Western false smooth snake

The western false smooth snake or Iberian false smooth snake (Macroprotodon brevis) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.

Western false smooth snake
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Macroprotodon
Species:	M. brevis
Binomial name
Macroprotodon brevis (Günther, 1862)
Distribution [1]
Synonyms[2]
Coronella brevis Günther, 1862 Macroprotodon maroccanus W. Peters, 1882 Macroprotodon cucullatus brevis — Bauer et al., 1995 Macroprotodon brevis — Carranza et al., 2004

Feeding habits

The species feeds exclusively on vertebrates, mainly reptiles, and mostly long-bodied prey which are burrowers or live under rocks.^[3]

Some aspects of its morphology and feeding habits suggest that it is not nocturnal, but rather lives under rocks.^[3]

Geographic range

M. brevis is found on the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco.^[2]

Habitat

The natural habitats of M. brevis include evergreen temperate forests and Mediterranean-style scrubland.^[1]

Conservation status

M. brevis is threatened by habitat loss, largely the result of agriculture, and faces some threat from the wild boar.^[1]

References

1. Ulrich Joger, Paulo Sá-Sousa, Iñigo Martínez-Solano (2009). "Macroprotodon brevis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61532A12508324. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61532A12508324.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. Uetz, P. "Macroprotodon brevis ". Reptile Database. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
3. PLEGUEZUELOS, J (1994). Herpetological journal. London: British Herpetological society. pp. 98–105.

Further reading

• Günther A (1862). "On new Species of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Third Series 9: 52–59. (Coronella brevis, new species, p. 58).