The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax), also called the Soosan snake, is a venomous snake species of the Colubridae family. This species is an endemic snake of the Caucasus and Mediterranean regions. There are seven recognized subspecies. The European cat snake has a gray, tan, light brown, or gold-colored body with a marking on the back and large head. There are 12 mildly venomous Opisthoglyphous species of Old World snakes. This snake belongs to the subfamily Colubrinae. Fleischmann described the European cat snake in 1831. All snakes of Telescopus are venomous, and their venom is neurotoxic and rarely injects. It is not toxic to human beings. There are 92 genera with 717 species within Colubrinae according to The Reptile Database, 2019. This subfamily is the second largest after Dipsadinae. This rear-fanged, fangs are at the back of their upper jaw, snake has a wide range of habitats and feeds on lizards and geckos. There are 35 species of cat snakes in total. The Colubrinae family is the largest snake family consisting of 249 genera. Pieces of evidence show that these species evolved from the Oligoene epoch.If you liked reading these facts about the European cat snake species, then you may also enjoy learning about the scarlet snake and anaconda snake on Kidadl.
Fun European Cat Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
European Cat Snake Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a European cat snake?The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax) is a venomous snake species of the order Squamata and phylum Chordata. This distinct snake has several names. This snake is nocturnal and hunts for food mainly at night. Like all other cat snakes, this species is also a great climber and can be found climbing cliffs, trees, and rock walls. This snake species also camouflages well in their natural geographic regions. This snake’s venom does not threaten humans. In the daym the pupils of these species contract into narrow vertical slits and to let more light in, the pupils expand.The subspecies of this snake are T. f. fallax, T. f. iberus, T. f. pallidus, T. f. cyprianus, T. f. intermedius, T. f. multisquamatus, and T. f. syriacus.What class of animal does a European cat snake belong to?The Telescopus fallax (Fleischmann, 1831) belongs to the class of Reptiles of animals.How many European cat snakes are there in the world?The population number of Telescopus fallax snakes in their natural habitats is not available.Where does a European cat snake live?The Telescopus fallax’s range of habitats extends throughout several areas in Europe as their name suggests and is endemic to Caucasus and Mediterranean regions. The Telescopus fallax is found in a wide range across Greece (Milos, Samos, Corfu, Antiparos, Paros, Kalymnos, Crete, and Tourlos), Albania, Caucasus (southern Russia), Italy, Croatia (even some Adriatic islands), coastal Slovenia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Israel, north Macedonia, southern Bulgaria, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Malta, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran.The subspecies T. f. cyprianus occupies only Cyprus. T. f. syriacus is found in northern Israel, southeast Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. T. f. multisquamatus is found on the Greek island, Koufonisia. T. f. pallidus is found Christiana Islands, Gavdos, Elasa, and Crete. T. f. intermedius is found on the Greek Island, Antikythira. T. f. iberus is found in northern Iran, southern Russia, south Georgia, east Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. T. f. fallax occupies the remaining locations.What is a European cat snake’s habitat?The range of Telescopus fallax’s habitat regions includes scrubby and open country like open woodlands and beaches. Some other common places where these snakes can be located are shores with a shrub or clean plant, rocky terrains, including mountain woods. This snake species can often be located near human habitats. They usually occur at elevations of about 6,500 ft (2,000 m).Who do European cat snakes live with?European cat snake (Telescopus fallax( usually prefer to live on their own. These snakes mainly form a group during the breeding season.How long does a European cat snake live?The lifespan of the European cat snake (Telescopus fallax) in the wild and captivity is not known. However, cat snakes live for 12-15 years.How do they reproduce?The Telescopus fallax species are oviparous and the female produces European cat snake eggs. She produces around five to nine European cat snake eggs in small clutches. The gestation and incubation period of eggs are not known. A European cat snake egg hatches between late summer and early fall. After hatching, the young ones are independent and do not receive any parental care.What is their conservation status?The conservation status of these European cat snakes is evaluated as Least Concern by the IUCN due to the large distribution of