[Alice]

Have you identified your visitor, John?
These slithery creatures are, it seems, becoming more plentiful or less shy on our land also. We encountered two species in the last few weeks, the Dwarf or Sand boa (Eryx jaculus turcicus, Gr. Tiflitis) and the more fearsome-looking Four-lined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata, Gr. Lafiatis), both non-venomous. The latter was too fast and didn't hang around to have its picture taken. There are seven snake species on Paros, including the venomous Cat snake (Telescopus fallax) and the Horned viper (Vipera ammodytes meridionalis).

[John J]

I'm not an expert on snakes, Alice, but I think it was a juvenile Large Whip (Coluber jugularis), non-venomous. I believe that there are 9 varieties of snake on Cyprus, 3 of them venomous. The Cat Snake (Telescopus fallax) and Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) that are both back-fanged and thus less of a risk to humans and the Blunt-nosed Viper (Vipera lebertina). One of our friends was bitten by the latter last year while out with a Walking Group and spent 3 days in the Intensive Care Ward of a local hospital. He was still walking with a limp several months later and his leg was black with a large indented area. I'm not sure that he has fully recovered still.

[JTh]

I don’t fear snakes much generally, there were lots of vipers where I grew up, but I was not too pleased when my husband found this one in our bedroom yesterday. It seemed to be in the process of changing its skin and probably looked for a shelter indoors. I tried to take some photos through the lidded glass bowl where my husband kept it after he caught it, it was impossible to get a clear picture through the thick glass, so I am not sure which species it was. It was quite small, ca 20 cm long and the head was triangular and flat. It was not Vipera ammodytes (no horn), it seems the other possibilities here are V. berus, and V. ursinii.

I must remember to sing and dance more the keep the bedroom snake-free.


P5060860 Vipera sp.jpg by Jorun Tharaldsen, on Flickr


P5060858 Vipera sp in our bedroom.jpg by Jorun Tharaldsen, on Flickr

[Hilary]

My goodness, how did he catch it?

I think there is a book about Greek snakes.

I seem to have seen it somewhere

[JTh]

He first tried put the glass bowl over it, the snake was not co-operative, so he had to use the tongs we use for our fireplace.

I can't help you with the book, but I remember reading Patrick Leigh Fermour's book 'Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece', where he says the the chanses of being bitten by a snake is next to nothing compaired to being attacked by a stray dog.

[John J]

My wife found this character on her early morning garden inspection today. Approx 60 cm long, no visible signs of injury, no cats in the vicinity, so cause of death unknown.