The desert fascinates and frightens at the same time, by its mysterious landscapes, his loneliness and by its natural inhabitants. The reptiles : Vipers, Snakes, Cobras, monitor lizards. Cohabitation with other wild or domestic animals, as well as humans is tricky. Desert Reptiles. The largest is the desert monitor lizard. Its size can exceed one meter. With its ferocious appetite, it is the most feared predator of snakes. It has a long cylindrical tail, capable of landing powerful whiplashes. They travel great distances every day to feed. He is a very active hunter. Its favorite prey are lizards and rodents. But if he meets a snake basking in the sun, he makes a departure from his usual diet. Feeling the ground with his tongue, the desert monitor can detect the snake's tracks. If he is starved, he triggers the pursuit. The snake, too, sensed the presence of the predator. Terrified, he fled. The lizard's teeth are only one and a half millimeters long, but they are very sharp and especially bent backwards, which allows it not to let its prey escape, when he shakes them strongly and bangs them on the ground to knock them out. The bite of monitor lizards has a reputation for being poisonous. Wounds frequently become infected. Among nomads, the desert monitor is a sacred animal. He protects them from evil by keeping snakes away. But he is hunted by the man who fears him. Its fat is carefully preserved. It is used as an ointment against bites. The most noble is the cobra. It is rare, but very dangerous and causes intolerable pain. It has the ability to spit its venom. The cobra is a symbol. The worship of snakes as an evil deity or beneficial dates back to the Bronze Age. In antiquity, the serpent was associated to the god of science and wisdom. The cobra that adorned the adornment of the pharaohs, provide them with divine protection. It has since spread throughout Africa. The most dangerous is the viper. The south of Morocco is home to several species, especially the puff adder. Thanks to its highly sophisticated venomous apparatus, the puff adder has an extraordinary striking speed. It is practically invisible on the ground. Its colorful body provides excellent camouflage. The puff adder is an animal with a heavy and stocky body, with the head very broadened behind. Although lacking an outer ear, the viper is not deaf. It has an inner ear that allows it to pick up low frequency sounds. The viper also perceives the vibrations transmitted by the ground. Each animal thus has its defense and attack system. Reptiles are not alone in these vast desert territories, where the heat can exceed 40 degrees. On the burning ground, a snake moves quickly. Looking for the nearest water point to cool off. On her way, she meets a Barbary squirrel widespread in southern Morocco. This is a bargain not to be missed. The snake first tries to scare the squirrel, before swallowing it. But he doesn't give up. He knows he can resist, because the snake is not poisonous. Defeated, she continues on her way to the river. When he arrives, the snake is surprised by the presence of a herd of goats. A curious kid makes a movement in the direction of the snake. The snake then prefers to change banks. basking in the sun, a cobra, too, is disturbed by the herd. Despite his fearsome weapon, the Cobra prefers to flee. He also knows that the man must not be far away. He hides by digging in the sand, along the river, because he doesn't feel safe. Once in his hole, the cobra watches the herd from afar. The viper rarely drinks from pools or puddles. She mainly drinks dew that she collects on the blades of grass at dawn. But with the lack of rain, there is almost no grass left. She is obliged to leave her domain to come and drink at the river, despite the risk of bad encounters. But that day, it is she who seems to sow terror among the turtles. The river is the meeting point for all animals, everyone observes each other, danger is everywhere. The viper seeks to cross the river. The current is very strong. She gives up. Another viper also wants cross the water which seems calm on the sides. But once in the middle, she gets carried away by the current and disappears. Back from the river, another snake burned by the sun, seek a shade in this desolate desert. Perched on these stones, our squirrel, already disturbed the first time, sensed the presence of the reptile. He utters cries of alarm, because he feels that he will still have to defend his territory. Here too, he knows he can stand up to this snake. So he takes the risk of the fight. The squirrel was bitten during his two fights. But despite his injuries, he remains the master of the place. The snake will have to look elsewhere for its food. In the afternoon, it's siesta time. A viper approaches the village. She is hungry. Rarely does a snake venture into a village, but this viper is attracted by what men have deposited there. Maybe she will find something to eat. Unfortunately, a turkey blocks his way. Despite the viper's hiss, the turkey doesn't seem worried, because the serpent has no hold on her. With pecks, the turkey