Snakes of Pennington
The KZN South Coast has a healthy reptile population, including a variety of snake species. Snakes play a critical role in our ecosystem by controlling rodent populations and maintaining the balance of nature.
While some species like the Green Mamba are venomous, most snakes encountered in Pennington, such as the Spotted Bush Snake, are harmless to humans. This checklist is generated from community sightings to help you identify species you may encounter.
African Long-tailed Seps
Tetradactylus africanus
Tetradactylus africanus, commonly known as the eastern long-tailed seps or African whip lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae. The species is found in South Africa and Eswatini.
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Bibron's Blind Snake
Afrotyphlops bibronii
Bibron's blind snake (Afrotyphlops bibronii) is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.
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Boomslang
Dispholidus typus
The boomslang (/ˈboʊmslɑːŋ/, /ˈbɔːmsləŋ/, or /ˈbuːmslæŋ/; Dispholidus typus) is a large, venomous snake in the family Colubridae.
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Cape Centipede-Eater
Aparallactus capensis
Aparallactus capensis, or the Cape centipede-eater, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family.
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Cape House Snake
Boaedon capensis
Boaedon capensis, the Cape house snake, also known as the Brown House Snake, is a species of colubrid from Botswana, South Africa (from KwaZulu-Natal all the way through to the Western Cape), Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They are a non-venomous colubrid. This species was previously grouped in the genus Lamprophis but is regrouped with the genus Boaedon...
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Cape Wolf Snake
Lycophidion capense
The Cape wolf snake (Lycophidion capense) is a species of oviparous, nonvenomous snake which occurs over a wide area of southern to central Africa.
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Common Boomslang
Dispholidus typus typus
No description available.
Common Brown Water Snake
Lycodonomorphus rufulus
The common brown water snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus) is a species of nonvenomous, South African, colubrid snake.
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Common Slug-eater
Duberria lutrix
Duberria lutrix, or the common slug eater, is a small, ovoviviparous, molluscivorous, nonvenomous snake, which is endemic to Africa.
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Dusky-bellied Water Snake
Lycodonomorphus laevissimus
No description available.
Eastern Green Mamba
Dendroaspis angusticeps
The eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) 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 bright green upperparts and yellow-green underparts. The adult female averages around 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in length, and the male is slightly smaller.
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Green Water Snake
Philothamnus hoplogaster
Philothamnus hoplogaster, the southeastern green snake or green water snake, is a species of snake of the family Colubridae.
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Natal Black Snake
Macrelaps microlepidotus
Macrelaps (or Natal black snake) is a monotypic genus created for the rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous) venomous snake species, M. microlepidotus, endemic to South Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Olive House Snake
Elaiophis inornatus
No description available.
Red-lipped Snake
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, commonly known as the herald snake or the red-lipped snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Rhombic Night Adder
Causus rhombeatus
Causus rhombeatus is a venomous viper species endemic to subsaharan Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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Southern Brown Egg Eater
Dasypeltis inornata
Dasypeltis inornata, commonly known as the southern brown egg-eater, is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in South Africa and Eswatini.
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Spotted Bush Snake
Philothamnus semivariegatus
Philothamnus semivariegatus, commonly known as the spotted bush snake, is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake, endemic to Africa.
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Western Natal Green Snake
Philothamnus occidentalis
Philothamnus occidentalis, the western Natal green snake or South African green snake, is a species of snake of the family Colubridae.
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