Savanna vine snake

The savanna vine snake (Thelotornis capensis) is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae.

Savanna vine snake
Threat display

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
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

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

There are three subspecies of T. capensis which are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[3]

  • Thelotornis capensis capensis A. Smith, 1849
  • Thelotornis capensis oatesi (Günther, 1881)
  • Thelotornis capensis schilsi Derleyn, 1978

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, is in honor of British naturalist Frank Oates.[4]

References
  1. Spawls S (2011). "Thelotornis capensis ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  2. Branch, William R. (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. "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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading
  • Smith, A (1849). "Thelotornis capensis, new species". Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa ... Reptilia. London: Smith, Elder, and Co.


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