tries to scare the viper away. Despite everything, the turkey ends up giving way to the reptile. During the hunting season, Hadj Ahmed travels the countryside to capture reptiles. The villagers call him regularly. All the inhabitants know him well, because for years he has been visiting them. He is always welcome among them, for he protects them from serpents. As soon as he arrives, he is shown a small snake caught in the fields. Today, we report a big viper to him which poses a daily threat to children. I, that, yes, that bothers me. Once indicated where she was last seen. Hadj Ahmed does not waste a moment. He goes immediately to the designated place, accompanied by his assistant. He knows that the hunt can last for hours. Ammed and his family are followers of the cult, Aïssaoua, of the zaouïa Sidi Rahal, which is 50 km from Marrakech. The Aïssaouas have the power to control reptiles and are protected. This power, they say, was passed down to them from father to son, by their great master Sidi Rahal Armed with a mirror and an iron bar, Hadj Ahmed carefully searches for the viper. The mirror is used to reflect light into dark holes. The snake sensed the danger and hides under stones. It's very hot and after 2 hours of research, he spotted the traces of the viper. After each hunt, Hadj Ahmed always returns to the village to show his capture and to prove once more his power over the reptiles. Despite the protection of Aïssaoui, the peasant is not really reassured. And as always, it's over a glass of tea that Hadj Ahmed tells his adventures. The hunt can last for days. The night stops them around a fire to eat. Here we are again at the edge of the river. A mother hawk circles in the sky, looking for one of those little ones who has disappeared. By her cries, she pushes him to fly away, for she knows the dangers that await her. A flightless bird is a dead bird. She lands and leaves immediately. The child is terrified. He screams and seems to call for help. But suddenly the snake appears who after his encounter with the squirrel, is now facing the hawk. She knows it's not ideal, but you have to eat something. The young hawk will defend himself until the end to save his skin. The snake eventually gives up. Again, he won't eat. The cries attracted another animal, sandfish. A kind of lizard with very sharp teeth. There too, the struggle is fierce, under the watchful eye of Mother Sparrowhawk who can do nothing. The fight ends badly for both of them, without knowing the winner. Meanwhile, the hunt continues for the Aïssaoui. The snake sensed his presence. Hadj Ahmed makes noise to scare the snake. After hours of hunting, the boomslang, a snake in the bite is sometimes poisonous, runs away. Hadj Ahmed will wear him down until he can catch him, because the serpent is very lively. Hadj Ahmed and his nephew return from hunting. Many peasants called him. He was able to demonstrate his talent for free. He will sell his catches to the snake charmer, because it is his only salary. In the meantime, we have to take care of it. A room has been set up especially for them. In another room. Hadj Ahmed keeps the most dangerous snakes locked in boxes. He explains to his nephew that vipers never remain without hooks, because as soon as they lost one, it is immediately replaced by another. A good knowledge of the animal is essential. Hadj Ahmed only feeds vipers and cobras, while the snakes he keeps in the room devour each other. After cleaning a beef heart of all fat, he cuts it into pieces. With the help of a big needle, he makes the snake eat. It is a very dangerous operation, because it can bite it at any time. After the meal, he releases the viper, so that she can move the meat down into her body. Afterwards, she must rest for at least four days for digestion. For years, summer and winter, Hadj Ahmed and his family go to Jemaa el-Fna Square every day, located in the heart of the city of Marrakech. Where they give their show. They tirelessly prove their power on reptiles, for a few coins. In an old abandoned house, the snake has established its refuge. He knows that other animals will come. To eat, he will not have to move. But suddenly, the snake finds itself face to face with a fish of the sands. This one, very aggressive, goes on the attack. But he misses his shot. Faster, he bites her lower jaw. Distraught, the snake seeks to free itself, but the sandfish, with its fearsome jaws, does not let go. The serpent, who thought he had easy prey, finds himself in a delicate position. The confrontation between reptiles sometimes has witnesses. Impassive, the chameleon observes this sometimes fratricidal struggle. Species eat each other. In this case, the chameleon always moves away. He will continue to observe the scene from the top of the nearest tree. The way snakes feed has always impressed people. The mobility of their jaws allows them to swallow prey larger than them and deform to swallow them up. The Aïssaouis were called further south. Today, the capture of a cobra is to be celebrated. So Aïssaoua plays like its ancestors since Antiquity, with the