| 1 | Spotted rock snake |
This 50cm species inhabits a large swathe of the country from east to west, excluding the northern borders with Botswana. As the name suggests, Lamprophis guttatus is a spawn of rocks. They live in gravel slopes, rock fields and dark crevices, where they must navigate a world completely of their own.
Spotted rock snakes face choices such as whether to move stealthily through a dark crack, travel over rocks and be ambushed by birds, or remain still and hope that lizards come to them. Their diet consists of other reptiles which love rocky environments. Specific prey include Karoo girdled lizards, Waterberg dragon lizards, common crag lizards, and southern rock agamas.
Spotted rock snakes are able to identify crevices in loose boulders and hide in them (they’d be in trouble if it started rolling though). Highway robbers hiding in caves are likely to meet this species. Spotted rock snakes rarely bite, but have a loud hiss and will coil tightly as though about to lunge. This species is nocturnal, and common in certain spots, yet always hard to find. Spotted rock snakes rarely exceed 60cm, occasionally pushing to 65cm.
| 2 | Dusky-bellied water snake |
One of South Africa’s most aquatic snakes. The dusky-bellied water snake (Lycodonomorphus laevissimus) lives in inland water bodies and preys on tadpoles and frogs. They usually drag their prey to the pond edge to complete swallowing, but sometimes they skip that unnecessary step and swallow underwater. Dusky-bellied water snakes love to lurk under rocks below water. This is a non-venomous snake, yet confident in its biting abilities, which it will use readily if picked up.
Lycodonomorphus laevissimus has one of the classic underwater adaptions – eyes unusually high on the side of its head, to allow skyward vision. These eyes have a round black centre, surrounded by a vivid orange line. With a sleek black body, sometimes brown, dusky-bellied water snakes can be difficult to identify. These water-adapted eyes are the best hope. Another sign is a yellow belly, which is cleanly separated from the darker back.
This species averages at 30-60cm, but some are far longer, pushing to a record of 114cm. Though aquatic, Lycodonomorphus laevissimus generally prefers more shaded streams, beneath the safety of tree canopies, as well as ponds. This is an egg-laying species which pumps out 4-17 per batch.
| 3 | Rhombic skaapsteker |
An extremely fast snake which darts around as though fast forwarded with a remote controller. Rhombic skaapstekers reach a maximum of 1.4 metres and inhabit moist savannahs, bushland and grassland. They hide within bushes if bothered and they’re one of the few African snakes to protect their eggs.
Psammophylax rhombeatus is venomous but not dangerous. After experiments where fowl died rapidly, scientists speculated in 1921 that the Rhombic skaapteker could be as dangerous as the boomslang. However, its venom is actually mild and must be chewed in for roughly 30 seconds to take effect. For example, one photographer found a rhombic skaapsteker coiled around an egg clutch, and tried to remove it for a photograph. The snake sank its fangs in and chewed for 45 seconds, being extremely difficult to dislodge. A few hours later, the man’s hand swelled moderately, with mild throbbing pain, and his partner said that heat was radiating from it.
‘Skaapsteker” is an Afrikaans word that translates to “sheep stabber” from an old belief that that’s what they did. Many ranchers and farmers kill them, but it’s believed that cape cobras were actually behind the livestock losses. Perhaps this was a sneaky scheme to shift the blame onto their serpent rival.
| 4 | Southern brown egg eater |
The egg-eating Dasypeltis family has 17 members in Africa, and the southern brown version (Dasypeltis inornata) lives in the eastern half of South Africa.
Eating eggs is the main goal of Dasypeltis inornata’s life. Every other characteristic is geared towards fulfilling that goal. Hence, they’re strong branch climbers, they live in moister areas rather than bone dry savannah. Most importantly, they have extended shelves on their vertebra that crack through hard egg shells. Dasypeltis inornata swallow eggs whole, with their necks becoming grossly distended as a virtual bowling ball moves down their throat. Then they contract their middle sections, shattering the egg, and regurgitate the shell remains in a neat package. Bird keepers fear this snake, as it can swallow several eggs in one go.
Meanwhile, the inornata name references their plain colours, their lack of patterns, the same being true for Puerto Rican boas (Chilabothrus inornatus). Southern brown egg eaters are toffee-coloured with oval shaped pupils, and an orange iris. They have pink tongues, and a tendency to invade people’s houses. They’re non-venomous, but bold in temperament. They have no time for fear, as this would interfere with their eternal egg quest. This species averages at 75cm, with the largest individuals reaching 1.2 metres.
| 5 | Cross-marked grass snake |
This species inhabits moist savannah, montane forest and grasslands of South Africa. Cross-marked grass snakes (Psammophis crucifer) favour reptiles for their prey, particularly skinks. A 2010 study found that 93% of food items in their stomach were reptiles, with a sample of 73 females and 70 males. Three of their favourite meals are variable skinks, cape three-lined skinks, and spotted thick-toed geckos.
When frightened, cross-marked grass snakes curl up into a ball of coils and hide their head at the centre, protecting their pea-sized brain. They have a mild venom which would probably cause stinging at worst, maybe a slight swelling.
This species reaches 82cm in the longest individuals (which is still short). Females are significantly longer than males, excluding the tail. The Psammophis snake family is vast (33 members), and many are similar, but along with the 2 Eurasian species, cross-marked grass snakes were the earliest lineage to diverge. Genetically, this snake is further away from the Psammophis blob than the rest.
