insignitus (Geoffroy in Savigny, 1827) Σαΐττα - Σαπίτης - Cyprus

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The eight snakes of Cyprus - Τα οκτώ είδη φιδιών τις Κύπρου



Commonly known as the Montpellier snake, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged colubrids.
It is very common throughout the Mediterranean basin. 
It is up to 2.00 metres (7 ft) long and may weigh up to 1.5 kilograms (3 lb) It is active during the day and mainly feeds on lizards Although it is venomous, only a few cases of envenomation of humans are known, one of which occurred when a finger was inserted into the snake's mouth. The Montpellier snake is not a dangerous snake for humans. The rear fangs reduce the possibility of venom injection, and the venom is of low toxicity. Venom injections are possible in bites of big individuals. The venom is not very dangerous; symptomatic treatment suffices to treat an envenomation.The unthreatening nature of the snake, along with its relatively mild  persecution by man, has made it one of the more common species throughout its range, even in areas occupied by humans Genetic evidence suggests that the species originated in the Maghreb, migrating into southwestern Europe between 83,000 and 168,000 years ago and into southeastern Europe and western Asia at an earlier time. It is most closely related to the North African and Arabian species Malpolon moilensis and to a fossil species from the Pliocene of Spain,Malpolon mlynarskii, with which it forms the genus Malpolon. Malpolon has a good fossil record, dating back to the Pliocene in both southwestern Europe and northern Africa, but many of the fossils are isolated vertebrae, which are difficult to assign to species. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




 
Photos and videos Nicosia by George Konstantinou

































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Cyprus Whip Snake - Hierophis cypriensis (Schätti, 1985) Κυπριακό φίδι - Endemic to Cyprus

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The Cyprus whip snake (Hierophis cypriensis) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is endemic to Cyprus.
Its natural habitats are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and water storage areas. It is one of the three species of the genus Hierophis. No subspecies are currently recognized. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Photo  by George Konstantinou





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Cyprus Grass snake - Natrix natrix cypriaca (Hecht, 1930) Νερόφιδο - Endemic subspecies of Cyprus

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The eight snakes of Cyprus - Τα οκτώ είδη φιδιών τις Κύπρου






Endemic subspecies of Cyprus

Ενδημικό υποείδος της Κύπρου
Είδος Προτεραιότητας
Αυστηρή προστασία από Ευρωπαϊκή Οδηγία 92/43/ΕΚ
Αυστηρή προστασία από τον Κυπριακό Νόμο 153(Ι)2003

The Cyprus grass snake (Natrix natrix cypriaca) is an endangered subspecies of the grass snake (Natrix natrix) and is endemic subspecies to the island of Cyprus.

The grass snake (Natrix natrix), sometimes called the ringed snake or 'water snake', is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.
The grass snake is typically dark green or brown in colour with a characteristic yellow collar behind the head, which explains the alternative name ringed snake. The colour may also range from grey to black, with darker colours being more prevalent in colder regions, presumably owing to the thermal benefits of being dark in colour. The underside is whitish with irregular blocks of black, which are useful in recognizing individuals. In Great Britain, the grass snake is the largest reptile, reaching up to 190 centimetres (6 ft 3 in) total length, though such large specimens are rare. Females are considerably larger than males, typically reaching a size of 90–110 centimetres (2 ft 11 in–3 ft 7 in) when fully grown. Males are approximately 50 centimetres (20 in) shorter and significantly smaller in girth. Weight is about 240 grams (8 oz). Since the colour of its collar is often pale yellow to white in the Balkans region, the name for this snake in Serbo-Croatian language isbelouška/bjelouška, which means white-eared snake.
The grass snake is widely distributed in mainland Europe, ranging from mid Scandinavia to southern Italy. It is also found in Middle East and northwestern Africa. British grass snakes belong to the subspecies N. n. helvetica.
This species is one of only three snakes to occur in Great Britain, and is distributed throughout lowland areas of England and Wales; it is almost absent from Scotland and is not found in Ireland, which has no native snakes.
Grass snakes prey mainly on amphibians, especially the common toad and the common frog, although they may also occasionally eat ants. Captive snakes have been observed taking earthworms offered by hand, but dead prey items are never taken. The snake will search actively for prey, often on the edges of water, using sight and sense of smell (using Jacobson's organ). They consume prey live without using constriction. .Grass snakes are strong swimmers and may be found close to fresh water, although there is evidence individual snakes often do not need bodies of water throughout the entire season.
The preferred habitat appears to be open woodland and "edge" habitat, such as field margins and woodland borders, as these may offer adequate refuge while still affording ample opportunity for thermoregulation through basking. Pond edges are also favoured and the relatively high chance of observing this secretive species in such areas may account for their perceived association with ponds and water.
Grass snakes, as with most reptiles, are at the mercy of the thermal environment and need to overwinter in areas which are not subject to freezing. Thus, they typically spend the winter underground where the temperature is relatively stable. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Photos by George Konstantinou












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    Sunday 19 July 2015

    Cat snake -Telescopus fallax cyprianus (Barbour & Amaral, 1927) Ξυλόδροπης, Αγιόφιδο - Endemic subspecies of Cyprus

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    Endemic subspecies of Cyprus
    The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax), also known as the Soosan snake, is a venomous colubrid snake endemic to the Mediterranean and Caucasus regions. The snake is a venomous species, but it is considered no threat to humans because it is rear-fanged and does not possess the ability to deliver the venom to humans, It can and does, however, use the grooved fangs at the back of its upper jaw to inject venom sufficient to kill its principal prey. The European Cat Snake feeds mainly on geckos and lizards.
    To kill its prey, the cat snake injects a sufficient amount of venom into its prey and will quite happily let its prey run away and die. The snake will just follow and find its prey by tasting the air around it and finding the path its dying prey took. It will then swallow the dead/paralyzed prey whole, headfirst. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia







    Photos and videos Nicosia by George Konstantinou






                                           
                                       
                                       







    Photos and videos Agios Sozomenos  6/2023 by George Konstantinou









    Το παλικάρι μου με ένα Cat snake -Telescopus fallax cyprianus Ξυλόδροπης. Το ίδιο πάθος με μένα η ίδια αγάπη για την βιοποικιλότητα της πατρίδας μας.


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