CASPIAN WHIP SNAKE
This beautiful snake can grow up to 2.5 metres, but on Kefalonia they usually grow to no more than 1 metre in length. Their colouring is normally silver-grey, although they can be beige brown. Their undersides are either cream or yellow. This snake can be found all over the island as it enjoys open steppe and scrubland, as well as stony mountain slopes. They are not averse to woodland and meadows, but unfortunately, you will usually see this snake as roadkill on the roads of Kefalonia, due to its hunting methods.
The Caspian whip snake is not an ambush predator, it actively hunts its prey of small mammals, birds and reptiles. It is a swift moving snake and can even climb up to 7 metres chasing its prey. If the snake is threatened, it will raise its body and hiss loudly, and can even jump at its attacker. They are normally active between March and November, although they can be seen either side of those months if it is warm. Mating takes place between April and May, the eggs are laid in June or July, usually between 5-18 eggs and the young hatch in September. Although this is an aggressive snake, it is not harmful to man.
