| Savanna vine snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Threat display | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| 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 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]
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.
Atractaspis bibronii is a species of venomous snake in the family Atractaspididae. The species is endemic to Africa. There are no subspecies that are recognised as being valid. Its common names are the Southern stiletto snake, Bibron's stiletto snake, Side-stabbing snake; previously it was known as Bibron's burrowing asp, Bibron's mole viper, and the mole adder.
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.
Crotalus stejnegeri, commonly known as the Sinaloan long-tailed rattlesnake or just long-tailed rattlesnake, is a venomous pit viper species in the family Viperidae. The species is native to western Mexico. 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.
The twig snakes, also commonly known as bird snakes or vine snakes, are a genus of rear-fanged venomous snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus is native to Africa. All species in the genus have a slender and elongated profile, a long tail, a narrow head and a pointed snout. The eye of all species has a horizontal pupil, shaped like a keyhole, which gives twig snakes binocular vision. Twig snakes are greyish-brown with faint light and dark markings. When threatened, they inflate the throat to display bold black markings between the scales. Twig snake bites are potentially deadly: the venom is hemotoxic, affecting the blood clotting mechanism and causing uncontrolled bleeding and internal hemorrhaging. Bites by twig snakes have caused death in humans; famous herpetologist Robert Mertens died after being bitten by his pet savanna vine snake. However, envenomed bites are extremely rare when not handling the snake, as the fangs can't breach the skin except in a few places like the web between the thumb and fingers.
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.
The Cape wolf snake is a species of oviparous, nonvenomous snake which occurs over a wide area of Southern, Central, and East Africa. Though docile and harmless, it may be confused with the very venomous stiletto snake.
Telescopus semiannulatus, commonly known as the common tiger snake, tiger cat snake, western tiger snake, or eastern tiger snake is a species of rear-fanged colubrid snake. It is widespread in central, eastern, and southern Africa.
Amblyodipsas concolor, also known as the KwaZulu-Natal purple-glossed snake or Natal purple-glossed snake, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family.
Aparallactus capensis, or the Cape centipede-eater, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family.
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.
Pachydactylus labialis, commonly known as the Calvinia thick-toed gecko, Western Cape gecko, or Western Cape thick-toed gecko, is a gecko species endemic to the Western and Northern Cape in South Africa, often found taking shelter under stones.
The forest vine snake, also known commonly as the twig snake and the bird snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to 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.
Monopeltis capensis, also known commonly as the Cape spade-snouted worm lizard, the Cape wedge-snouted worm lizard, the Cape worm lizard, and the South African shield-snouted amphisbaenian, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. 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.
