| Olive grass snake | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Psammophiidae |
| Genus: | Psammophis |
| Species: | P. mossambicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Psammophis mossambicus Peters, 1882 | |
| Synonyms | |
Psammophis mossambicus, the olive grass snake, is a snake species in the family Psammophiidae, the sand and whip snakes (not to be confused with the Australian olive whipsnake, Demansia olivacea).
P. mossambicus is native to Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, eastern South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe), [4] but may also be found in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, and as far north as southern Chad. [4]
This snake grows to 100 to 180 cm (roughly 3-5 feet) in length, and lives in somewhat moist places near a source of water. It is olive-brown in color, with dark-edged scales and a lighter-hued underside. It is often confused with the black mamba, as it can raise its head in a similar fashion to the mambas, cobras and other elapid snakes; however, unlike the aforementioned species, the olive grass snake is opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged), with small teeth located at the back of the mouth that deliver mild venom (and/or toxic salival compounds), primarily used for subduing small, slippery or "squirmy" prey such as frogs, lizards and some rodents. It is considered mildly venomous to humans. No deaths have been recorded, though possible side effects of envenomation may include localised pain and swelling, nausea and fatigue.
The black mamba is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. First formally described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is the second-longest venomous snake after the king cobra; mature specimens generally exceed 2 m and commonly grow to 3 m (9.8 ft). Specimens of 4.3 to 4.5 m have been reported. Its skin colour varies from grey to dark brown. Juvenile black mambas tend to be paler than adults and darken with age. Despite the common name, the skin of a black mamba is not black; the color name describes rather the inside of its mouth, which it displays when feeling threatened.
The eastern green mamba is a highly venomous snake species of the mamba genus Dendroaspis native to the coastal regions of southern East Africa. Described by Scottish surgeon and zoologist Andrew Smith in 1849, it has a slender build with a bright green back and green-yellow ventral scales. Adult females average around 2 metres in length, and males are slightly smaller.
Psammophis leithii, commonly called the Pakistan sand racer, Pakistani ribbon snake, or Leith's sand snake, is a species of rear-fanged snake in the family Psammophiidae. The species is native to South Asia. It is harmless to humans.
The Mozambique spitting cobra is a highly venomous species of spitting cobra native to Africa. It is largely found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Psammophis is a genus of snakes in the family Psammophiidae. The genus comprises 33 species, which are found in Africa and Asia. Psammophis are diurnal and prey on lizards and rodents which they actively hunt. All species in the genus are venomous, and the venom is considered mild and not dangerous to humans.
Mearns's pouched mouse is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, hot deserts, and arable land.
The Mozambique rain frog, also known as the flat-faced frog, is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Lesotho. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, pasture land and rural gardens.
The brown snake eagle is a fairly large species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in West, East and southern Africa. This species is an almost obligate predator of a variety of snakes. A very solitary bird, the brown snake eagle has a prolonged breeding cycle and raises a single eaglet. Although probably naturally scarce, it is classified as a least concern species as it continues to occur over a very broad range.
Xenocalamus transvaalensis is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Atractaspididae. The species is endemic to Africa. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
The Mozambique girdled lizard or flame-bellied armadillo lizard is a large, flattened, girdled lizard found on Mount Gorongosa in Mozambique and low elevations in the Chimanimani Mountains at the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It lives in rock outcrops in grasslands and dry, wooded mountain slopes.
Warren's girdled lizard is a species of relatively large, flattened lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.
The Transvaal grass lizard, also known as the coppery grass lizard and Transvaal snake lizard is a species of lizard in the genus Chamaesaura. It is found in southern African grasslands and on slopes. The Transvaal grass lizard is ovoviviparous. The scientific name refers to its copper colour.
The yellow-faced whip snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae, a family containing many dangerous snakes. D. psammophis is endemic to Australia, found throughout the continent in a variety of habitats from coastal fringes to interior arid scrubland.
Psammophylax rhombeatus is a reptile commonly found throughout Southern Africa. This mildly venomous snake has a similar role in its ecosystem and has many ancestral similarities to other Psammophis snakes.
Jameson's mamba is a species of highly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to equatorial Africa. A member of the mamba genus, Dendroaspis, it is slender with dull green upper parts and cream underparts and generally ranges from 1.5 to 2.2 m in total length. Described by Scottish naturalist Thomas Traill in 1843, it has two recognised subspecies. The nominate subspecies is found in central and western sub-Saharan Africa, and the eastern black-tailed subspecies is found eastern sub-Saharan Africa, mainly western Kenya.
Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons, born in Pietermaritzburg, was a notable herpetologist in South Africa. Also, he contributed to the collection of spermatophyte samples for the National Herbarium which has become part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. In 1937, together with Anna Amelia Obermeyer, he collected some of the earliest plant specimens from the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia.
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.
Chondrodactylus angulifer, also known as the common giant ground gecko, the South African ground gecko, or the Namib sand gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.
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