Hemorrhois hippocrepis
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Adults of H. hippocrepis may attain a total length, including tail, of 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 feet), with no
sexual dimorphism in body size. Its body is slender the head being wider than the neck. The eye is large, with a round pupil and a row of small scales below it. The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 25-29 rows, and the ventrals number 220–258. Dorsally, it has a series of large spots which are either blackish or dark brown edged with black. There is a series of alternating smaller dark spots on each side. The lighter ground color between the spots may be yellowish, olive, or reddish. The dark spots are closely spaced, giving the appearance of a dark snake with a light pattern resembling a chain or a series of letters X. There is a light horseshoe-shaped mark on the neck and back of head.
H. hippocrepis is found in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa, in southern and central Portugal, southern, eastern and central Spain, Gibraltar, southern Sardinia and Pantelleria... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Horseshoe Whip Snake sighting in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 14 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, October and December–January
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Horseshoe Whip Snake in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April, August and November, the lowest months.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Horseshoe Whip Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Horseshoe Whip Snake sightings, Sierra Nevada National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Monfragüe National Park (Spain, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Horseshoe Whip Snake that you can see in Sierra Nevada National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Ladder Snake (about 20%), Southern Smooth Snake (about 20%) and Viperine Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Horseshoe Whip Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Sierra Nevada National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
