Two-striped Shovel-snout

A greyish to purple-brown or reddish brown snake with a broken orange to yellow stripe down the vertebrae often with black spots or blotches.

Full Name: Two-striped Shovel-snout (Prosymna bivittata)

Other Names: Tweestreep Graafneusslang

Classification: HARMLESS

Map indicating the distribution of the Two-striped Shovel-snout in Southern Africa.

A greyish to purple-brown or reddish brown snake with a broken orange to yellow stripe down the vertebrae often with black spots or blotches.

The snout is characteristically pointed. It inhabits savanna grasslands but also enters karoo scrub, Richtersveld and Kalahari biomes where it may be found under logs and rocks in sandy areas. It is known to coil and uncoil like the old clock springs.

These snakes feed exclusively on reptile eggs including soft-shelled lizard and snake eggs which are sliced open with the long rear maxillary teeth. Females lay 3-4 eggs measuring 27-29 x7-9 mm. They are harmless and pose no threat to humans.

African Snakebite Institute