Crnokrpica, Pržac, Telescopus fallax fallax, Cat Snake

Zmije Hrvatske Snakes of Croatia

Crnokrpica
"pržac"

Telescopus fallax fallax

Cat Snake

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GDJE:

Čitava obala Hrvatske, mnogi otoci (Krk, Cres, Rab, Lošinj, Pag, Silba, Kornati, Šolta, Bra? Svetac, Vis, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Lopud...)

Opis:
Odrasli su obično oko 75 cm, ali nekad i 130 cm. Vitka zmija sa širokom plosnatom glavom. "Njuška" je zašiljena, ali tupa, oči su male s okomitom zjenicom. Ljuske na glavi su velike. Leđne ljuske su glatke. Siva, be?ili smeđkasta leđa s tamnom mrljom ili ogrlicom iza glave i niz tamnih poprečnih pruga ili mrlja na leđima, koje su često ukošene (naročito na vratu gdje se najbolje vide). Blijeđe linije prisutne na bokovima. Često ima tamnu prugu od svakog oka do spoja čeljusti. Trbuh je blijedo žućkast, bijelkast ili čak rozkast, nekad "zaliveno" sa sivom ili smeđom bojom koja može tvoriti nepravilne linije ili pjege.

Description:
Adults are usually around 75 cm, but sometimes 130 cm. A slender snake with a wide flattened head. Snout is tapering, but blunt, eyes small with a vertical pupil. Head scales are large. Back scales are smooth. Grey, beige or brownish back with a dark spot or collar behind head and a series of dark transverse bars or blotches on back which are often oblique (especially on neck where they are best developed). Weaker bars present on flanks and often a dark stripe from each eye to the angle of the mouth. Belly is pale yellowish, whiteish or even pinkish, sometimes heavily suffused with grey or brown, which may form irregular streaks or spots.

WHERE:

Whole Croatian coast, many islands (Krk, Cres, Rab, Lošinj, Pag, Silba, Kornati, Šolta, Bra? Svetac, Vis, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Lopud...)

Br. ljusaka:
Ljuske: 19 (nekad 23) redova ljusaka na leđima.

Scale count:
Scales: 19 (sometimes 23) rows of dorsals.

Stanište:
Obično ih se nađe na kamenitim terenima, kamenitim terenima s degradiranom vegetacijom, starim zidovima, hrpama kamenja, ruševinama... ali ponekad i na hrpama stare vegetacije i pjeskovitim prostorima s grmastim pokrovom. Ponekad blizu ljudskih naselja. Pretežito nizinska zmija. Ako ju se uznemiri, može se ponašati kao ljutica: glasno sikće, spljošti tijelo i glavu i grize. Temperament varira i neke žele gristi kad ih se primi (ali kod hrvatskih većinom vrijedi da "ne grize ruku koja ju drži"). Aktivna noću po ljeti, danju za hladnija vremena.

Habitat:
Usually found on rocky terrain, rocky degraded woodland, old walls, stone piles, ruins..., but sometimes also in heaps of old vegetation and sandy terrain with bushy plant cover. Sometimes close to human habitats. A mainly lowland snake. If disturbed, can behave like a viper: hisses loudly, flattens body and head and bites. Temperament varies and some will bite when handled (but with Croatian snakes it motsly applies that they won't bite the hand that holds them). Active by night in summer, during the day in colder weather.

Ponašanje:
Većinom lovi u sumrak. Pretežito se prehranjuje gušterima, posebno gekonima i lacertidama, ali isto tako povremeno agamama i sljepićima. Može ponekad jesti male zmije i rijeđe manje sisavce i ptice, također kukce (i male crnokrpice). Veće crnokrpice love plijen do veličine skoro odraslog balkanskog zelembaća (Lacerta trilineata). Plijen nekad izvlači iz njegovog skrovišta, ali također vreba na otvorenome i prilazi oprezno iza zaklona (od tuda vjerojatno englesko ime "Cat Snake"). Kada ulovi guštera, drži ga u čeljustima dok otrov "ne proradi".
Ulovljena, nije agresivna i nerado grize.

Behaviour:
Mainly hunts at dusk. Feeds mainly on lizards, especially geckoes and lacertids, but also occasionally agamas and Slow Worms. Can sometimes eat small snakes and rarely small mammals and birds, also insects (small Cat Snakes). Larger individuals hunt prey the size of a sub- adult Balkan Green Lizard (Lacerta trilineata). Prey is sometimes pulled out of its refuge, but is also stalked in the open and approaches cautiously from behind cover (this is probabl the origin of the name "Cat Snake"). Once caught, lizards are held in the jaws until teh venom takes effect.
Isn't agressive when caught and rarely bites.

Razmnožavanje:
Leže 5-9 izduženih jaja (25-40 mm x 10-15 mm), koji su lagano ižlijebljeni po dužini i iz kojih se izlegu "malci" veličine 14-20 cm.

Reproduction:
Lays 5-9 elongated eggs (25-40 mm x 10-15 mm), which are finely grooved along their length and produce babies that are 14-20 cm in length.

Otrov:
Ima užlijebljene očnjake straga (ispod oka) u gornjoj čeljusti (stražnjožljebozubica). Otrov (ubrizgava "žvakanjem" - "primitivni" mehanizam) prouzroči smrt malih guštera za 1-5 minuta, ali nije opasan za ljude jer su usta premala da bi očnjaci bili korišteni efektivno.
Simptomi (u "najgorem" slučaju) kod čovjeka bi vjerojatno bili slični kao kod ugriza zmajura: oticanje ugriženog mjesta, mala lokalna bol, eventualno mučnina... i prođu za nekoliko sati (bez bolničkog liječenja).

Venom:
Has grooved fangs at the back (under the eyes) of the upper jaw (backfanged snake). Venom (injected by "chewing"- "primitive" mechanizm) causes death of small lizards in 1-5 minutes, but isn't dangerous to humans because the mouth is too small for the fangs to be used effectivelly. Symptoms (in the "worst case scenario") in humans are probably similar to the bite of a Motpellier Snake: swelling arround the bite site, slight local pain, maybe nausea... and pass in a few hours (without medical treatment).

Linkovi:
www.herp.it/ (slike)

Links:
www.herp.it/ (pictures)