(This site is for the snake found in Africa and Middle East. For the snake species Javanese False Cobra, go to Dull bamboo snake) The false cobra (''Malpolon moilensis''), or hooded malpolon, is an opisthoglyphous

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

found in parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. The name "false cobra" comes from the fact that while it is not a

cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...

, it imitates a cobra's stance by spreading its neck into a hood and hissing like the cobra. It can grow up to 1.5 metres in length and preys on

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

and

lizards Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The ...

, while it itself falls prey to the

Great grey shrike The great grey shrike (''Lanius excubitor'') is a large and predatory songbird species in the shrike family (biology), family (Laniidae). It forms a superspecies with its parapatric southern relatives, the Iberian grey shrike (''L. meridionalis' ...

Description

Adults are usually 0.8 – 1.4 m in length, but some specimens have reached about 1.9 m. They have big round eyes, reddish in colour. One distinctive feature that the snake has is a black blotch which runs from the cheek to the angle of the jaw. It generally has a straw coloured background checkered with brownish spots running along the body. The belly surface is usually creme.

Geographical range

''Malpolon moilensis'' is found in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and the

Behavior

When threatened, ''Malpolon moilensis'' will imitate a

's stance by spreading its neck into a hood and hissing like the cobra.

Feeding

In the wild, it mainly feeds on

, fledgling birds, and

. Captives accept mice (pre-killed, frozen, and live)

Captivity

''M. moilensis'' is not commonly found in collections in the United States, possibly due to the highly aggressive nature of some specimens. In the

, they are rarely found in some petshops, as snakes are not commonly kept as pets. Some specimens can be extremely docile and easy to handle, while others might not tolerate handling and display their above-mentioned defensive posture. The

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

may not be deadly, but if the fangs do get hold of bare flesh and venom is injected, the pain can be excruciating; causing swelling and potentially other complications.

Care

In captivity, ''M. moilensis'' should be kept at low humidity, and can be fed a mouse (pinkies for smaller specimens) once every 14–20 days. They should be supplied with a clean bowl of water, a hiding place, and a small rock to assist in the shedding process.

Shedding

''M. moilensis'' will

shed A shed is typically a simple, single-storey (though some sheds may have two or more stories and or a loft) roofed structure, often used for storage, for hobby, hobbies, or as a workshop, and typically serving as outbuilding, such as in a bac ...

once every 30–50 days. Like other snakes, the process will take about 7–10 days. On the first two days, the eyes will become bluish in color and the skin will become pale. A week later, the snake will shed its skin. During the whole period, you should avoid handling the snake or feeding it.

Postage stamps

In 2024 La poste du Mali issued a series of

stamps Stamp or Stamps or Stamping may refer to: Official documents and related impressions * Postage stamp, used to indicate prepayment of fees for public mail * Ration stamp, indicating the right to rationed goods * Revenue stamp, used on documents to ...

with reptiles. False cobra appeared on one of them. "Reptiles on Stamps 2024"
FYSV Stamp News, July 25, 2024.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1541192 Psammophiidae Snakes of Asia Snakes of Africa Reptiles described in 1834 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN