About Telescopus fallax Fleischmann, 1831
The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax), also called the Mediterranean cat snake, is a venomous snake species in the family Colubridae. It occurs in Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. In Southeastern Europe, its range covers extreme northeastern Italy, extending south along the Adriatic coast of the Balkans to Albania, Northern Macedonia, Greece, and southern Bulgaria. It also lives on several Mediterranean islands including Malta, Crete, and Cyprus. In Western Asia, its range stretches from Turkey south to Israel, east to Iraq and Iran, and north into the Caucasus Mountains as far as southern Russia. This species was first recorded in Malta in 1894, and was originally considered an introduced species; recent studies have confirmed it is native to the Maltese archipelago. The European cat snake is venomous and rear-fanged, meaning its fangs are located at the back of the upper jaw. Because of this placement, its venom is not very effective on humans, though it can inject venom during a bite if a body part is deep enough for the snake to attempt to swallow it. It feeds primarily on geckos, lizards, and other snakes. It can be found in open, scrubby habitats including beaches, open woodlands, and mountainous areas. Adults of this species can reach a maximum total length of 100 cm.
