Hiss that time of year again!
With the weather warming, the snakes of North Cyprus are slithering out into the open. We look at the different types that exist on the island and how to avoid them.
I WAS walking in a car park near the village of Zeytinlik having done some shopping, when I noticed something slithering on the tarmac. Curious to see what it was, it struck me that this black-coloured beast was actually right next to my car.
I have a phobia about snakes and especially the Blunt Nose Viper – known to be the most venomous snake of Cyprus. Snakes inspire fascination and feelings in a way that no other type of animal can. These long, legless reptiles play an important role in the natural environment and food chain. Effective hunters and ambush predators, snakes use
their highly developed senses of sight, taste, hearing and touch to locate, recognise and track their prey. Some snakes use a lethal dose of venom, a modified saliva, to paralyse and kill their prey while others use their powerful muscular bodies to squeeze their prey to death.
The rising temperatures are like an alarm clock for snakes to come out of hibernation, if they have not already done so.
There are six snake species in North Cyprus, each with a distinct appearance and colour.
Experts say this is the season when snakes are waking up to the sunshine
and eagerly out looking to feed and mate.
Snakes have immense benefits to us. They can keep pests, such as rats and mice, in check.
Ulaş Şeherlioğlu, a qualified wildlife rehabilitation expert who handles snakes and is a volunteer at the Taşkent Nature Park (TNP) says that of the six species in North Cyprus, there is only one that people should fear: the blunt-nosed viper, known locally as the “gufi”. Other species you could come across are the black whip snake, the coin snake, the montpellier snake, the cat eyed snake and the pink worm snake.
Speaking to Cyprus Today, Mr Şeherlioğlu explained what happened recently after he had to rescue a blunt nose viper from a well in Çayırova.
“We received a call on 1190 [the TNP wildlife support line] from Mehmetçik Mayor Cemil Sarıçizmeli after a resident saw a black-coloured snake inside a well.
“We immediately attended and were able to rescue the snake. The residents had believed that the snake was a black whip snake at first. We saw that this snake was fairly dark in colour but had the faint patterns of the blunt nose viper. . .the snake was actually in the process of shedding its skin.
“After we rescued the snake and the shedding of its skin occurred, the same snake turned from the dark blackish colour to the accustomed colour we know of the blunt nose viper. This is normal for the blunt nose viper as it matures. The younger ones are darkish in colour, as they mature, the colour becomes the brown colour with the marks that we are accustomed to seeing.”
Mr Şeherlioğlu said there are important aspects of the reptile that people should remember: “Snakes usually prefer to retreat when encountered but can become defensive if threatened. Most snake bites are received by people who try to capture or kill a snake.
“Snakes are becoming more active following a period of brumation, as the temperatures increase. We have entered a period where people will notice snakes more as they become more active and visible.”
However Mr Şeherlioğlu said he was “still concerned” that “due to lack of awareness, there are reports of people killing blunt nose vipers.
“Unfortunately, despite all our campaigns to raise awareness and to explain to the public that snakes of any species should not be killed, there has been little progress to stop this from happening,” he said.
“Many people are also killing the harmless coin snake after mistakenly thinking that this is a venomous snake.
“These killings are generally done by a certain section of the community, by people in the fields and mountainous areas of the country.”
Mr Şeherlioğlu said it was important to note that if people see a snake in their homes they can call the 1190 helpline for assistance, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
He warned people “not to take your eyes off the snake for even a second because they are very good at hiding”.