| THE REPTILE FAUNA OF CYPRUS AND THE MIDDLE EAST (GOLAN HIGHTS) |
| THE FAUNA OF CYPRUS |
| SNAKES |
| LIZARDS |
| - Coluber cypriensis |
| - Natrix natrix cypriaca |
| - Coluber najadum |
| Since many elements of the Middle Eastern fauna occur also in Cyprus, both are presented on one page here. I have been serving with the United Nations in Cyprus and on the Golan Hights for approx. 6 years, spending a lot of my leisure time with observing and recording hundreds of snakes and uncountable other reptiles. Most of them I photographed and then released back to nature. Some specimens were donated to the Snake George Open Air Reptile Park in Pafos/Cyprus to support the important work of my Austrian friend, Hans-Jörg Wiedl. These pages provide general information (especially for UN soldiers serving with UNDOF, UNIFIL and UNFICYP) on reptiles from the Middle East limited to the Golan Hights - Mt. Hermon area, in eastern direction (Syria) approx. to Damascus, north to the Lebanese border and Barada Valley, south to Wadi Raqqua - Derraa and west to the Jordan Valley (Israel occupied Syria), South Lebanon and Cyprus. |
| - Acanthodactylus schreiberi |
| - Lacerta troodica |
| SKINKS |
| - Chalcides ocellatus |
| CHAMELEONS |
| AGAMID LIZARDS |
| - Laudakia stellio |
| GECKONIDS |
| - Cyrtopodion kotschyi |
| TURTLES |
| - Mauremys caspica |
| - Caretta caretta |
| - Chelonia mydas |
| THE FAUNA OF MIDDLE EAST (GOLAN HIGHTS) |
| SNAKES |
| LIZARDS |
| - Coluber najadum |
| - Acanthodactylus schreiberi |
| - Lacerta laevis |
| SKINKS |
| - Chalcides ocellatus |
| CHAMELEONS |
| AGAMID LIZARDS |
| - Laudakia stellio |
| GECKONIDS |
| - Cyrtopodion kotschyi |
| TURTLES / TORTOISES |
| - Mauremys caspica |
| - Testudo graeca |
| - Psammophis schokari |
| - Elaphe quattuorlineata |
| - Vipera bornmuelleri |
| GLASS LIZARDS |
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| A SNAKE BITE!! There is no reason to be afraid of any reptiles in the area. The snake on the image is only a harmless whip-snake. Very often people get bitten by harmless snakes but have symptoms of a venomous bite because of fear and imagination. Nevertheless, meet all snakes with respect, no matter if venomous or not! 1 venomous snake in Cyprus (Blunt Nosed Viper) and 2 venomous snakes on Golan Hights/South Lebanon/Northern Israel (Palestine Viper & Bornmueller's Viper) may cause serious problems in case they bite. But despite general opinion (information), the Palestine Viper is not very common on Golan Hights and in most cases it is confused with other harmless snakes. |
| Bornmueller's Viper is extremely rare and only found at altitudes above approx. 1500m. During one year (1996/97) I registered over 200 snakes on Golan Hights and only 2(!) of them were Palestine Vipers. Bornmueller's Viper I only saw once in North Syria (Alloite Mts.). But in Cyprus the Blunt Nosed Viper is quite common. Nevertheless, vipers normally escape, but can become agressive when severely disturbed. The scales on the head of a Viper are always SMALLER than the scales on their body. Other snakes are not dangerous to human (IN THIS AREA ONLY!), although some of them are also venomous (Cat Snake, Montpellier's Snake). For amateurs, the only secure character to identify a viper (Golan Hights & Cyprus!) is the difference in the size of the scales on the head, what can be observed from a save distance already (or if the snake is dead). |