| Dasypeltis medici | |
|---|---|
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| Dasypeltis medici in the Prague Zoo | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Dasypeltis |
| Species: | D. medici |
| Binomial name | |
| Dasypeltis medici (Bianconi, 1859) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Dasypeltis medici, known commonly as the East African egg-eater and the eastern forest egg-eater, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Africa.
The specific name, medici, is in honor of Italian physiologist Michele Medici. [3]
D. medici is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. [2]
The preferred habitat of D. medici is lowland evergreen forest. [4]
D. medici may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 76 cm (30 in) for females, and 60 cm (24 in) for males. [4]
D. medici, like all species in the genus Dasypeltis , feeds exclusively on birds' eggs. It can swallow an egg three times the size of its head. The egg is slit open by vertebral hypapophyses which extend into the esophagus. The collapsed empty shell is regurgitated. [5]
D. medici is oviparous. [2] An adult female may lay a clutch of 6–28 elongate eggs, each egg measuring 24 mm × 8 mm (0.94 in × 0.31 in). [4]
The Indian egg-eating snake or Indian egg-eater is a rare species of egg-eating snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is also called Westermann's snake, reflecting its scientific name. The snake belongs to the monotypic genus Elachistodon.
Gekko smithii, commonly known as Smith's green-eyed gecko or the large forest gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to mainland Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
Dasypeltis is a genus of colubrid snakes. It is one of only two taxonomic groups of snakes known to have adapted to feed exclusively on eggs. Dasypeltis are non-venomous and found throughout the continent of Africa, primarily in forested or wooded habitats that are also home to numerous species of birds.
Dasypeltis scabra, known as the common egg eater, egg-eating snake or rhombic egg eater, is a species of colubrid snake endemic to Africa.
Causus defilippii, commonly known as snouted night adder, is a species of snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to East and Southern Africa. Although its venom is nonlethal to humans, it is still considered medically significant. There are no recognized subspecies.
The Sekukhune flat lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. It has two subspecies.
Python anchietae is a python species endemic to southern Africa. According to Donald George Broadley (1990), this species is most closely related to the ball python of western Africa, and no subspecies are currently recognized. It is named after the Portuguese naturalist and explorer José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta. Like all other pythons, it is not venomous.
Polemon christyi, also known commonly as Christy's snake-eater and the eastern snake-eater, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the subfamily Aparallactinae of the family Atractaspididae. The species is native to Central Africa and East Africa.
Bibron's blind snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is native to southern Africa.
The Cape file snake is a species of large, non-venomous snake endemic to Africa, belonging to the family Lamprophiidae.
Wahlberg's velvet gecko is a species of large gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species occurs exclusively in Southern Africa.
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, commonly known as the herald snake or the red-lipped snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dasypeltis atra, commonly known as the African egg-eating snake or montane egg-eater, is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Africa.
The savanna vine snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae.
Telescopus beetzi, commonly known as Beetz's tiger snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern Africa.
The olive marsh snake is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dasypeltis fasciata, commonly known as the Central African egg-eating snake or the western forest eggeater, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Africa. It is one of 13 species in the genus Dasypeltis, and is occasionally kept in captivity as an exotic pet along with other members of its genus, particularly D. scabra and D. medici.
Nucras lalandii, also known commonly as Delalande's sandveld lizard, Delalande's spotted lizard, and Laland's lizard, is a species of wall lizard in the family of true lizards (Lacertidae). The species is native to Southern Africa.
Panaspis wahlbergii, also known commonly as the Angolan snake-eyed skink, the savannah lidless skink, and Wahlberg's snake-eyed skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it likely represents more than one species.
Elapsoidea sundevallii, also known commonly as Sundevall's garter snake or African garter snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Southern Africa. There are five recognised subspecies.
