Pest Guides

Arabian False Cobra

Arabian False Cobra (Malpolon moilensis)

Malpolon moilensis - Also known as: Hooded Montpellier snake, Hooded Malpolon, Arabian rear-fanged snake, Arabian Montpellier snake, Moila snake, False cobra.

The name "False Cobra" comes from the fact that this is not a cobra. It imitates a cobra's stance by spreading its neck into a hood and hissing like the cobra. It can grow up to 1.5 metres in length and preys on rodents and lizards.

Geographic Locale
  • Found in North Africa and the Middle East.
Appearance
  • Adults are usually 0.80 - 1.40 m in length, but some specimens have reached about 1.9 m.
  • They have big round reddish eyes.
  • Has is a black blotch which runs from the cheek to the angle of the jaw. Straw coloured background.
Behaviour
  • The hooded malpolon is named for its unusual, cobra-like defensive behaviour, in which it lifts the front of the body off the ground, holds it at a 45° angle, dilates the neck into a ‘hood’, and hisses.
  • In the wild, it mainly feeds on rodents, fledgling birds, and lizards.
  • Inhabits stony deserts, desert margins, sandy coastal regions, grassy plains with scrub, oases and cultivated areas. Usually absent from pure sand deserts and mountains.
  • Usually active during the day or at dawn and dusk, but may be more nocturnal during the summer months.
Bite & Venom
  • The hooded malpolon is not related to cobras, and is only very mildly venomous, and not considered dangerous to humans.
  • If the fangs do get hold of bare flesh and venom is injected, the pain can cause swelling and other complications.
Lifecycle
  • Will shed its skin once every 30-50 days. The process will take about 7-10 days.