Savanna vine snake

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Savanna vine snake
Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis) (6011690147).jpg
Southern vine snake (Thelotornis capensis capensis).jpg
Threat display
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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.

Contents

Geographic range

Thelotornis capensis is found in southern Africa. [2]

Description

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]

Reproduction

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]

Subspecies

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.

Etymology

The subspecific name, oatesi, honors British naturalist Frank Oates. [4]

References

  1. Spawls, S. (2021). "Thelotornis capensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021 e.T164904938A120632972. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T164904938A120632972.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Branch, William R. [in French] (1994). "Thelotornis capensis". Bill Branch's Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. pp. 100-101 + Plates 18 & 31. ISBN   978-1-86825-575-7.
  3. 1 2 3 "Thelotornis capensis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). "Oates, F.". The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. JHU Press. p. 193. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5.

Further reading