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The Blunt-nosed Viper Dabvia (Vipera) lebelina and it is usually only dangerous if stepped on or frightened. Left alone it is not aggressive and will not attack..

This is a short. thick snake which cannot be mistaken for any other species. It is not easily scared and may sit well disguised in a variety of habitats. It is commoner in dry terrain and can he spotted best near springs where it stalks its prey. It can be found throughout Cyprus and it feeds mainly on rats and other small mammals, although it is not averse to taking other reptiles and small birds. Apart from the Cyprus endemic Hierophis cypriensis, the other snakes found in Cyprus are:

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Nature in the raw-Montpellier Snake with its victim, an Agama lizard

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The Coin Snake has bluish eyes when changing its skin.

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Young Large Whip Snake... the black skin comes later

The Cat Snake Telescopus falax, so called because it has eyes with vertical pupils (so has the Blunt-nosed Viper)

The Coin Snake, Coluber nummifer, so called because of the very striking marks on its back which resemble coins.

The Large Whip Snake Hierophis jugularis. which is the common black snake.

The Montpelher Snake, Malpolon monspessulanus, which is a back-fanged snake

The Grass Snake, Nalrix natrix, a very aquatic snake

The Worm Snake, Typhlops vermicularis, which lives underground and looks like a shiny earthworm.

The only snake in Cyprus that is dangerous if maltreated is the viper, though a large Montpellier Snake should be handled with care. Its back fangs are used to stun its prey while swallowing it-so don't stick your finger down its throat! All snakes, like most wild animals, will bite if they are caught- this is a defence mechanism

The Grass Snake was until recently thought to be extinct. in Cyprus, until a good colony was recently discovered in a reservoir. Like all freshwater animals, it is protected in Cyprus under the Fisheries Law.

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Living links with the island's dawn | Frogs | Snakes | Lizards | Turtles By Andreas Demetropoulos
Snakes Of Cyprus | Snakes Of Cyprus | Snake Species in Cyprus | Reptiles of Cyprus.By Antonis L. Antoniou