Snakes alive,
‘Most species on the island are harmless and should be left alone‘
By KEREM HASAN Chief Reporter
IT WAS my mission and I had to accept it, but when the editor told me to do a feature on the snakes of Cyprus, I shivered. It’s more than not liking them. I have a phobia. As soon as I hear that hissing noise, I’m gone.
So it was with some misgivings that I took the long road up to the flanks of the Beşparmak mountains, near “The Flag,” where you will find the Taşkent Nature Park, home to number of snake varieties and rescue centre for wildlife of every fur and feather.
I can’t say it cured my aversion to the reptiles, but I did learn one important lesson: Seeing a venomous snake is not the problem, not seeing them, is!
Ulaş Şeherlioğlu is the qualified wildlife rehabilitation expert who handles the snakes. There are six species in North Cyprus, but, he stresses, only one for people to fear, the Blunt-Nosed Viper. Others you may find are the Black Whip Snake, the Coin Snake, Montpellier, Cat Eyed and the pink Worm Snake.
To avoid what he describes as an “unwanted outcome,” he advises everyone to keep their gardens tidy and free of debris where snakes can hide and get stepped on by accident.
“Mountainous areas such as Karmi, Lapta and Bellapais has seen an increase in snake sightings — probably due to their search for prey which have become more embroiled in ever growing residential areas. If the Blunt Nosed viper is found inside a residency or garden — we ask people to call 1190 anytime, 24/7, and we will come and remove it.
“It is important that the snake is left alone but observed during this period as it is able to disappear and hide easily. The Blunt Nosed Viper is is an ambush hunter. This means that it has a characteristic of not attacking, unless feeling under threat. This snake will stay still and make a hissing sound as a warning for it not to be approached or touched. It will only attack if a person goes within its attack range — about 1-1.5m, depending on the snake size.
“All other snake species on the island are harmless and they should be left alone if seen in a garden as they will leave. We will only come for assistance if they are inside a property. We are at present receiving an average of 10 to 12 calls a day for assistance for snake removals.”
Ulaş, who attributes the “record” level of snake reports due
to "increase of awareness and people reporting the sightings as well as urbanisation. He empha-sised that this was "not because of an increase in the population of snakes". Ulas, qualified as an IT engi-neer but is passionate about wildlife. "I never got into this pro-fession, the profession got into me," he said. "I have a passion for every living animal, and always had a curiosity for snakes. I was fasci-nated by snakes and would lift up stones and debris in the hope of finding one feeding myself infor-mation about them."
Now for the part I was dreading as Ula§ released a Blunt Nosed Viper from its container. Thankfully, he kept the reptile totally under control with an alu-minium pole, like a fruit tree picker. But as it swerved and slid, baring its fangs just yards in front of me, I felt real fear and had to decline the offer of a closer look_ The animal, retrieved from a garden in Girne, will be released once it has recovered from capture. "What is important to note, is that snakes aren't `poisoinous' —that is when a person eats some-thing, which is poisonous. Snakes are venomous. The venom is hemotoxic. It is not regarded as being deadly," he told me.
`The venom of the Blunt Nosed Viper is not the type that: attacks the nervous system — it won't paralyse a person. The venom attacks blood cells, affecting circu-lation and tissue at the paint of entry on the body — causing it to errode. This is why immediate medical attention and treatment is needed to stop this process —which can in extreme cases turn to gangrene."
Can the venom of this ambush hunter kill a human?
“It depends on many factors: The place bitten, the amount of venom injected and the persons physical condition and age,” he said. “Risk groups include children, the elderly and whether the person has a chronic disease”.
It will attack if a person goes within attack range of the snake — usually 1.5 to 2m depending on the size of the snake. “The snake has a characteristic of being a vader threat — it goes into an ‘S’ shape and hisses as a warning. “It does not want to waste its venom inside its glands and deplete it – so it is possible for a ‘dry bite’ incident to happen. The larger the snake, the more venom it is likely to have.
“The viper is the only snake in Cyprus that has two big fangs. The other snake species have no fangs, but have tiny rows of teeth in the mouth.”