these species. Even though they are common in their habitats, they do face the threat of being often mistaken for a dangerous viper, habitat degradation, and habitat destruction.European Cat Snake Fun FactsWhat do European cat snakes look like?These species of the genus Telescopus are usually small to medium-sized snakes with often cylindrically, slender bodies and short tails. You can find this species in gray, tan, light brown, or gold color with darker crossbands or blotches on the back. The short, flat, and oval-shaped heads are distinct from their necks. They have smooth dorsal scales and rounded ventral scales. They have large eyes and are rear-fanged, meaning their fangs are placed in the back of their upper jaws). They have pupils that are vertical slits similar to a cat’s pupils.* Please note that this is an image of a banded cat-eyed snake. If you have an image of a European cat snake, please let us know at [email protected].How cute are they?This nocturnal species is not considered cute. These snakes are venomous and many people are scared of snakes.How do they communicate?This species communicates through chemicals, toxins, hissing, vibrations, and hissing.How big is a European cat snake?This average size species is 29.5 in (75 cm) in length, though they can grow up to 4 ft (120 cm) in length. This species is almost twice the size of worm snakes.How fast can a European cat snake move?The exact speed of these snakes is not known.How much does a European cat snake weigh?The exact weight of European cat snakes is not known. However, cat snakes weigh around 0.065 lb (31 g).What are the male and female names of the species?There is no specific name given to male and female European cat snakes.What would you call a baby European cat snake?There is no specific name given to a European cat snake baby.What do they eat?This species of snakes are carnivores and they hunt at night. They feed not only on lizards and geckos but also on birds and small mammals. Juveniles feed on invertebrates too. Their mild venom helps to subdue their prey.Are they poisonous?This species of the genus Telescopus are not poisonous but are mildly venomous. This group of snakes rarely inject venom when they bite, but the bite can be painful. These snakes are considered to pose no threat to humans even though they are venomous.Would they make a good pet?No, they would not make great pets. There are records of these snakes in captivity.Did you know…Superficial similarities exist between New World cat snakes and Old World cat snakes.Some predators of these snakes are foxes, wild boars, and other large snakes.Some common names of European cat snakes are Mediterranean cat snakes, western tiger snakes, many-scaled cat snakes, Cretan cat snakes, Caucasian cat snakes, and just cat snakes.Common cat snakes mimic highly venomous saw-scaled vipers as a primary defense against their predators.Why are they called cat snakes?Cat snakes are named this because of their cat-like narrow vertical pupil slits in their medium-sized eyes.What is unique about the European cat snake?These cat snakes are mildly venomous but they often do not inject their venom when they bite.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these common garter snake facts and sea snake facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable snake coloring pages.
What type of animal is a European cat snake?
The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax) is a venomous snake species of the order Squamata and phylum Chordata. This distinct snake has several names. This snake is nocturnal and hunts for food mainly at night. Like all other cat snakes, this species is also a great climber and can be found climbing cliffs, trees, and rock walls. This snake species also camouflages well in their natural geographic regions. This snake’s venom does not threaten humans. In the daym the pupils of these species contract into narrow vertical slits and to let more light in, the pupils expand.
Fun European Cat Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
Fun European Cat Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
Fun European Cat Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
Fun European Cat Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
What do they prey on? Lizards and geckos
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
What do they prey on?
Lizards and geckos
What do they eat?
Carnivore
Average litter size?
5-9 eggs
How much do they weigh?
N/A
How long are they?
29.5 in (75 cm)
How tall are they?
N/A
What do they look like?
Gray, tan, light brown, or gold
Skin Type
Scales
What were their main threats?
Humans
What is their conservation status?
Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
Where you’ll find them?
Scrubby And Open Country-open Woodlands And Beaches
Locations
Europe, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Telescopus
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Telescopus
Class Reptilia
Family Colubridae
