Twig Snake
Thelotornis capensis
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusThelotornis
- SpeciesThelotornis capensis (Twig Snake)
About the Twig Snake
The savanna vine snake (Thelotornis capensis), also known commonly, as the southern vine snake, is a species of highly venomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. There are two recognized subspecies.
Thelotornis capensis is found in southern Africa. The preferred natural habitats of Thelotornis capensis are forest, savanna, and shrubland. Thelotornis capensis is diurnal and semi-arboreal. 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).
Thelotornis capensis is venomous. Venom is delivered by large grooved teeth at the rear of the upper jaw. German herpetologist Robert Mertens died as the result of being bitten by this species. Thelotornis capensis is oviparous. Clutch size is 4–13 eggs. The eggs are elongated and rather small, each measuring on average 36 mm (1.4 in) long and 16 mm (0.63 in) wide.
Two subspecies of Thelotornis capensis are recognized as being valid, including... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Twig Snake in Kruger National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kruger National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 6 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Twig Snake in Kruger National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Twig Snake sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Twig Snake in Kruger National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Twig Snake in Kruger National Park in our monthly data.