▁some ▁spec im ens ▁have ▁reached ▁about ▁ 1 . 9 ▁m . ▁They ▁have ▁big ▁round ▁eyes , ▁re dd ish ▁in ▁colour . ▁One ▁distinct ive ▁feature ▁that ▁the ▁s nake ▁has ▁is ▁a ▁black ▁bl ot ch ▁which ▁runs ▁from ▁the ▁che ek ▁to ▁the ▁angle ▁of ▁the ▁j aw . ▁ ▁It ▁generally ▁has ▁a ▁st raw ▁col oured ▁background ▁check ered ▁with ▁brown ish ▁sp ots ▁running ▁along ▁the ▁body . ▁The ▁bel ly ▁surface ▁is ▁usually ▁cre me . ▁ ▁Ge ographical ▁range ▁Mal pol on ▁mo il ensis ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁ ▁Be havior ▁When ▁threatened , ▁Mal pol on ▁mo il ensis ▁will ▁im itate ▁a ▁c ob ra ' s ▁st ance ▁by ▁spread ing ▁its ▁neck ▁into ▁a ▁h ood ▁and ▁his sing ▁like ▁the ▁c ob ra . ▁ ▁Fe eding ▁In ▁the ▁wild , ▁it ▁mainly ▁fe eds ▁on ▁rod ents , ▁fled g ling ▁birds , ▁and ▁l iz ards . ▁Capt ives ▁accept ▁m ice ▁( pre - kil led , ▁fro zen , ▁and ▁live ). ▁ ▁Capt ivity ▁M . ▁mo il ensis ▁is ▁not ▁commonly ▁found ▁in ▁collections ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁possibly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁highly ▁ag gress ive ▁nature ▁of ▁some ▁spec im ens . ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁they ▁are ▁rarely ▁found ▁in ▁some ▁pet sh ops , ▁as ▁sn akes ▁aren ' t ▁commonly ▁kept ▁as ▁p ets . ▁Some ▁spec im ens