snake. A dangerous game mortal, but essential to assert their power. Desert monitor lizards are solitary animals that don't like to share. Burned by the midday sun, the large male continues on his way in search of other prey. Hadj Ahmed, also crushed by the heat, inspect each bush. He is looking for monitor lizards, because it is requested by the herbalists of Marrakech for its virtues. You have to step over the varan three times and the bad spells disappear. We burn his skin to chase away the spirits. Its fat is used against snakebites. The larger the monitor, the more virtues. By sensing danger, the monitor lizard manifests its presence to scare the Aïssaoui. But the Aïssaoui, with caution, will catch the reptile without hurting or scaring him. By stroking it, the Aïssaoui wins the trust of the monitor lizard, which allows itself to be done. During mating, two cobras are surprised by a desert monitor lizard. The male tries to chase him from his domain, but the hungry monitor lizard is not intimidated by the hiss of the serpent. The monitor knows he has no chance against the two cobras. They must therefore be separated. To frighten the male, he strikes the ground with his tail. The snake feels the violence of the blow and flees, leaving behind the female. This one, unaware of the danger, attacks the monitor lizard. The monitor does not react. Motionless, he waits for the right moment. Head in her mouth, she tries to free herself, but the monitor lizard does not let go. While the female undergoes this punishment, the male perched on a palm tree observes the scene, which can last for hours. Further south, in the sand dunes, the horned viper is also perpetually in search of food. The horned viper owes its name to the long pointed scales that rise above his eyes. To protect yourself from the sun by lateral movements of the body, the viper sinks into the sand, leaving only the than eyes and nostrils. It thus benefits from a much cooler temperature than at the surface. The horned viper is a widely distributed species across the Sahara and perfectly adapted to the difficult life in the desert. In the most arid regions, to find widely dispersed prey, the snake must travel up to 5 km per day. The horned viper does not stick to a well-defined home range. They change sectors depending on the weather conditions. and very localized rains. They do not hesitate to venture into steep slopes and to climb hills over 100 m. The snake comes out before dusk chased. He then systematically visits the burrows and inspects the few clumps of vegetation. In sand dunes, prey is rare. So they decide to head for the nearest oasis. When moving sideways, one manages to pass the obstacle, while the other struggles to cross it. After traveling several kilometres, the horned viper reaches the oasis. She encounters a sandfish which, too, has gone out to hunt. He was unlucky, he came across a poisonous snake. The viper knows she must strike very quickly, because sand fish can be very aggressive. Holding her head, he tries to choke her but the viper lets herself go, because she knows that the venom she injected into him will begin to take effect. And now the viper will watch till it dies, a prey that will not go very far to devour it. The horned viper can swallow prey which can reach 38% of its weight. The smallest is the scorpion. There are about thirty species of scorpions within the limits of the Sahara. They are responsible for a large number of accidents and deaths. He only comes out of his refuge when he is hungry. He moves pretty fast claws extended, tail raised and can travel relatively long distances. He is very aggressive. Sight does not seem to be involved in locating prey. These are localized by other organs, like long sensory bristles that the scorpion wears on its claws. These very fine bristles react to the slightest movement of air generated by the movements of his opponent. The monitor lizard, yet the largest, seems to be led to flee before the smallest. Nature is so made. The reptiles that were believed to be the masters of the desert also have difficulty feeding and even to defend themselves. Venomous or not, the animals have established a balance where everyone has their place. Even the men haven't really changed it. The cobras. In southern Morocco, when you leave an oasis, you quickly find yourself in the middle of the desert. And the desert belongs to those who have been able to adapt to it. Undoubtedly, the most successful animals in this hostile environment are the reptiles. sandfish, lizards, snakes, snakes, geckos, sand monitor, all have developed through evolution hunting tactics and defenses to survive. The most powerful of these reptiles and the most feared is the cobra. This sovereign serpent is called, Naja Haje or Egyptian cobra. The Egyptian cobra has established its domain nearby semi-mountainous massifs of the erg, but it is also found in oases near villages. Where he comes to look for prey at his convenience. Both men and animals have good reason to fear it. He holds a terrible weapon, a deadly venom that it injects into its victims by