Cyprus snakes

Cyprus has eight species of snake. Three are venomous and only one is dangerous to people. That single sentence is what most visitors actually want, and it is worth adding the rest: snakes here are not aggressive, they strike only when they feel cornered, and they do real work in the fields by keeping down rodents. This site documents 6 species, listed further down the page.

The one to know

The blunt-nosed viper is the species that matters. It reaches up to 2 metres and 5 kilos, and is recognised by a broad triangular head and a very short tail. It is not rare. If you are walking rough ground in summer, wear boots, watch where you put your hands and feet on rocks, and give any snake you see room to leave — which it will.

The harmless ones

The black whip snake is the one you are most likely to meet: the commonest snake on the island, the largest here, and reckoned the longest in Europe at up to 3 metres. Adults are black; juveniles are quite differently marked, which causes a good deal of confusion. It is harmless.

The cat snake reaches about a metre, though most are 70 to 80 centimetres, and is yellowish with large grey-brown diamonds. The Montpellier snake grows to around 2 metres and carries venom, but its fangs sit at the back of the jaw and it presents no real hazard to humans. It prefers dry, open country.

The endangered ones

Two species are in trouble. The Cypriot grass snake — the island’s water snake — survives in only a few small populations and is threatened with extinction, largely because people kill it. The Cyprus whip snake, found only on this island, reaches about 115 centimetres and is rare, living mostly at altitude.

If you meet one

Stand still, then back away. Almost every bite recorded anywhere comes from someone trying to catch or kill the animal. Killing snakes on sight is both unnecessary and, for the two endangered species, actively harmful — and it is worth remembering that most of the snakes on Cyprus cannot hurt you at all.