Cuddles sits on Chris McGowan’s arm, peering around curiously, as his keeper speaks about the importance of proper reptile care and the dangers of releasing reptilian pets into the wild.

The two-year old Burmese python is one of Mr McGowan’s non-venomous reptile pets. He takes care of snakes that range from boa constrictors to corn snakes, geckos and terrapins (turtle species).

Mr McGowan is one of the founders of a new group called the Malta Herpetological Society set up to promote the conservation of local wild reptiles and raise awareness about their responsible ownership. The society endorses caging standards, escape-prevention protocols and control of alien species.

“If they are let into the wild, chances are these creatures would end up dying. There should be no fear of them attacking people as they would probably run away.

“But the most important thing is that we don’t want them to be released in the wild because we don’t want to introduce any alien species. We are all about conserving and protecting the local species. Last thing we want to do is endanger any of the Maltese species,” he said, as Cuddles rested its head on his daughter’s shoulder. He noted that it was illegal to keep local reptiles at home.

Last year, the disappearance of a five-foot boa constrictor from an apartment in Msida triggered fear in the area and rekindled questions over the regulation of these animals. Arguments about the danger posed by reptiles surface even when a local snake is spotted in the wild.

The society aims to raise awareness about characteristics of these reptiles and Mr McGowan has given lectures to children in the US and Malta, including to scout groups.

He expressed disappointment that few know about the different local protected species, and the benefits of snakes and lizards, which feed on rodents and insects.

As part of its conservation activities, the society organises cleanups of the countryside. A plastic cup eaten by a rodent could end up in a snake, harming the creature, he noted.

Mr McGowan is also calling for better regulation of the sector as there are currently no records of these reptiles found in different households across the island. It is usually estimated that some 10 per cent of the population has a reptile at home.

Better regulation includes training people on how to deal with large snakes, just in case any venomous snake is smuggled in illegally. The society is in touch with the planning authority over this matter.

Mr McGowan said the society can also help people take care of their reptile pets. He urged those who cannot take care of them not to release them into the wild but hand them over to the society so that it would find a home for them.

Apart from breeders, photographers, reptile specialists and zookeepers, the Herpetological Society includes people who are against captive-keeping.

Asked about his take on captive reptiles, Mr McGowan noted the practice in regard to alien snakes stopped those who wanted to keep such a creature at home from taking a local snake from the wild, thus helping protect the local species from going extinct.

In cases where species have been facing extinction abroad, captive keeping and breeding helped regenerate these species, saving them from extinction, he added.

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Local snakes

• The cat snake, known as teleskopus in Maltese, grows up to one metre long. It is pale brown or greyish with dark brown transverse spots and a lateral alternating series of brown transverse bars with a greyish white underbelly.

This nocturnal hunter feeds on lizards, geckos, other snakes and small mammals. It is the only local snake that has poison fangs at the back of the mouth, but its poison affects only small animals.

• The leopard snake, known in Maltese as lifgħa, grows up to one metre long. This species prefers dark and sheltered localities and is common in shaded valleys, often coiled around tree branches. It hunts for food at dawn and dusk, feeding on birds, lizards, geckos, frogs and mice among others.

• The black whip snake, known as serp iswed, can grow up to two metres long. The adult is black but the young ones are dark green marked with grey and dark brown. This snake is very lively and hunts around midday, feeding on lizards, geckos, rats, mice and bird eggs, but it hibernates during winter.

• The Algerian whip snake, known as serp aħdar, can grow up to one metre long and is a pale ochre or grey with transverse black bars at intervals. This species is limited and might have been introduced with fire-wood shipments centuries ago.

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