biting them. His appearance is also impressive. Especially when, to intimidate his adversaries, he stands up and unfolds his headdress by widening the skin of his neck. What makes it even scarier is its length. More than two meters and the color of its scales, black, symbol of death. With such a portrait, one might think the cobra flawless. Yet, like all snakes, he is deaf to outside noise. His eyesight isn't bad, but he can't see shapes or silhouettes only when they move. Despite this, it is an outstanding predator and we will follow him in his hunts. The cobra is more of the homebody type. He can stay days and days in the same hole or under the same block of rocks. But when he goes to explore his domain in search of prey, better not to get in his way. First meeting of the day a monitor lizard devouring prey which would suit the cobra very well. The monitor lizard has not finished with this little snake which defends itself very skillfully. He clings on, hiding his head under the blow of the monitor lizard. However, to kill him, he must precisely crush his head. The struggle can last for hours. Deaf and myopic as he is. How does the cobra find what it is looking for? Thanks to its tongue, its most powerful sensory organ. It collects around molecules which are analyzed by a receiving organ. The brain translates the information and guides it. He seems determined to pursue the monitor lizard, to drive him out of his territory. The monitor lizard has found a quiet corner, where he can devour his prey while monitoring the approach of the cobra. The latter does not appreciate that this intruder lingers on his domain, but he won't attack her. For the sand monitor is, apart from man, his most formidable enemy. He has sharp teeth and his bite is dangerous. The Cobra therefore gives up trying to seize this little snake who would gladly have eaten it. But he will find a more accessible prey elsewhere. This lizard, for example. Harmless, easy to attack. It obviously happens that the prey do not let themselves be done. The lizard believed to find refuge in this rocky cavity. This will be his tomb. A bite is usually enough to neutralize a small prey. The venom acts very quickly on the neurons and paralyzes the victim. Decidedly, there is a lot of unrest today in Cobra territory. Here is now a fennec out for a walk or marauding. In fact, the Cobra has nothing to fear from this little sand fox. who will be careful not to come and worry him. No need to interrupt his feast. The fennec is incredibly fast, which makes it formidable for the prey it stalks, birds, lizards, small rodents, but surely not cobras. Hedgehogs are not familiar with this environment and do not know the dangers. The escalation sometimes ends faster than one would like. At the foot of the dune, the Cobra finally encountered another congener, a female. They are getting to know each other. When snakes are looking for a mate. It happens that a male and a female of different species court each other, caress for a few moments. But their romance rarely goes as far as mating. These two, in any case, were disturbed in their intimacy by the fall of the hedgehog. As a matter of principle, you should be wary of hedgehogs. Although they rarely attack two snakes at once. Either way, this one doesn't look very aggressive. His fall completely stunned her. They have barely recovered from their astonishment when a second intruder arrives. It is the male who returns from his exploration by a more traditional means. It is hardly more vigorous than its companion. So nothing to fear for snakes, but they still prefer to change places. The female leaves. The sand bears the imprint and the scent of a female. But what awaits him at the end of the road is not quite a cakewalk. The female, whose track he followed, already has several suitors. If our cobra wants to win favor with the female, he will have to face and oust a whole band of rivals. An opportunity for him to prove his strength, but what trials! It takes a few minutes before the duels start. Snakes take the time to observe each other. The behavior of one will determine the reactions of the other. During these ritual fights, adversaries do not seek to kill each other, but simply to test their respective strength. That's why they never show themselves, which given the virulence of their venom would be fatal for one as for the other. They are content with a clinch which ends quickly abandoning the weakest. The female who unleashes so many passions, here she is. She is ready for mating. From head to tail, its skin emits pheromones, chemicals produced under the control of sex hormones. Around this puny bush, which still give a little shade. Ritualized struggles to win the prize will continue for several days, with more or less motivated newcomers, more or less persistent. It sometimes happens that in the heat of competition, more than two candidates run at the same time, which complicates things a bit. Taken aback, not knowing where to turn, the fighters stand erect, not daring to move. An assembly of monkeys or wizards deliberating in secret on world