| Actual Image
Common Cat Snake (66)
boreocypriensis
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5077 W: 178 N: 12290]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (33523) | Telescopus fallax (Common Cat Snake) [in Turk. Kedi Gözlü Yılan]
A few weeks ago, we have conducted a daily photographic adventure to the Nature (Karaburun, Izmir) with my students and we encountered an elegant couple of Common Cat Snake on a tree while they were in sunbathing! I took some shots and will share some of them with you today and next days. Today I am presenting a total appearance…
I also attached two WS while I was photographing them and they were on my shoulders -taken by one of my students, Bahadır.
TFL and have a nice WE!
Cheers,
©Bayram GÖÇMEN, Ege University, Faculty of Science. All Rights Reserved.
Ps. The genus name came after from the Greek and Latin words: tele = 'far' and skopein or scopus = 'to look or see', i.e. the meaning of teleskopos or telescopus is 'far-seeing'
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Common Cat Snake is one of the member of the family Colubridae (Whip snakes) and a middle sized slender snake, reaching maximum total length of nearly 1 m. The head is flattened, clearly distinct from neck; the eyes are relatively large, with a vertical pupil and yellow iris. The ground colour is creme brown to grey, with a mid-dorsal series of oval brown spots (beginning with an irregular, sometimes triangular spot on the neck) of about the same size of the interspaces and alternating, somewhat paler blotches or transversal to oblique streaks on the flanks. The head is of a distinct colour than the body, mostly greyish with fine black spotting or vermiculation. The belly is creme with irregular black spotting.
Common Cat Snake is distributed in Coastal Balkan, Mediterranean islands, east to Caucasus and Iran, south to Israel. It prefers dry stony habitats, xeric woodland, stony walls, ruins. It is nocturnal, predominantly terrestrial but climbs well. A relatively quiet snake, but under stress ready to bite. The toxin is harmless for humans. The food consists mainly of lizards; occasionally snakes and small rodents are eaten as well.
The taxonomy of this extremely polytypic species with many described forms of uncertain status requires major revision. At present, following subspecies are listed: T. f. fallax (NE Italy, Malta, Balkan Peninsula, W & S Turkey to Amanos Mts ); T. f. iberus (E Europe of the Black Sea, N Anatolia, Caucasus and Iran); T f multisquamatus; T f pallidus; T. f. rhodicus (all from Greek islands); T. f. cyprianus (endemic to Cyprus island) and T. f. syriacus (from the Levant: SE Anatolia, Syria, N Iraq and Israel).
References:
1. Göçmen, B. (Unpub. results). The results of herpetological trips.
2. Budak, A. & Göçmen, B. (2005). Herpetology. Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 194, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 226 pp. [2nd Edition, 2008].
3. Disi, A. M., Modry, D., Necas, P. & Rifai, L. (2001). Amphibians and Reptiles of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Edition Chimaira, 408 pp.
4. Atatür, M. K & Göçmen, B. (2001). Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Cyprus (1st Edition), Ege Üniversitesi, Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 170, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 63 pp.
5. Baran, I. & Atatür, M. K. (1998). Turkish Herpetofauna (Amphibians & Reptiles). Ministry of Environment, Ankara. 214 pp.
6. Arnold, N.E. (1978). A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe.Collins, London, UK, 288 pp. |
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