A leopard snake (lifgħa) was noticed on Manoel Island; a breed of snake which though imprinted our island on the Bible, and is especially related to Malta’s fauna, is presently endangered.
This explicit species of snake was popularised by its point out within the Bible, when St Paul’s travels introduced him to the island of Melita, the place he was bitten by a leopard snake and easily shook it off.
This steadfast response astonished the group of natives who witnessed the incident, particularly since they had been nicely conscious of how venomous that exact breed of snake was and anticipated him to succumb to its chunk.
Popular Maltese naturalist Arnold Sciberras described the snake as “beneficial”, “non-venomous,“indigenous” to our islands, and “endangered,” a lot in order that it’s “on the verge of extinction”.
He defined that the leopard snake species has been on a gradual decline for the reason that late Nineteen Nineties.
“The female lays only two to seven eggs during the mating season, so it is very important not to harm this animal or its nest,” Sciberras continued.
“It grows up to one metre long,” he defined, including that opposite to widespread perception, it’s not black in color, however has a pale brown hue with dark-brown or reddish-brown spots, reddish eyes, and a forked black mark on the occiput and nape – parts which give the snake “a mean look”.
“You may come across this snake in garigue habitats, moving among the stones and vegetation on the ground, or coiled around tree branches in shaded valleys. It feeds on young birds, lizards, geckos, frogs, mice, rats and small snakes and forages at dawn and dusk, when it is most commonly glimpsed,” Sciberras defined.
Given the endangered nature of the species, the naturalist has urged the general public to submit any spake sightings, significantly in relation to the lifgħa.
If you do spot a leopard snake, ship an e mail to [email protected] or message 99887950, together with particulars on the sighting, and maybe even attaching a photograph of the snake.
Have you ever noticed a lifgħa? Tag a snake lover