affairs, such was the impression of a naturalist at the beginning of the century, witness of one of these encounters. The monkeys will be disturbed by an unwelcome visitor, and not least. A sand cat. One of the worst enemies of the Cobras since he attacks them without fear. In the arena of contenders, it's the status quo. The ritual fights are temporarily interrupted to watch for the deeds and gestures of the enemy. Which enemy is not really threatening at the moment. It's noon, the sand is very hot and he must seek shelter as soon as possible. The female and one of the males seem ready to take advantage of this lull to mate. But the cat approaching, they join the others. General panic among the Cobras. And it is these concerted threats that will incite the cat to change direction. No question of attacking this band of unleashed snakes. Scanning the horizon and darting their tongues, the snakes will quickly learn about the cat's actions. Better to be on your guard, in case he changes his mind. But no, decidedly, he seems more concerned with taking shelter than hunting. This time, he has well and truly disappeared from their field of vision. They can return to their noble occupations. Three months after mating, the female cobra is looking for a place to lay her eggs. This rocky cavity could suit him, but it is occupied by a young falcon which has fallen from the nest. Not knowing how to fly yet, he took refuge here. Never mind, the female cobra will dislodge him. The young falcon is trapped in this pit, but he won't let it go. The female cobra seems ready to do anything to appropriate this niche, even to kill the falcon. Only, she does not know by which end to take this mass of feathers, nor how to manage to bite the flesh to inject its venom. By chance, almost by miracle, the falcon manages to escape. Just about to devour one of his victims, the hedgehog heard a suspicious noise and disturbing enough to abandon its prey. Well, to hunt that intruder until he gets far enough from his nest. For now, he follows him from a distance, but soon, he will pass him discreetly to surprise him. Because the cobra always hesitates to bite a hedgehog. We understand it. But also to keep your head up so as not to suffer the same fate as the other serpent. The Cobra understood the lesson. Might as well let the hedgehog go its own way. Barely a few minutes later, a new confrontation, this time with a whiptail, a large desert lizard. He's not a dangerous opponent, but the cobra thinks he has nothing to do on his land, so there is no hesitation. Lightning attack, instant bite. Only, the whiptail was as fast as him. He badly misses his lower jaw and refuses to let go. He has fearsome teeth and phenomenal strength, in the maxillary muscles. The Cobra is helpless, he who thought he was dealing with an easy opponent. Here he is in bad shape. The venom must begin to take effect, because the whiptail has let go. Just enough time to recover from this shock and the Cobra returns to the charge. The whiptail is so dumbfounded that he doesn't even react to these new bites. The problem is that the cobra will not be able to swallow this lizard because of its wide tail made of spiny rings. And he knows it. So what's the point of picking on him? There's the hedgehog from earlier, who accidentally approaches the place, where the cobra struggles with its prey. Meanwhile, the cobra must be dreaming of the day where snakes will have teeth. Even with its mighty jaws, he'll never be able to tear one bit of that flesh out. The height would be that the hedgehog comes to devour the lizard in its place. No, definitely, there is nothing to hope for. Better to go away. Attracted by all these noises, the hedgehog comes to see what is happening. On one side, a cobra moving away. On the other, a dying whiptail. The falcon earlier. This day is definitely a succession of unpleasant encounters. He just escaped a cobra and now there's a boomslang, a snake with very poisonous venom. Fortunately, the boomslang rarely attacks such large prey. By continuing on its way, the boomslang risks meeting much more worrying. For the Cobra, whetted by the capture of the whiptail, went on the hunt. His first discovery could be very interesting. Two snakes devouring each other. Curiously, he prefers to leave them to their macabre tete-a-tete. At any moment, who hunts in the desert must expect to meet another hunter. Here comes the boomslang again, in a hurry now to shelter from the sun. It is one of the fastest snakes in its crawling. The Cobra does not hear like us because it does not have an external ear, but he perceives the vibrations transmitted by the ground. Of course he has something approaching. All he has to do is refine his search using his tongue. For the cobra, the boomslang is among the possible prey. Possible, but dangerous. This serpent cannot stand like him, but he also has an attack position. The cobra was the fastest. Killing the prey only takes 10ᵉ of a second. What is much longer is to swallow it, once she is paralyzed by the venom. In addition, snakes have an impressive ability