The Cyprus whip snake (''Hierophis cypriensis'') is a species of
snake in the family
Colubridae
Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...
.
It is
endemic to
Cyprus.
Its natural
habitats are temperate
forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, freshwater
marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and water storage areas. It is one of the three species of the
genus ''
Hierophis''. No
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
are currently recognized. It is threatened by
habitat loss.
Sources
Hierophis
Endemic fauna of Cyprus
Reptiles of Cyprus
Reptiles described in 1985
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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