Hello,



I'm sorry for my very bad english! I've only a litle practice....

I maintained Malpolon monspessulanus m. and Malpolon m. insignitus (from east europe) for about 5 year. Somes were wild (2 big adults males) but i've 12 CP baby from a friend. I've got a lot of babies from theses specimens. There were 4 males and 8 fem.

I'had 2 pairs M. m. insignitus. These sub-spec is more difficult to queep, more agressive. The nominative spec tame quite esaly, became a realy tame and friendly snake, with, in my sense, a incredible rich panel of behaviors for a snake.

This sun loving snake can be housing like Coluber or Masticophis.

The feeding is very simple because it's a opportiunist. Is poison is very potent for small animals (include mamals) of max 2000g. So an adult rat will be kill, a rabbit even more esaly, but not a cat or a smal dog! Adult mouse can die in a minute by poison only, but in many case the snake will bite AND contric (very powerfull) in the same time.

Reptiles are particulary sensitive to these venom. A big lizard will die in a very short time (like other snakes, Malpolon is a opportunistic ophiophagus).

The breeding is simple if the snakes are in good conditions, with lot of space en ligth (HQI and 5.0 or TREX uv heat). The breding time is extremely interresting! The males "fitgh" but without injuring eacht others. The male "escort" the femelle and even give her some mices when she's pregnent!

Somes males are very ophiophagus, somes others not. In my exp. youngs that are ophiophagus will be for ever. A young M. not ophhiophagus will rarely became one. You can "test" your snakes with Corn Snake for ex. before mating.

The 2 subspecies NOT realy hibernate. Only a relatively short "semi-hibernation" will do. You have to control t° around 10-12°c for the 2 cooler month (december and january). In south of France (the norther part of the distribution) specimens have normal activity in the firts weeks of february. These specis is "a nord african one lost in europe".

I hope this infos will help someone.

And sorry for these horryble english!

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