to open their jaws and crooked teeth which guide the prey down the throat. Only, it takes time. You must not be disturbed. Looks like the cobra is trying to take away the boomslang in a hiding place to devour him in peace. Will he get there before he ends up preying on someone himself? He finally gave up moving his boomslang and resumed his feast. The venom also has the effect of dissolving the flesh, which facilitates both ingestion and digestion. Unlike lizards which usually eat a large number small prey, snakes ingest large amounts of food at once and can withstand long periods of young, which allows them to remain lurking in their lair for a long time, away from dangers of all kinds. The greatest of all dangers to the cobra. You guessed it, it's the men. The men of the villages that are on its territory and who are afraid of him. A little more effort and he will have swallowed 1.80 m of flesh. It will take him several days to digest this. It's Hadj Ahmed, an aïssaoui, a snake charmer. The inhabitants of the villages appeal to him, whenever a cobra roams too close to homes. A little test to find out if the Cobra reacts well to movement. At any moment, the snake could jump in his face and bite him. But Hadj Ahmed is apparently certain that nothing will happen to him. As if this tete-a-tete had already captivated him. Haj Ahmed is not the only one in his region to tame cobras. There is also his nephew whom he himself initiated into this strange cult and who also indulges in incredible manipulations. The Aïssaouas have, it seems, the power to control reptiles and are protected against their bites. Once he captured the cobra, the Aïssaoui is the owner. The snake and the use he will make of it constitutes his salary. Every day, he performs with his snake on the Jamaa el-Fna square, in Marrakech. Snake charmers have always wanted to make believe that they were sensitive to music, which is impossible since they are deaf. In reality, they react to the movement of the master's head or his flute. When in spring the snows of the high mountains begin to melt, the waters of the desert fill up and resemble for some time inexhaustible rivers. This almost miraculous water naturally attracts all the fauna of the surroundings, which gives happy encounters for some, dangerous for others. This little eagle will probably not be very reassured to see a wild dog, even young and inexperienced, pass within two fathoms of him. Who would not be tempted to come and quench their thirst here. The monitor ends up losing interest in the hedgehog, but this vague pursuit has visibly whetted his appetite. His tongue comes and goes. He is looking. He hopes to find another prey. With its camouflage outfit, the boomslang can go unnoticed to some predators. But the lizard's sensory organs detect all movement. The boomslang finally chose flight, even if it means being carried away by the current. The Cobra is still on his island, but he won't be there much longer. Perhaps taking advantage that the monitor lizard doesn't see it, he returns to the bank. The desert monitor is not so easily discouraged. He is hungry. He must eat. Meanwhile, the Cobra has joined its companion. Alas, their tete-a-tete will not last. This large carnivorous lizard, which is the Sahara monitor, do not hesitate to measure yourself against snakes, even the most powerful and venomous ones. The bifid tongues are activated, the bodies stand up. Looks like the cobras sensed the danger. For some unexplained reason, the monitor lizard has stopped in its tracks, obviously not knowing which way to go. It's that the situation has changed. The female has left her partner to return to her lair and find her brood. By refining its sensory listening, the monitor lizard realizes that she will pass very close to him. Here it is. She, too, felt something. Strangely, the monitor lizard lets her pass without flinching. Confused perhaps by the movement he has just seen just opposite. The male moving away in turn and undertaking to climb the trunk of a palm tree. In the meantime, the monitor lizard has found the female. New confrontation with her, who will this time go all the way to combat. If the monitor lizard is so sure of himself, is that he has managed to grab the cobra's head and prevents it from moving. He just has to be patient, not to let go. The snake will eventually choke. The male can only witness the killing of his companion from afar. Is it the lightning gaze of the sovereign serpent? A moment of inattention on the part of the varan. Or the female who injected her venom deep in her throat. Always the varan to let go and she manages to escape. By saving her skin, she contributes doubly to the perpetuation of his species. Not only will she continue to live, but it can resume, in the hollow of the rocks crushed by the sun, monitoring her eggs. As powerful as it is, the cobra is never completely safe from danger. But let's say that thanks to the lethal weapon which is its venom, he has a better chance of escaping death. This is perhaps why, in certain legends, it is believed, like all immortal serpents.
