Biology:European cat snake

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Short description: Species of snake

European cat snake
Mediterranean Cat Snake.jpg
Telescopus fallax from Malta
Scientific classification edit
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 fallax Fleischmann, 1831
  • Trigonophis iberus Eichwald, 1831
  • Coluber carneus Dwigubsky, 1832
  • Ailurophis vivax — Bonaparte, 1837
  • Tarbophis savignyi Boulenger, 1896

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

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

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]

Subspecies

5 subspecies are currently recognized.[2]

  • Telescopus fallax cyprianus (Barbour & Amaral, 1927) - Cyprus
  • Telescopus fallax fallax (Fleischmann, 1831) - Northeastern Italy, Greece (Paros, Mykonos, Antiparos, Crete, Kalymnos, Samos, Kimolos, Milos, Corfu, Syros), Albania, coastal Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, southern Bulgaria, Turkey, Malta, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, southern Russia , Armenia, Republic of Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
  • Telescopus fallax iberus (Eichwald, 1831) - Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Georgia, southern Russia , northern Iran, and East Turkey.
  • Telescopus fallax pallidus (Stepanek, 1944) - Crete, Gavdos, Elasa and Christiana Islands.
  • Telescopus fallax syriacus (Boettger, 1880) - Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, southeast Turkey and northern Israel.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Aram AgasyanExpression error: Unrecognized word "etal". (2009). "Telescopus fallax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T157258A5062870. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T157258A5062870.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/157258/5062870. Retrieved 15 March 2022. 
  2. ↑ "Telescopus fallax". https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Telescopus&species=fallax. 

Further reading

  • Arnold EN, Burton JA. 1978. A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. London: Collins. 272 pp. + Plates 1–40.
    ISBN:0-00-219318-3. (Telescopus fallax, pp. 207–210 + Plate 38, Figures 4a, 4b + Map 120).
  • Fleischmann FL. 1831. Dalmatiae Nova Serpentum Genera. Erlangen, Germany: C. Heyder. 35 pp. (Tarbophis fallax, new species, p. 18).

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q1377407 entry




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