''Telescopus,'' the Old World catsnakes, is a genus of 12 species of mildly venomous opisthoglyphous

snakes Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joi ...

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 ...

Geographic range

Species of the genus ''Telescopus'' are found from the Balkans and Pakistan through to southern and western Africa, plus two species in northern Eurasia.

Description

The genus ''Telescopus'' is characterised by having a slender slightly flattened cylindrical body and attaining a total length (including tail) of between 80–180 cm (about 2.5–6 feet). They have medium-large eyes with vertical pupils, a typical feature of nocturnal reptiles, and have smooth dorsal scales. The dentition of the genus is as follows; typically 10–12 maxillary teeth, with a space before a pair of grooved fangs at the rear of the mouth, approximately level with the eyes. The anterior mandibular teeth are usually longer than the posterior mandibular teeth, perhaps to aid the arboreal species in catching and holding prey whilst in trees. The species are mostly drab, spotted snakes, but include the spectacular tiger snake ''( T. semiannulatus)'', which is orange in color with black saddles along its back. Boulenger GA (1896). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I- XXV. (Genus ''Tarbophis'', p. 47).

Habitat and Behaviour

The genus ''Telescopus'' includes both arboreal and terrestrial species, and can be found from sea level up to 2,000 metres (about 6,600 feet) above sea level. They are nocturnal hunting snakes with a distinct head and large eyes.

Diet

The primary prey species of ''Telescopus'' are small

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia althou ...

, including geckos, although some members of the genus may occasionally prey on small

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are nat ...

and

amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbore ...

Reproduction

All species in the genus ''Telescopus'' are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

, laying clutches of 5-15 eggs.

Venom

All species in the genus ''Telescopus'' are venomous, with the venom being of a neurotoxic nature; however, they are not considered particularly harmful to man. This is because the opisthoglyphous venom-delivery system is not as efficient as the delivery systems found in Elapidae and Viperidae. However, some members of the genus ''Telescopus'' such as ''T. dhara'' have particularly large venom glands, and the venom toxicity in some species has been compared to that of the '' Acanthophis'' species. For these reasons, it is advisable that all ''Telescopus'' species be handled with caution. It is also important to consider that allergic reactions are possible after a bite, and such reactions would significantly worsen the effects of an envenomation.

Species

*''

Telescopus beetzi ''Telescopus beetzi'', commonly known as Beetz's tiger snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''beetzi'', is in honor of German geologist Paul Friedrich Wer ...

'' ( Barbour, 1922) - Beetz's tiger snake, Namib tiger snake *'' Telescopus dhara'' ( Forskål, 1775) *'' Telescopus fallax'' (

Fleischmann Fleischman or Fleischmann may refer to: * Fleischmann (surname), including a list of people with the name * Fleischmann (model railroads), a German company that produces model railroad models and equipment * Fleischmann (band), was a band from Ge ...

, 1831) *'' Telescopus finkeldeyi'' Haacke, 2013 - Damara tiger snake *'' Telescopus gezirae''

Broadley Broadley is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alexander Meyrick Broadley (1847–1916), British historian, author, and barrister *Denise Broadley (1913–2007), British artist *Donald George Broadley (1932–2016), British herpet ...

, 1994 *''

Telescopus hoogstraali ''Telescopus hoogstraali'', common names of which include Hoogstraal's cat snake and the Sinai cat snake, is an endangered species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the Middle East. Etymology The specific name, ''h ...

K.P. Schmidt Karl Patterson Schmidt (June 19, 1890 – September 26, 1957) was an American herpetologist. Family Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. George W. Schmidt was a German professor, who, at the time of Kar ...

& Marx, 1956 *'' Telescopus nigriceps'' ( Ahl, 1924) *'' Telescopus obtusus'' (Reuss, 1834) - Egyptian catsnake *'' Telescopus pulcher'' ( Scortecci, 1935) *''

Telescopus rhinopoma ''Telescopus rhinopoma'' is a species of rear-fanged mildly venomous snake (not harmful for humans) in the family Colubridae. The species is found in the Middle East (Iran), Afghanistan, Pakistan desert areas like Bahawalpur, and Central Asia (T ...

'' ( Blanford, 1874) *''

Telescopus semiannulatus ''Telescopus semiannulatus'', commonly known as the common tiger snake, tiger cat snake, or eastern tiger snake is a species of rear-fanged colubrid snake. It is widespread in central, eastern, and southern Africa. Geographic range Range by UN ...

'' A. Smith, 1849 *'' Telescopus tessellatus'' ( Wall, 1908) - checkered catsnake *'' Telescopus tripolitanus'' ( F. Werner, 1908) *'' Telescopus variegatus'' ( J.T. Reinhardt, 1843) '' Nota bene'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus (''Tarbophis'') other than ''Telescopus''

References

External links

*Crochet P-A, Rasmussen JB, Wilms T, Geniez P, Trape J-F, Böhme W (2008). "Systematic status and correct nomen of the western North African cat snake: ''Telescopus tripolitanus'' (Werner, 1909) (Serpentes: Colubridae), with comments on the other taxa in the ''dhara-obtusus'' group". ''Zootaxa'' 1703: 25-4
(Abstract)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2487102 Snake genera Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler Taxonomy articles created by Polbot