Snakes of Morocco

In both Marrakech and Agadir, you are far more likely to meet a snake used by a charmer than a wild one. Morocco has 26 snake species, and some live around cities, in gardens and farmland.

But snakes are shy, the 7 venomous species especially so, and only one or two are likely near large cities. Most visitors never see a snake during their stay, and when they do it is almost always a harmless species.

Only 7 of Morocco's 26 snake species are venomous: the country's 6 Vipers and the Egyptian Cobra. The other 19 are harmless to humans. Meeting any snake is unlikely, and a venomous one even less so, though encounters are naturally more frequent in rural areas.

A few simple habits remove almost all risk: don't walk barefoot in nature, watch where you put your hands and feet (don't reach into holes or under rocks and woodpiles you can't see into), use a light when walking at night, and never leave your shoes outside after dark.

If you do meet a snake, keep your distance and let it move off. To check whether a species is venomous, see our Venomous or Harmless guide.

The vipers of greatest medical importance are the Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) and the Moorish Viper (Daboia mauritanica), together with the Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje).

Snakes are not aggressive, they are defensive and will not attack people. Keep in mind that encountering snakes in Morocco is unlikely, and that most of them are entirely harmless.

Check out our Identification guide to learn how to differentiate different species, or our Venomous or Harmless one to quickly check whether a snake is venomous.

Get to a hospital as fast as you can, stay calm and keep the bitten limb still. For the full do's and don'ts, see our What to do if bitten guide.

The three main clues are head shape, scalation and pupil shape. Our Illustrated guide walks you through them so you can tell whether the snake you saw was venomous.

Yes. The Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje), also called the North African cobra, is the only cobra in Morocco. It is a large, often very dark snake that lives south of the Atlas Mountains, and it is highly venomous: the charmers' cobras are this same species, not a harmless lookalike. The animals used in the squares usually have their fangs broken off before they are handled.

Sadly it is captured from the wild and used by snake charmers, a practice that has pushed the species to greater risk in Morocco. Wild cobras are collected every year and used until they die. For more, see our Egyptian Cobra species account.

The Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) is the largest snake in the country, sometimes passing 2 metres. It is a fast, harmless colubrid whose fangs sit at the back of the mouth and deliver only a mild venom, not dangerous to people. Snakes with rear-set fangs like this are called opisthoglyphous.

Late spring and early autumn, on warm sunny days, are best. In high summer the heat pushes activity to the first hours of the morning and the still-warm hours of the night.

The arid regions, their oases and dry riverbeds hold the greatest diversity, but snakes turn up in almost every habitat, from the coast to the mountains, wherever there is cover and prey. Whenever you find one, watch it from a respectful distance and never try to handle it.

Most encounters are harmless. Don't try to catch or kill it, that is when most bites happen; give it a clear way out (it usually followed rodents in), keep children and pets back, and call local civil protection or a handler if you are unsure (see our Venomous or Harmless guide).

To keep snakes away from your house, remove what draws them: control rodents, clear clutter and woodpiles, and seal gaps around doors and foundations.

On the law: all Moroccan snakes are strictly protected under law 29-05, so killing one is illegal. Collecting or keeping a live snake without a permit carries a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 dirhams per animal, and article 5 also prohibits killing them by any means. So no, you may not kill it: back off, leave it alone, and it will move off by itself. (Decree 2-12-484 of 21 May 2015, Annex I, Official Bulletin no. 6366.)

In Standard Arabic, ثعبان (thu'ban) is a snake and أفعى (af'â) a viper. In Moroccan Darija a snake is commonly l'hanch and a viper lafâa, terms you'll see in our species list. Many species also carry their own Darija names, sometimes varying from region to region. Explore the different families of snakes in our Encyclopedia and learn more about their different Darija names.