Moorish web digging
| Moorish web digging | ||||||||||||
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Two Moorish web diggers |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Blanus cinereus | ||||||||||||
| ( Vandelli , 1797) |
The Moorish networm ( Blanus cinereus ), also known as the Ringelschleiche , is a species of the double snakes (Amphisbaenia) from the genus Blanus . In addition to the Turkish networm ( Blanus strauchi ) and the southwest Iberian networm ( Blanus mariae ), it is the only type of double-sneak in Europe - its range includes most of the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco .
features
The Moorish Netzwühle is a small to medium-sized species of double sneaks with a body length of 20 to 28 centimeters. It is serpentine and has no legs. The body is occupied by regular, rectangular body scales that are arranged in parallel and give the animal a segmented appearance. The coloring is flesh-colored, gray or brown with no markings; the belly is a little lighter in color than the back.
The small head is only separated from the body by a slight furrow and - when viewed superficially - can only be distinguished from the bluntly rounded tail end by two small black point eyes.
distribution and habitat
The range of the Moorish networm covers most of the Iberian Peninsula with the exception of the north. It includes Portugal almost entirely and most of Spain . It is also found alongside two other Blanus species in north-west African Morocco. The Moorish Netzwühle mainly inhabits the lowlands, but can also be found in the Central Iberian Mountains up to an altitude of around 1800 meters above sea level .
As a habitat, it prefers dry to sandy soils; However, it can also be found in wetter and humus-rich agricultural areas.
Way of life
The species lives mostly underground in the ground, only very rarely under stones. It feeds primarily on invertebrates living in the ground, including ants and ant pupae, but also caterpillars, beetle larvae, termites, arachnids and worms. Smaller insects are swallowed whole, while larger ones (e.g. crickets) are opened and eaten away so that their chitin shell remains. Predators of this type are large lizards, such as the Ocellated , snakes ( Western Montpellier snake , Vipera Latastei , Iberian hooded snake ), a deer species ( Common Buzzard , Red Kite , Montagu's Harrier , Kestrel , Lesser Kestrel , Great Gray Shrike , Little Owl ) and various mammals ( common genet , fox , European badger , beech marten , ichneumon , garden dormouse , wild boar ).
In the upper soil layers between February and April, e.g. In some cases already in December and January, activities can be determined. In northern and higher regions, however, animals were not detected until March – May. In the hottest and driest season (July / August) in the south of the area there is either a summer dormancy or the animals withdraw into deep layers of the soil and remain active there. The pairings take place between March and June. During terrarium observations, a flank bite of the male was found. The female lays eggs 1–3, 24–29 mm long and up to 5.5 mm wide in the ground or in rotten wood. From this the young hatch after about 70 to 80 days.
Hazard and protection
The Moorish Netzwühle is classified as not endangered by the IUCN . This assessment is based on the large range of the species as well as the high estimated populations.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ Blanus cinereus in The Reptile Database ; Retrieved January 22, 2011.
- ↑ Dieter Glandt: The amphibians and reptiles of Europe: All kinds in portrait. 2nd, updated and expanded edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2015, ISBN 978-3-494-01581-1 .
- ↑ Blanus cinereus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2007 Posted by: J. Pleguezuelos, P. Sá-Sousa, V. Pérez-Mellado, R. Marquez, 2006. Accessed on 23/12/2007.
literature
- Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 , p. 200.
- Dieter Glandt: The amphibians and reptiles of Europe: All kinds in portrait. 2nd, updated and expanded edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2015, ISBN 978-3-494-01581-1 .
