Search results for "Javelin sand boa"
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Food Habits of the Javelin Sand Boa Eryx jaculus (Linnaeus 1758; Serpentes, Erycidae) in Sicily, Italy
2021
The Javelin Sand Boa, Eryx jaculus, is reported to be a predator of mammals, lizards and their eggs, and occasionally of birds and invertebrates, but data on its diet are scarce and fragmentary. Here we describe some aspects of the feeding behavior of E. jaculus on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. A total of 132 individual snakes were examined. Prey remains were found in 43% of them, both in their feces (82.5%) and gut contents (17.5%). The number of snakes observed and their feeding rate decreased in August, probably as a result of the relatively higher temperatures. Feeding rate increases were observed in adult females in September, perhaps to enhance body reserves before hibernation. …
Nuovi dati sulla presenza di Eryx jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Sicilia
2017
The javelin sand boa {Eryx jaculus) is a snake belonging to the Erycidae family, distributed in North Africa, southern Balkans and the Middle East. Recently its presence was confirmed in Italy, in a small area along the coast of south-central Sicily, in the territories of Licata (province of Agrigento). This paper reports the current distribution area, of about 52 km2, obtained by the Minimum Convex Polygon method, using recent bibliographical ob-servations and three new observations carried out between 15 August 2014 and 30 Aprii 2016. The new findings are located east of the known Sicilian distribution area and indicate for the first time the presence of the javelin sand boa in the provin…