Zmajur, Malpolon insignitus, Montpellier Snake

Zmije Hrvatske Snakes of Croatia

Zmajur

Malpolon insignitus

Montpellier Snake

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GDJE:

Od Istre do J Dalmacije, mnogi otoci (Cres, Pag, Dugi Otok, Kornati, Mali Drvenik, Čiovo, Šolta, Bra? Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Šipan, Silba...)

Opis:
Odrasli su do 240 cm, ali obično kraći. Može dostići masu od 3 kg. Velika, zastrašujuća zmija obično jednoliko obojana s "ukočenim" vitkim tijelom i uskom karakteristično oblikovanom glavom: oči su velike i "obrve" su nadignute i izbočene, produžuju se naprijed na "njušku" kao 2 jasne brazde, koje daju zmiji vrlo prodoran izraz lica. Temeljna boja tijela je siva, crvenkasto-smeđa, maslinasta, zelenkasta ili crnkasta. Mnogi odrasli su više-manje jednoliko obojani, ali mogu imati raštrkane svijetle ili tamne pjege, ili oboje. Neki imaju tamnije bokove nego leđa, a neki zadrže blijedu verziju obojenja mladih. Trbuh je često žućkast, šaren ili "zaliven" tamnijim pigmentom. Neki mladunci su više-manje jednolike boje, neki imaju niz blijedih tamnih mrlja na leđima i red manjih tamnih pjega na bokovima. Nepravilne, svijetle pjege mogu također biti prisutne, a glava i grlo često imaju pravilne, dobro oblikovane svijetle i tamne uzorke.

Description:
Adults up to 240 cm, but usually less. Can reach a weight of 3 kg. A big, intimidating snake usually uniformed in colour with rather stiff slender body and narrow characteristically shaped head: eyes are very large and "eye-brows" raised and overhanging, which extend forwards onto snout as two strong ridges with a hollow between them which give the snake a very penetrating expression. Ground colour is grey, reddish-brown, olive, greenish or blackish. Many adults are more or less uniform, but may have scattered light or dark spots, or both. Spme have flanks darker than back and others retain a weak version of blotched juvenile colouring. Belly is often yellowish, mottled or suffused with dark pigment. Some hatchlings are fairly uniform, others have a series of vague dark blotches on back an rows of small darker spots on sides. Irregular, loght spots may also be present and the head and throat often bear regular, well-defined light and dark markings.

WHERE:

From Istria to S Dalmatia, many islands (Cres, Pag, Dugi Otok, Kornati, Mali Drvenik, Čiovo, Šolta, Bra? Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Šipan, Silba...)

prije svrstavan u M. monspessulanus fuscus

*Neki ga navode kao glavnog "neprijatelja" poskoka, pa zato ako ne želite poskoke u svom dvorištu, nemojte "deložirati" zmajure.

Br. ljusaka:
leđne su velike, 17 (rijetko 19) redova, nisu grebenaste, ali mogu biti užlijebljene što postaje izraženije sa starošću.

Scale count:
dorsals are large, 17 (rarely 19) rows, not keeled, but can be grooved, becoming more so with age.

formerly assigned to M. monspessulanus fuscus

*Some say that they are the main enemies of Nose-horned Vipers, so if you don't want Nose-horneds in your yard, don't "evict" Montpelliers.

Stanište:
Najčešće se nađe na toplim, suhim mediteranskim staništima, skoro uvijek s nešto biljnog pokrova u kojem se često skriva. Preferira otvorena kamena ili pjeskovita staništa s grmastom vegetacijom, ali se isto tako može sresti na obradivim površinama, "otvorenim" šumama, čak i na slano-močvarnim i vegetacijom pješčanih dina kraj mora. Ponekad na rubovima vlažnih šuma (npr. u Italiji) i na obalama rijeka i navodnjavanoj zemlji, povremeno čak i pliva.

Habitat:
Most usually found in warm, dry Mediterranean habitats, nearly always with some plant cover in which it often hides. Prefers open, rocky or sandy country with bushy vegetation, but is also encountered on arable land, in open woods and even in salt-marsh and sand-dune vegetation near sea. May sometimes occur on edge of moist woodss (i.e. in Italy) and on river banks and irrigated land, and occasionally even swims.

Ponašanje:
Pokretna, pomalo agresivna zmija, živi pri tlu. Najbrža zmija Europe. Većinom aktivna danju, ali može biti djelomično aktivna u sumrak za vrućeg vremena. Može se penjati po vegetaciji i često se sunča na cestama (često ih pregazi auto). Zmajuri imaju veliku žlijezdu sa svake strane "njuške", ispod kože između oka i nosnice. Ta žlijezda proizvodi tekućinu koja se izlučuje kroz nosnicu i "premaže" se preko tijela, naročito nakon presvlačenja kože. Ta izlučevina izgleda učini zmiju "vodootpornom", tako da to u kombinaciji s ljuskama uveliko smanji gubitak vode kroz kožu. U opasnosti glasno i dugo sikće, također može spljoštiti i napuhnuti prednji dio tijela i raširiti vrat. Temperament varira. Isprovocirani zmajuri često grizu.

