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Project Noah Nature School
Philothamnus semivariegatus
The Spotted bush snake can be quite cheeky and quick to bite if picked up and restrained, especially in inexperienced hands, but their bite is harmless. They are easily identified by their off-white or yellow underbelly and the black spots or speckles on their back, which begin just behind the head and fade off about a half to two thirds down the body. The last half or third of the snake is plain green. It is OFTEN mistaken for the less common Green Mamba or Boomslang (African Tree Snake) which is very toxic.
In a tree above a small pigeon farm.
I am at a place in Mozambique where there is a lot of snakes. Unfortunately it has been raining a lot the last days, and no snakes has been visible. The guards at my work told me that it is normal for them to se two-three snakes a week. I told them that if they see a snake, they have to come and get me. Today they managed to find one in a tree. One of the guys asked me over five times if he should kill it (looking very happy about the idea), but luckily I managed to convince him that he should leave it as it was :) I had a hard time finding the snake (see picture 5) The Spotted Bush Snakes is a solitary animal, meaning they live alone, but during their breeding season (Spring), it’s not uncommon to see two, three, four or even more snakes in one area at a time. This would be multiple males who have tracked down a female through a scent she leaves behind, and are competing with each other to catch up and be the first to mate with her. They are a very nervous and alert species and are quick to disappear when approached. When the snake is severely threatened it inflates its body slightly, which exposes a bright turquoise colour on the edges of the scales, which is otherwise normally hidden by the overlapping scales. This snake has a small, flat head and fairly large black eyes with an incomplete orangeiris. They are a diurnal (active during the day) species which average about 80 centimetres long, but can grow to just over a metre.
Obrigada Antonio!
The greatest thing about this spotting was that, after Scott IDed it, I could tell them that it is not poisonous, and that they should not kill it when they find it. We also talked about the difference between a green mamba and this one. The mamba has regular eyes, and does not have dots, but they are very similar in coloration, behaviour and size. Perhaps this saved a life of a snake :)
Very cool findind Tiz,second photo is super :-) at first when i saw it in a tree i thougth it could be a Mamba sp :-)
Aww, sometimes it is so easy that I feel embarassed not trying to google on Snake+tree+spots... haha! But thanks to you Scott, I can tell the guards that there is no use to kill this snake anymore since it is not poisonous! Thank you very much!!!
Spotted on Oct 2, 2013
Submitted on Oct 2, 2013
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