Reptiles
Horseshoe Whip Snake
Hemorrhois hippocrepis
On a dry stone terrace in southern Spain, a horseshoe whip snake flashes across the rocks in pursuit of a lizard, the pale mark on its neck showing like a horseshoe.
Overview
The horseshoe whip snake, Hemorrhois hippocrepis, is a Least Concern snake of dry, rocky hillsides, scrub, and farmland in Spain, Portugal, North Africa, Sicily, and Sardinia. Its speed, blotched pattern, and horseshoe neck mark make it one of the most distinctive non-venomous snakes of the western Mediterranean.
A snake that does not wait
Unlike ambush hunters, the horseshoe whip snake chases its prey, using its speed and good eyesight to run down lizards and small mammals.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Horseshoe Whip Snake: common questions
Why is it called the horseshoe whip snake?
It is named for the pale, horseshoe-shaped mark on the back of its head.
Is the horseshoe whip snake venomous?
No, it is not venomous, but it hisses and bites readily when cornered.
What does it eat?
It eats lizards, rodents, and birds, killing them by constriction as well as with its jaws.
Where is the horseshoe whip snake found?
It lives on dry, rocky hillsides, scrub, and farmland in Spain, Portugal, North Africa, Sicily, and Sardinia.