Department of Vertebrates
Herpetology Collection
BOOMSLANG (Dispholidus typus) (Dangerous)
Adult phase |
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It’s long and slender build makes it well adapted for an arboreal life stile where it spends most of it’s time among the bushes and trees as the name so clearly indicates. This snake can be distinguished from the Green Mamba and the Bush snakes by the big eyes in relation to the head and the prominently keeled scales. The juveniles have a very distinct pattern being dark on top and the other half of the body being light of colour leaving them looking completely different to the parents.
A length of 1.5 metres is about the average for a male but 2 metres has been recorded. They occur along the coast of South Africa up to tropical Africa around the 15EN Latitude. The female lays between 8 to 23 eggs and the young measure about 330 mm. Unlike with other snakes that mate on the ground the boomslang mates in trees.
A different anti-venom is required that for other snake bites. The venom creates blood clotting in the patient and a blood transfusion might be needed. Symptoms can take up to 24-28 hours to develop but seeing that the boomslang is not a aggressive snake but rather flees when approached.