A colourful nocturnal snake that is usually yellow in colour with dark speckling down the back. It is fossorial, only coming to the surface on hot, moist summer nights.
Full Name: Speckled Quill-snouted Snake (Xenocalamus transvaalensis)
Other Names: Gespikkelde spitneusslang
Classification: MILDLY VENOMOUS
A colourful nocturnal snake that is usually yellow in colour with dark speckling down the back. It is fossorial, only coming to the surface on hot, moist summer nights.
It is common in sandy areas of northern KwaZulu Natal and Mozambique with a population in the corner of northern Limpopo, Botswana and Zimbabwe. This is a long, thin snake averaging 20-35 cm in length. It is a slow-moving snake that hunts for legless lizards underground or in leaf litter at night.
This species is easily identified by its reduced quill-like snout and speckled pattern. Its venom is mild and has little effect on humans.
