Savanna vine snake explained

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

Geographic range

Thelotornis capensis is found in southern Africa.^[1]

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 106cm (42inches), a tail 62cm (24inches) long, and a combined total length of 168cm (66inches).^[2]

Reproduction

Thelotornis capensis is oviparous.^[2] The eggs are elongated and rather small, each measuring on average 36mm long and 16mm wide.

Subspecies

Three subspecies of T. capensis are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[2]

• Thelotornis capensis capensis
• Thelotornis capensis oatesi
• Thelotornis capensis schilsi

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.^[3]

Further reading

• Access Professional Development. 2022. Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis capensis). [Online] Available: https://accesspd.co.za/species/vine-snake (Accessed: 02/02/2022)
• Book: Smith, A. Andrew Smith (zoologist). 1849. Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa ... Reptilia. London. Smith, Elder, and Co.. Thelotornis capensis, new species.

Notes and References

1. Book: Branch, William R. .

   fr:William Roy Branch

   . Bill Branch's Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. 1994. Struik Publishers. 978-1-86825-575-7. Thelotornis capensis. 100-101 + Plates 18 & 31.
2. "Thelotornis capensis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
3. Book: Beolens. Bo . Watkins. Michael . Grayson. Michael . The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. https://books.google.com/books?id=3ovZoFyLhzkC&pg=PA193. 2011. JHU Press. 978-1-4214-0135-5. Oates, F.. 193.