Department of Vertebrates
Herpetology Collection
SOUTHERN VINE, TWIG or BIRD SNAKE (Thelotornis capensis) (Dangerous)
This snake was named after the bark-like colouration of the skin that it uses very effectively in camouflaging. Like the Boomslang the Vine snake also inflates his throat region in a defensive display. The head is elongated and narrowly shaped and distinct from the neck with large eyes and a horizontal pupil.
They prefer savanna to coastal forests and there distribution ranges from East Africa into Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe through the eastern part of South Africa. The largest specimen measured 1.38 metres in total length.
This oviparous species lay 4 to 13 eggs in the summer and the hatchlings measure 230-331mm in length and are perfect replicas of the adult snakes.