Rhagerhis moilensis
Name(S) Rhagerhis moilensis, Malpolon moilensis/ Egyptian False Cobra, Moila Snake
Temperature:
Wide range. Basking of 115-135f, warm end 85f, cool end 75f, night drop can go down to 68f in winter. I encourage 115 only for smaller enclosures.
Lighting:
Halogen floods on a dimmer are best used to avoid burns, and achieve heat with using low wattage lights. 14% UVB is also encouraged (Arcadia Dragon Lamps) along with Arcadia or Sunblaster LED to mimic the harsh sun.
Humidity Summer: 30-40% Winter 50-60% average
Diet: Anything that moves. Small prey, mostly lizards and small LEAN rodents
Minimum size enclosure 3x2x2 MINIMUM. Ideally, 4x2x2+
Style of enclosure, hardened clay base with wind eroded (loose) sand.(I use Excavator clay and sand on top of that) They will climb at any given opportunity, so offer branches! They also dig often, so be cautious of the type of rocks being used and ensure they are safely secured to avoid toppling.
Special notes
Very bold, temperamental and FAST. They have extremely mobile and large rear fangs, along with immensely large glands.
**I have found making them more humid/dew in the morning during fall/winter promotes courting and breeding behaviour. Males will also combat during this time, even if no females are present.
Common Mistakes: Keeping to cool and/or humid along with lack of air flow often promotes problems like swollen duvernoy glands and eyes. Easily susceptible to respiratory infection as well in these conditions. Bins are highly advised to not be used. Habitat requirements are just not feasible. Often, a “calm” moilensis is a sick or cold moilensis. Sexing this species is proven difficult. DO NOT attempt to probe as males have immensely small hemipenes. Popping is possible only when you know exactly how to pop them. It is not possible to pop like the most common method on snakes, they will always look “female”.
Very prone to obesity, so be wise on how much they eat. They are extremely opportunistic and will easily over eat.
Handling: HIGHLY advised against it. Venom is not completely known on moilensis. With how mobile teeth are and how quickly live fuzzy mice die, it is best to not handle. These snakes are extremely quick when wanting to bite and you probably will not be able to pull away quickly enough.
Medicinal reactions? Or chemical? Not known. No negative reactions to date with oral Baytril and SI with Fortaz; as well as no reactions with Provent-A-Mite.
Distribution:
Arid regions of: Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Sinai, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, SW Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen
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