Pennington Conservancy Logo - Protecting KZN South Coast Nature

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

Common Boomslang

Dispholidus typus typus

No description available.

Common Brown Water Snake - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

Dusky-bellied Water Snake

Lycodonomorphus laevissimus

No description available.

Eastern Green Mamba - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

Olive House Snake

Elaiophis inornatus

No description available.

Red-lipped Snake - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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 - Snake Identification

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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