Snakes

Taxonomy

Snakes belong to the Lepidote family. In Greece, of the snake species that can be encountered, only 7 carry poison. 5 belong to the family of Echidnids (Viperidae) – vipers, astrits – and are tube snakes with relatively strong venom, while the remaining 2 belong to the Colybridae family – vipers, vipers – and are tail snakes with weak venom, harmless to humans .

Biology

The viper (Vipera ammodytes), the species of most important health interest due to its powerful venom compared to other species, has a narrow cylindrical body with a length of about 65-90cm. Its main characteristic is the protrusion it has on its snout. It also has a characteristic formation on the dorsal side of the body, a dark line that forms a zig-zag. It presents racial dimorphism: males are grayish in color and females are brown. It prefers rocky slopes, places with low vegetation, open forests, piles of stones and dry stones that separate cultivated areas. It is active mainly during the day, but in warm areas it can also be nocturnal. It feeds on small mammals such as mice, birds and lizards. It is oviparous, i.e. it lays eggs (10-20), which it places in piles of stones to maintain moisture for the safe development of the embryos. Every year it changes its skin while it belongs to the hibernating species.

Public health

Snakes do not attack people, instead they fear them, and usually move out of their way to avoid danger. They use the bite as a last defense when someone gets close enough to them and they feel threatened. The danger of an injection bite depends on the strength and toxicity of the venom, as well as its concentration in the victim’s body, and the person who received the bite is at risk of becoming seriously ill, only in the event that he is not transported to a hospital for first aid within a few hours.

Modes of Management

The killing of snakes is considered illegal since the reptile fauna is protected under legislation (P. . 67, FEK 23/A/30.1.81, On the protection of wild fauna). The measures to be taken are:

Preventive Measures:

We rid our garden of large stones, piles of wood or any objects that create crevices, holes and hiding places

We cut – mow the tall grasses

Prune the bases of dense bushes up to 60cm above the ground creating space below or avoid dense bushes and dense vegetation in general

Seal well the cracks of the entrances of the house, the warehouse or the basement, so that the doors and openings are hermetically closed

We plug all external holes and cracks that can be used as a temporary shelter from snakes

We avoid creating a wet and cool environment during the summer season, when it is accessible to snakes (eg outdoor ponds, permanently wet lawns, etc.) We avoid leaving front doors open

Repellent: We use formulations in granular form with strong repellency properties that have been approved by the Ministry of Development and Food, around the perimeter of the area we want to protect.