The false cobra (''Malpolon moilensis''), or hooded malpolon, is an opisthoglyphous

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

found in parts of

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

and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

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

and

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia a ...

, 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 (Laniidae). It forms a superspecies with its parapatric southern relatives, the Iberian grey shrike (''L. meridionalis''), the Chinese ...

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, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...

and the

Behavior

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

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 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.

References

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