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Telescopus fallax (Cat-eyed Snake)


Telescopus fallax (Cat-eyed Snake)
Photo Information
Copyright: Bayram Gocmen (boreocypriensis) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5371 W: 188 N: 14149] (38788)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1998-05
Categories: Reptiles
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Cyprus Herpetofauna, Snakes - Serpientes - Serpents, RARE or SIGNIFICANT contributions to TN 3, Dedications at TrekNature Part Three [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-02-12 1:34
Viewed: 1855
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Telescopus fallax (Cat-eyed Snake)

A slender necked and broad headed snake with a total length up to 70-80 cm. Eyes small, with vertical pupils. A single preocular plate; 2 postocular plates, rarely 1 or 3; 8 supralabial plates, sometimes 7 or 9. 19, rarely 21 rows of smooth dorsal scales at mid-body. The dorsum is gray brown with black maculations, which become faded towards the posterior of body. A dark temporal stripe present. A row of maculations also on flanks. The venter is yellowish-white, with dun-coloured marblings.

It prefers stony areas, sunny rocky slopes, sandy places with bushy plant cover adjacent to roads and ruins. Feeds on lizards and small mammals. Forages at dawn and dusk, killing its prey with venom, then swallowing. It has fangs at back of upper jaw, so not dangerous to man. A female lays 7-8 eggs.

It is widespread in Cyprus, SW Asia, Balkan countries, Turkey and Aegean islands; with a vertical distribution to 1600 m. One of the most frequently encountered snake species in Northern Cyprus and represented with an endemic subspecies, T. f. cyprianus.

It has typically 21 dorsal scales at midbody and there are no regular blotches on the tail apart from the other known races of the T. fallax. Therefore, it is very quite different and according to me it should be recognized as full species as T. cyprianus.

Today, I would like to dedicate this posting to my all friends in TN. Thank you for everything!

Cheers

Ps: This posting scaned from a diapositive
xTauruSx, zulfu, Jamesp, bahadir, nkasot, Argus, spalaxtr, jaycee, rousettus, Luis52, JORAPAVI, jpdenk, yasemin, montivipera, cypturk has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jpdenk: Hello Johnboreocypriensis 1 02-18 22:30
To meyerd: hello Dietrichboreocypriensis 1 02-14 12:09
To dejo: hello Dejanboreocypriensis 1 02-13 12:45
To JORAPAVI: Hello Joséboreocypriensis 1 02-13 01:15
To Luis52: :Hello Luisboreocypriensis 1 02-12 18:08
To matatur: selam Hocamboreocypriensis 1 02-12 14:24
To Silvio2006: Hello Silvioboreocypriensis 1 02-12 14:10
To kjpweb: Hello Klausboreocypriensis 1 02-12 14:10
To rousettus: :)boreocypriensis 1 02-12 12:05
To Tobias__Ortmann: Hello Tobiasboreocypriensis 1 02-12 10:46
To joey: Hello Joeboreocypriensis 1 02-12 10:11
To jaycee: :)boreocypriensis 1 02-12 10:10
To fragman: :)boreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:39
To spalaxtr: Selam Mustafaboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:14
To Argus: Hi friend IVANboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:13
To nkasot: sğlboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:10
To mariki: hello Marikiboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:10
To bahadir: teşekkürboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:09
To Jamesp: Hello Jamesboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:08
To zulfu: sğlboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:07
To xTauruSx: sğlboreocypriensis 1 02-12 07:06
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Critiques [Translate]

Selam Hocam. Çok güzel bir yakın çekim. Verdiğiniz bilgiler de öyle. Teşekkürler.
Deniz

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1243 W: 0 N: 171] (916)
  • [2008-02-12 2:02]
  • [+]

Bayram hocam elinize sağlık. Güzel bir kare ve detaylar. Teşekkürler.
Mehmet

Hi Bayram

Another outstanding shot - I really like the POV and the detail on the scales and eyes is wonderful.

Thanks

James

Hocam elinize sağlık. Nefis bir kare olmuş.
Bahadır

Hello Bayram,

Very nice sharp close-up of this snake. Beautiful detail. Good composition, light and colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Merhaba Hocam, yine nefis bir yakın plan çekimi. Yılanın gözü de iyi odaklanmış. Elinize sağlık. Teşekkürler.
Nazım

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4079 W: 190 N: 12063] (37165)
  • [2008-02-12 4:11]
  • [+]

Hello Bayram,
Nice shot of a Cat-eyed Snake well scanned from the original. Once again a superb pose, POV and composition, the vertical eye pupil showing well.
I hope to see this one in Cyprus one day: I'll let you know when we can travel to Cyprus so we can try to meet!
Thanks for the fine dedication to us on TN,
Best wishes, Ivan

Bayram merhaba,
Güzel bir yakın çekim. Senin diyapozitif kolleksiyonun da epey zengindir. Bakalım daha ne cevherler çıkacak. Eline sağlık. Selamlar,
Mustafa

nice pic, I see it is an older scan. TFS Ori

Hi Bayram,

What a beautiful snake this is. I love the colors and the markings on the skin. Wonderful details of the face - and another fantastic eye. The position is wonderful.

Jane

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1999 W: 226 N: 6845] (24733)
  • [2008-02-12 10:09]
  • [+]

Nice image of this snake Bayram!
I like the different shades of grey.
Very sharp though quite noisy.
Well composed and a superb POV.
Great DOF as well.
Superb work once again my friend.
Thanks,
Joe

Hi hocam
I love snakes and this foto is a very good of it
the sharpness is very good maybe on the head it could be better but really nice details and nice contrast
a very good job
tfs Toba

yine güzel bir çekim, harika detaylar özellikle nokturnal-gececi özelliğiyle adını aldığı kedigözleri. açısı, kompozisyonu çok güzel. eline sağlık hacı.
selamlar.

  •      
  • kjpweb Gold Star Critiquer [C: 326 W: 86 N: 1084] (4788)
  • [2008-02-12 12:23]
  • [+]

Good one again, Bayram. Great detail captured. Only point of critique would be the relatively high jpg compression, that becomes visible especially around the contures of the body.
Other than that - great job!
Cheers, Klaus

Very good scene Bayram, some unpleasant noise here and there, undoubtedly stemmed from the scanning process, but the specimen is perfect. Thanks for my share of the dedication my friend!
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1148 W: 5 N: 3543] (13101)
  • [2008-02-12 17:01]
  • [+]

Hola Bayram.
Exelente foto de esta serpiente. El color de sus ojos llaman la atencion.
Gracias por Tu dedicatoria para toda la Familia de fotografos.
Saludos
Many Thanks My Friend.
Luis52.

Hola Bayram,
Excelente toma con buena definición donde se aprecian muy bien los detalles, buena nota informativa. Saludos
José Ramón

Hi Bayram, splendid snake with wonderful sharpness, good colors, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 375 W: 51 N: 519] (2238)
  • [2008-02-13 9:09]
  • [+]

Hello Bayram,
One more fantastic close-up pic! I really like the pose!
great details and composition,
regards, Dejan

Hi Bayram, me again,

I like the picture of this Telescopus despite its shortcomings (the grain produced by scanning a slide), but we will see few pictures of this Colubrid with perpendicular (!) pupils.
Thank you for dedicating the slide to all of us TN freaks, including me!

My best regards
Dietrich

Hi Bayram,

I like this photo, very interesting-looking snake, and you caught it at just the right time.

Thanks,
John

BUNUN GOZLERI GERCEKTEN KEDININKI GIBI. BOYNUNUN DURUSU DA HARIKA. ELINE SAGLIK.
LEYLA

Merhaba Hocam,
Çok güzel bir Kedi Gözlü Yılan fotoğrafı. Neden böyle denildiği de fotoğrafta çok güzel görünüyor, elinize sağlık.
Naşit

Great portrait shot. The colouring is very striking and really vibrent. tfs. cypturk

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