Behaviour:
An agile, somewhat aggressive snake, mainly terrestrial. The fastest European snake. Largely diurnal, but can be partly crepuscular in hot weather. Able to climb in vegetation and often basks on roads (frequently run over by traffic). Montpelliers have a large gland on each side of the snout, beneath the skin between the nostril and the eye. This produces a liquid secretion that exits through the nostril and is wiped over the body, especially after the skin has been shed. This secretion appears to "waterproof" the snake, so that that in combination with the scales it greatly reduces the loss of water through the skin. When threatened hisses loudly and for long periods, may also flatten and inflate the front of the body and spread the neck. Temperament varies, but provoked Montpelliers often bite.

Prehrana:
Plijen lovi većinom uz pomo?vida. Veiki dio prehrane su gušteri (odrasli zmajuri čak love odrasle pjegave zelembaće (Timon lepidus)), druge zmije i mali sisavci (do veličine malih zečeva). Također povremeno jede i ptice (posebno ptiće koji se gnijezde na tlu). Mali se prehranjuju beskralježnjacima.

Food:
Prey is hunted largely by sight. A large proportion of food taken are lizards (adults even take fully grown Ocellated Lizards (Timon lepidus)), other snakes and small mammals (up to the size of small rabbits) are also taken, as well as occasional birds (especially the young of grown-dwelling species). Juveniles eat invertebrates.

Razmnožavanje:
Mužjaci se međusobno bore u sezoni parenja, ponekad čak i za vrijeme parenja, ali prema ženkama su pravi kavaliri (mužjak ulovi miša i ponudi ga ženki. Ako ona prihvati miša, nastavlja udvaranje. To daje 2 važne prednosti ženki:

jedan obrok manje kojeg ženka mora sama sebi uloviti i zato ima više energije za razvoj malih
manje se izlaže opasnostima da ju ulovi predator dok si traži hranu, pa su šanse za preživljavanje povećane.

Reproduction:
Males take part in combats with each other in the breeding season, sometimes even during mating, but towards the females, they are true gentlemen (a male catches a mouse and offers it to the female. If she accepts, the courtship continues. That gives 2 important advantages to the female:

one less meal that she has to catch for herself and so she has more energy for her developing young
it lessens the dangers of getting caught by predators while searching for food, so her chances for survival are greater.

Zmajur je jedina zmija u svijetu za koju znanstvenici znaju da to radi. Ženke polažu 4-20 (obično 4-14) izduženih jaja (27-55 mm x 12-40 mm) ispod kamena, u pukotinama u drvu, ispod uvenulog lišća i u hodnicima zečeva, gdje se može naći jaja od nekoliko ženki zajedno. Za oko 2 mjeseca se izlegnu mali 20-36 cm dugi koji spolno sazriju za 3-5 godina.

The Montpellier is the only snake in the world that is known to do this.). Females lay 4-20 (usually 4-14) elongated eggs, about 27-55 x 12-40 mm, which are deposited under stones, in cracks in timber, under dead leaves and in rabbit burrows, where large comunal clutches are sometimes found. Eggs hatch in about 2 months, producing babies 20-36 cm long which become sexually mature in 3-5 years.

Mužjaci žive 25, a ženke 15 godina u divljini.

Males have been known to live 25 years and females 15 years in the wild.

Otrov:
Plijen brzo ugine (unutar nekoliko minuta), ali su očnjaci pozicionirani straga u gornjoj čeljusti (stražnjožlijebozubica), što znači da mora čvrsto primiti plijen da može "žvakanjem" ubrizgati otrov ("primitivni" mehanizam). Zbog toga se očnjaci mogu efektivno koristiti na ljudima samo ako se zmiju drži u rukama i "težak" ugriz od "slobodne" zmije je gotovo nemogu? "Težak" ugriz (dugo "žvakanje") kod čovjeka u ruku prouzroči utrnuće i ukočenost ruke, naoticanje i ponekad vrućicu, no to prođe za nekoliko sati (bez bolničkog liječenja).

Venom:
Prey animals arekilled within minutes by the venom. However, the fangs are at the back of the uppe jaw, so the snake must take a very secure grip befoe they can function (injects venom by "chewing"- "primitive" mechanism). Because of this the fangs are only liable to be used effectively on humans if the snake is picked up and a severe bite from a free snake is unlikely. In people, prolonged bites to the hand produce numbing and stiffness in the arm, as well as swelling and even fever, but this passes in a few hours (without hospital treatment).

Linkovi:
www.herp.it/ (slike)

Links:
www.herp.it/ (pictures)