European cat snake

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European cat snake
Mediterranean Cat Snake.jpg
Telescopus fallax from Malta
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Telescopus
Species:
T. fallax
Binomial name
Telescopus fallax
(Fleischmann, 1831)
Synonyms [1]
  • Coluber vivax Fitzinger, 1826
  • Tarbophis fallaxFleischmann, 1831
  • Trigonophis iberus Eichwald, 1831
  • Coluber carneusDwigubsky, 1832
  • Ailurophis vivax Bonaparte, 1837
  • Tarbophis savignyi Boulenger, 1896

The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax), also known as the Mediterranean cat snake, is a non venomous colubrid snake endemic to the Mediterranean and Caucasus regions.

Contents

Geographic range

It occurs in Italy, Greece (Paros, Antiparos, Tourlos, Crete, Kalymnos, Samos, Milos, Corfu), Albania, coastal Slovenia, Croatia (including some Adriatic islands), Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, southern Bulgaria, Turkey, Malta, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, southern Russia (Caucasus region), Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

Ecology and biology

The European cat snake is venomous, but because it is rear-fanged (fangs are located at the back of the upper jaw), it rarely injects its venom in defensive biting, and is therefore considered no threat to humans. It feeds mainly on geckos and lizards.[ citation needed ]

The species can be found in open and scrubby country including beaches and open woodlands. [1]

Cat snakes can reach a length of up to 100cms [2]

Subspecies

5 subspecies are currently recognized. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Aram Agasyan; Aziz Avci; Boris Tuniyev; Jelka Crnobrnja Isailovic; Petros Lymberakis; Claes Andrén; Dan Cogalniceanu; John Wilkinson; Natalia Ananjeva; Nazan Üzüm; et al. (2009). "Telescopus fallax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2009: e.T157258A5062870. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T157258A5062870.en . Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  2. page 193 https://books.google.com/books?id=ymhADwAAQBAJ&dq=European+cat+snake&pg=PA191
  3. "Telescopus fallax".

Further reading