Cross-marked grass snakes have vertical stripes running down their entire body in parallel formation. These are grey and brown, but the signature ID sign is a white scale in front of each eye. This species lays 4-13 eggs on average.
| 6 | Common slug eater |
This non-venomous snake has found its own niche within South Africa’s crowded ecosystem. Rather than swallowing dassies or rock rats, which many snakes compete for, they focus on a less popular food source: slugs. Common slug eaters (Duberria lutrix) measure 30cm, or 43cm at the most, and this makes small slimy creatures a natural choice. They also eat snails, and their favourite spot to rest is amidst long grass tufts.
Afrikaans call this harmless snake Tabakrolletjie. This is because of its defensive method, where it coils into a tight spiral with its head at the centre, so that it resembles a roll of tobacco.
The fact that slugs are so sluggish makes their job easier. To find the common slug eater, you must follow the dampness. Common slug eaters are particularly abundant in the country’s southeast, and occupy virtually the entire eastern half of South Africa. They appear in savannahs, but always those with higher rainfall. Duberria lutrix currently has 5 subspecies, but research is lacking, and it’s believed that some are probably independent species. South African is a big place, and there’s plenty of hidden corners where all new species can mutate into being.
| 7 | Aurora house snake |
A flashy snake with variable colours. There’s always a bright yellow or orange stripe down their spine, but some are plainer while others are adorned with bright dots. Aurora house snakes (Lamprophis aurora) measure 60cm, occasionally 90cm. They stick to moister areas like nature reserves, such as Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, near Johannesburg. Information is scarce, but nestling rodents and small mice are popular prey.
Aurora house snakes are extremely peaceful. They’re not only non-venomous, but hardly ever bite even if picked up. This is one of the snakes that quietly lives in South Africa and goes about its business, to no interest to the rest of the world.
The Aurora house snake sees many things in its life. It has insider knowledge of which hyena clans are about to battle, which savannah the elephant herd is heading to next, and which village a cobra is about to terrorise, yet they have no desire to disclose this information. Aurora house snakes are never very common – they have a sizeable continuous empire, but are always hard to find.
| 8 | Red adder |
This is the adder equivalent of a red deer or red squirrel, except a lot less cuddly. The reasons for the redness are unknown. It could be furious anger, or it could be red-tinged venom coursing through every inch of their body. Red adders (Bitis rubida) measure 20-30cm on average, and even the largest reach only 44cm. Nevertheless, its venom is strongly neurotoxic, containing both post and pre-synaptic neurotoxins. These bind to and block acetylcholine receptors in muscle cells, similar to a black mamba’s neurotoxins.
Like the cape adder, this is an inactive species which is usually found lurking under rocks or shrubs. Rocky gravel plains on mountains slopes are their main habitat, and they’re most active in early morning or late afternoon, taking a siesta at midday. To find this snake, you must venture to rough jagged terrain, not humid forests.
Bitis rubida varies significantly without its range. Some are fully blooming red, while others have beige and black colours typical to adders. There’s even xanthic red adders, where the genes for yellow pigment are overactive. This is the rarest of the Bitis adder family, the most common being the puff adder (Bitis arietans).
| 9 | Black thread snake |
This species occupies about 20% of South Africa, sticking to the southern coast. Black thread snakes measure only 12-15cm (maximum 20cm), and are often confused with earthworms. This is particular true given that they’re an underground snake which spends its life burrowing through soil.
Black thread snakes (Leptotyphlops nigricans) stay below the surface the majority of the time. The best time to witness them is after heavy rains, when they poke their heads out of their holes curiously and explore the surface for a while. In winter, they sometimes hit the surface in waves and huddle together en masse, beneath rocks and logs or within old termite mounds. Either soft soils or sand are acceptable for black thread snakes, as coastal dunes are one place to find them.
The Leptotypholops thread snake family has over 20 members and they’re exceedingly difficult to tell apart, all being small, black and shiny. Only herpetologists have the expert knowledge, using subtle scale differences.
| 10 | Short-snouted grass snake |
A species of moister areas, which moves by day. Short-snouted grass snakes (Psammophis brevirostris) reach 1.2 metres, but are typically 40-60cm. They prefer it this way, as they’re another agile snake which would rather not be dragging dead weight behind them. This species eats a few mammals, but prefers skink lizards, one confirmed being the variable skink (Trachylepis variegata).
Short-snouted grass snakes default to rapid escape, but they’ll also unthinkingly bite if picked up. If cornered, this snake coils up and hisses loudly. Hissing isn’t very common in the 33-strong Psammophis family. The Saharan sand snake (Psammohpis aegyptius) is one which does, and the short-snouted grass snake is another. They achieve this with a gulp of air, which visibly inflates their chest area, then releasing it, through hissing sound channels. Whereas Saharan sand snakes inflate the throat when they hiss, this species inflates the chest.
Psammophis brevirostris can be feisty in captivity. A captive keeper once sprayed a cage with water, and the short-snouted grass snake began drinking it eagerly, licking up droplets from the glass cage and branches within. But they hated it when the water hose was sprayed directly at them, and started hissing loudly. They can turn aggressive even after changing their water bowl, though they’re no serious threat to humans.