The snake is a reptile that is found in different parts of the world, the snakes SpainThey are considered slightly less lethal than the snakes found throughout the Americas. We invite you to continue reading to learn a little more about them.
Snakes
As in many countries, in Spain there are different types of snakes that frighten many people because some are poisonous and others are simply very large, this is the reason why this type of animal is so feared.
Some can measure up to two and a half meters long, snakes have something that differentiates them from other types of animals and that is that it is a reptile with multiple species, it can be considered that it is even the most numerous of reptiles.
Few of the species of this type of reptile have become extinct, in the only country where there is still no evidence that snakes exist is in Antarctica, for obvious reasons.
Are there differences between snakes and garter snakes?
Another of the names given to snakes is that of snakes, but perhaps there is a difference between these terms, because we can clarify this doubt, these two terms although they have a similar meaning and refer to the same reptiles, not it is the species themselves that are named in this way.
When we talk about snake we refer to what these reptiles are scientifically called as everyone knows the reptile family includes many genera, such as crocodiles, lizards and turtles.
Snake families can be divided into three genera:
- the elapids
- viperids
- colubrids
In the latter is where the snakes are, that's why the explanation that although it is the same they do not refer to the same species of snakes.
Types of snakes Spain
In Spain there are currently forty-five species of snakes, this is a count in all of Europe, in Spain there are only fifteen snakes or snakes, it should be noted that snakes are poisonous and snakes are harmless they have a smaller size than the snake and are somewhat shy.
Of the fifteen types of viper of Spain, nine are snakes that can only be found in this city, then we will give you a list of all the snakes found in Spain.
Vipera aspis – The dreaded Viper of the Pyrenees
These poisonous vipers are in Spain and is one of the Poisonous animals most feared, the aspis viper or as its characteristic name says, the Pyrenean viper, is the largest seen in the city, it can measure up to eighty-five centimeters, its color is very dark and its back is almost white, something very conspicuous to the sight of man, however, it can become very dangerous for the person who tries to grab it.
Its habitat is the northeastern part of Spain, since it likes the mountains and that is where the alpine mountains are, however, they can be found in many forests and thickets in the region, it is characterized by being a balanced snake as soon as the reactions she has when seeing animals or people approaching her, she prefers to hide before attacking and only uses her bite if she feels threatened or when they feel that there is an animal species that could endanger her.
Vipera seoanei – The Cantabrian Viper – Poisonous snakes of Spain
The Cambrian viper, native to Portugal, its venom is not as strong as the previous viper, but it can be lethal when it does not receive timely medical attention, the person or animal that was attacked this snake has a size of sixty centimeters, its colors are chromatic in different shades such as reddish, gray, brown, black and can be seen mostly in the mountainous parts of Spain.
This species was seen for the first time in 1879 and entered the viper genus in 1976, it is characterized by having one hundred and forty-three ventral scales and this makes its poison have a fairly high toxicity, it has some predators such as the Bald eagle, the wild cat, the otter, the fox and the genet.
It has a factor that threatens its extinction and that is the destruction of its habitat, for the construction of populations both in France and in Portugal.
Vipera latastei – The Long-snouted Viper of the Iberian Peninsula
This is the snake with the largest population in Spain, however, it cannot be seen in the Cambrian peninsulas, nor in the Pyrenees, they mostly live in stone walls, their size can be up to a thousand meters.
This is the viper that is most likely to be attacked by humans, since it can be seen a lot in homes or urbanizations, among others. One point in favor of humans is that their venom is not fatal, it is the least strong of all the vipers that inhabit Spain. It can be identified thanks to one of the characteristics that most differentiates it from others and that is that its snout has a protuberance, these are the snakes that seem to have a horn on their snout.
This snake was seen for the first time in 1878 and entered the viper genus in 1953, its behavior is nocturnal in some seasons of the year and diurnal in others, its diet is based on small mammals, different types of birds and some invertebrates. Their reproduction is once every three years and they can give birth to between twelve and thirteen snakes.
Malpolon monspessulanus – The bastard snake
The bastard snake is the largest that lives in Spain, its size can be up to two and a half meters long, it can be seen mostly in the Iberian Peninsula and in open fields. It is poisonous and usually easily attacks any object that is foreign to it, it falls into the colubrid genus, since although it is poisonous it does not manage to inject its poison when biting, this happens because its fangs do not have a good position for its bite to be lethal, however, because it is a snake bite, the person or animal that suffered the attack must be treated.
Macroprotodon cucullatus – The hooded snake
This snake is really small, it measures about forty centimeters in length, it is in Morocco since it likes hot areas, sandy regions and open forests, it has nocturnal habits, however, no human has been known to have been attacked by the cogulla snake , this is considered one of the least dangerous species among all those in Spain.
Its mouth is small and that is why it cannot inject its poison into any prey, or animal that makes it feel in danger, it can also be known as the false snake, it was seen for the first time in 1827, it is a species that It is almost threatened thanks to the destruction of its habitat and in Morocco it is hunted to eat its meat.
Its behavior is nocturnal and it feeds on small lizards, birds or mammals that do not measure more than twelve centimeters or sixteen centimeters in height.
Green-yellow snake (Coluber viridiflavus)
The name of this snake is thanks to the colors it takes when it reaches adulthood, they are the most numerous in European countries, however, in Spain it lives in the Pyrenees and is mostly located in Switzerland.
It is a species that currently has no major concern regarding its conservation status, since there are quite a few specimens of its offspring, it was seen for the first time in 1789 and entered the colubrid genus in 1854.
