Horseshoe Whip Snake

Hemorrhois hippocrepis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The horseshoe whip snake is a snake of the family Colubridae. These snakes have a slender build, a pointed head clearly set off from the body and a long, thin tail. It is a very agile snake that can climb shrubs, trees and rock faces with astonishing ease in search of prey or birds' nests. The horseshoe whip snake can measure from a metre — on average — up to 156 cm. In the Balearics a tendency to gigantism has been detected in this species, with some exceptional animals reaching almost two metres. This snake shows a barely visible yellow ground colour, since both the head and the back bear black blotches that together give the reptile a dark, almost black tone. On the back of the head one of these blotches frequently takes the form of a horseshoe encircling the nape. It is to this feature that it owes its common name.

Size

1 m – 1.8 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestMountainGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Mountain Grassland

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Fun facts

GeneralIt is told by the horseshoe mark on its nape; it is invasive on Ibiza and Formentera.
It reached Ibiza and Formentera inside century-old olive trees imported from the mainland for landscaping: the snakes travelled in the root balls, and since being detected in 2003 they have spread across almost all of Ibiza.
On the Pityusic Islands it is decimating the Ibiza wall lizard, a Balearic endemic that evolved without land predators and has no defences against it: one of the most urgent conservation problems in the Balearics.
It is a fast, climbing snake that goes up walls and trees with ease, and bites readily if handled, though it has no venom dangerous to people.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Mediterranean scrub, dry-stone walls and rocky ground
Size at birth: About 25-30 cm on hatching
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 60 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 8 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemorrhois_hippocrepis