Eryx jaculus is the intimidating name of a pleasant snake known to many nature enthusiasts for its friendly temperament. The origin of the scientific name of the sand boa is not entirely clear; in any case, those in the know tell of a Sicilian king named Eryx (Eryx) who lived about 2800 years ago and may have been named after him. King Eryx was an excellent boxer with extraordinary athletic abilities (jaculus  in Latin: swift / javelin), but this did not impress the famous hero Hercules: he killed Eryx in battle, left behind a huge pool of blood, and for us - a friendly snake.

Sand boa (Eryx jaculus, is mentioned in several sources under the name viviparous sand boa) is the only representative of the sand boas family (BOIDAE) in the country. TheSand boa has a relatively wide distribution in the region: Europe, Asia (mainly in the southwest of the continent) and North Africa. In Israel it is found throughout the Mediterranean zone and in the northern Negev, in areas of light soils: this is a subterranean species that often burrows. Like the rest of its relatives, the sand boa gives birth to live young. Births at the end of the autumn season are known of individuals less than 15 cm long. Noam Segev and Shira Segev observed a sand boa in the Kedumim area that was only about 20 cm long (attached photo).