Macroprotodon cucullatus
The hooded snake ( Macroprotodon cucullatus ) is a species of snakes ( Colubridae ). The distribution area extends from the southern Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands across North Africa to Israel. It has the back of the jaw grooves teeth that are connected to poison glands, and is therefore not monophyletic group of snakes associated with deceit.
Features
The hooded snake is a small snake, reaching an average length of about 40 to 50 cm, large specimens can also be about 60 cm long. The body color is light gray, gray-brown or reddish -brown with a dorsal and flank drawing from indistinct dark spots that may form stripes. In the neck, there is a conspicuous dark spot ( " hood spot "), which expires pointed forward and backward and can take up a large part of the neck or the head. Both sides of the nostrils pulling a temple band over the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The belly is yellowish- cream white or light pink to red and has a dark mottling. The body scales are smooth, the body acts therefore smooth and shiny.
The flattened head is only slightly separated from the body. The small eyes are set very far forward on the head and have a vertically oval pupil. The snout shield is broad, but very low educated and barely visible in the top view, a rein board is displayed. Around the middle of the body are 19-25 rows of scales.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution area extends from the southern Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands across North Africa to Israel. Several subspecies are recognized:
- M. c. ibericus - Iberian on the southern peninsula and the Balearic Islands
- M. c. brevis - Western and Central Morocco
- M. c. cucullatus - Central and Southern Algeria, Tunisia, North Libya, North Egypt and Israel
- M. c. mauritanicus - East Morocco, northern Algeria and northern Tunisia.
As a habitat, the animals dry terrain and scree slopes and glades settle in deep and hills up to 1,500 m altitude. In addition, they are found in laying stone walls and ruined buildings which they use as shelter.
Way of life
The hooded snake is crepuscular and nocturnal. She considers herself above all on the ground and hiding during the day under rocks and in burrows and rock crevices and crumbling masonry. She holds a winter rest from four to six months.
Your prey spectrum comprises mainly small lizards and geckos. The trapped animals she holds in her jaws so tightly, until the poison in her home at the rear of the teeth fangs acts and paralyzes or kills the prey.
The Snake is oviparous, the clutch consist of 5-7 eggs. The young snakes hatch in late summer and begin already active after the first moult looking for food.
Snake venom
Hooded snakes possess an effective for their prey poison that they can bring to a wound on the furrows behind permanent teeth ( opistoglyph ). The snakes can bite people, besides which, however, is for people relatively harmless poison usually by standing far back fangs not used. Bite accidents are also relatively rare.
Endangering
The hooded snake is classified as endangered ( " Least Concern ") in the IUCN Red List. This is justified by the huge range of the species with a presumed large overall population. In addition, the snake is relatively insensitive to changes in the habitat. Locally, this type but also be at risk, mainly due to intensification of agriculture and an increase in urbanization. On the island of Lampedusa, the number of individuals increases due to deforestation sharply in Egypt is a sharp decline due to the increasing catch figures for the international Terraristikhandel as well as an increase in tourism and other factors recorded.