Attitude of hunters on snake habitat and management system in Cyprus

Aim: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is home to a number of snake species. This study aimed to investigate the effect of hunting on snakes in Northern Cyprus. Methodology: Questionnaire was developed which had both qualitative and quantitative sections. The questionnaire was filled with personal interviews with hunters of old and young generations. Moreover, people from various fields were also interviewed for this purpose. Once the questionnaire was developed, specific public from the study area were identified. Results: Most hunters know about the Blunt nosed viper (Macrovipera lebetina) as the only poisonous specie on the island but they only had the knowledge of 3 or 4 species so they mostly get confused Blunt nosed viper with other species like Coin snake (Hemorrhois nummifer), Cat snake (Telescopus fallax) and Large whip snake (Typhlops vermicularis) during sexual maturity. Most hunters think Co in snake is also poisonous due to its similarity with Blunt nosed viper. Cat snake is also thought to be poisonous among some hunters. Mostly, the grey and dotted, square or ring like patterns is considered as poisonous snake. Coin snake is the main victim of killing due to its similarity with the Blunt nosed viper. Interpretation: Most hunters know that snake population is decreasing day by day and hunting is the biggest threat to them. Due to vigorous hunting on small island, the snakes are being targeted by the hunters. The second major threat is habitat loss due to land use.