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Shovel Snouts
A selection of Shovel-snout snakes: A + D Sundevall’s Shovel-snout, B – East-african Shovel-snout, C – Jan’s Shovel-snout.
These are small snakes, seldom exceeding 40 cm. There are 8 species in southern Africa, and all of them are harmless.
They generally live underground, in leaf litter and within unused termite mounds, where they feed on reptile eggs. They use their hard shovel-snout to pry eggs apart and burrow into the ground.
The tail often has a sharp terminal spike and they may use this to poke a persons hand if handled.
These snakes are completely harmless.
- Sundevall’s Shovel Snout (Prosymna sundevalli)
- Jan’s Shovel Snout (Prosymna janii)
- South-western Shovel Snout (Prosymna frontalis)
- Angola Shovel Snout (Prosymna angolensis
- Lined Shovel Snout (Prosymna lineata)
- Two-striped Shovel Snout (Prosymna bivittate)
- East African Shovel Snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni)
- Visser’s Shovel Snout (Prosymna visseri)