| Savanna vine snake | |
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| Threat display | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thelotornis |
| Species: | T. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Thelotornis capensis A. Smith, 1849 | |
The savanna vine snake or southern vine snake (Thelotornis capensis) is a species of highly venomous snake in the family Colubridae.
Thelotornis capensis is slender and has a long tail. The longest museum specimen is a male with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 106 cm (42 in), a tail 62 cm (24 in) long, and a combined total length of 168 cm (66 in). [2] [3]
Thelotornis capensis is oviparous. [2] [3] The eggs are elongated and rather small, each measuring on average 36 mm (1.4 in) long and 16 mm (0.63 in) wide. [2]
Three subspecies of T. capensis are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies. [3]
Nota bene : A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Thelotornis.
The subspecific name, oatesi, honors British naturalist Frank Oates. [4]