Snakes of SA

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There are more than 170 species & subspecies of snakes in Southern Africa – here we’ve collected some of the best snake photos & videos on Instagram, reposted with permission.

Follow the various photographers on Instagram if you like their work – links to their profiles are in the post captions!

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Latest Photos & Videos

(Click to see more)

Jul 27

20 1

Beetz’s Tiger Snake (Telescopus beetzii) from the Northern Cape. Mildly venomous.⁠
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📸 @snakerescue

Jul 27

78 1

Bald Mountain Adder (Bitis harenna) from Ethiopia, dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @serpentfromnorth

Jul 27

74 2

Striped Quill Snout (Xenocalamus bicolor lineatus) from Blouberg, Limpopo.⁠
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📸️ @scbc_limpopo / @melissa_petford

Jul 27

86 1

Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @afri_herp_birder

Jul 27

66 1

Juvenile Boomslang (Dispholidus typus), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @scalesandmore

Jul 27

72 1

Schlegel's Beaked Blind Snake (Afrotyphlops schlegelii), harmless.⁠
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📸 @deanboshoff

Jul 27

56 1

Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis), harmless.⁠
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📸 @68ryantyrer_wl

Jul 26

92 1

Cape Cobra (Naja nivea), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @snakerescue

Jul 26

82 1

East-african Shovel-snout (Prosymna stuhlmannii) from Hoedspruit, Limpopo. Harmless.⁠
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📸️ @littleashcloud

Jul 26

116 1

Horned adders (Bitis caudalis) are a small dwarf adder from southern Africa.⁠
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📸️ @herping.birder⁠
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The ones from the Northern Cape of South Africa are rather colorful! Due to their small size and bright colors they are often illegally collected and shipped to Europe and the US for the pet industry.⁠
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They are protected within some provinces in South Africa but that doesn't deter some poachers.

Jul 26

306 8

Defensive strike from a Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @trz83

Jul 26

63 1

Common Brown Water Snakes (Lycodonomorphus rufulus), harmless.⁠
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📸 @lukela_adventures

Jul 26

130 3

Berg Adder (Bitis atropos), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @herping.birder

Jul 26

128 2

Juvenile Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) shedding. Dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @jmsnakes

Jul 25

78 1

Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus), harmless.⁠
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📸️ @afri_herp_birder

Jul 25

89 1

Slug Eater (Duberia lutrix) coiled defensively. This common snake eats only snails and slugs and is welcome in many gardens across South Africa.⁠
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📸️ @chris_caine_88

Jul 25

67 1

Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis), harmless.⁠
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📸️ @h.h.i.s.s

Jul 25

147 3

Western Barred Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricincta nigricincta), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @iamrebel101

Jul 25

85 2

Common Slug Eater (Duberria lutrix), harmless.⁠
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📸 @68ryantyrer_wl

Jul 25

110 2

East African Egg Eater (Dasypeltis medici medici), harmless.⁠
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📸 @deanboshoff

Jul 25

203 3

Mole Snake (Pseudaspis cana), not venomous but adults can inflict a painful bite.⁠
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📸 @lindsaymandy.za

Jul 24

99 1

Péringuey’s Adder (Bitis peringueyi), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @gerben_wildlife

Jul 24

109 1

Bitis rubida (Red Adder), one of the rarest dwarf adders in South Africa. Found by @stephan95horn at Klawer, Namaqualand. ⁠
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📸️ @bassonhandre

Jul 24

70 1

Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) from between Aus and Lüderitz, Namibia. Dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @herpingnamibia

Jul 24

59 1

Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus) found at dusk. Harmless.⁠
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📸️ @melissa_petford

Jul 24

106 2

Snouted Night Adder (Causus defilippii), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @melissa_petford

Jul 24

94 1

Aurora House Snake (Lamprophis aurora), harmless.⁠
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📸 @kzncraig

Jul 24

56 1

Common Slug Eater (Duberria lutrix), harmless.⁠
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📸 @sake_v_wyk_photography

Jul 23

140 4

Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸️ @justingodwin_101

Jul 23

129 2

Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @nickevanskzn

Jul 23

104 1

Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @living_zoology

Jul 23

138 2

Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) from the semi-arid karoo region of South Africa. Dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @chris_caine_88

Jul 23

56 1

Eastern Natal Green Snake (Philothamnus natalensis), harmless.⁠
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📸 @africansnakebiteinstitute

Jul 23

108 1

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @petergeraerdts

Jul 23

53 1

Karoo Sand Snake (Psammophis notostictus), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @snakerescue

Jul 22

67 1

Beautiful Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) sunning herself on the hiking path. Biedouw Valley, Northern Cederberg.⁠
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📸️ @kapexkursionen

Jul 22

113 1

Dwarf Beaked Snake (Dipsina multimaculata) from Port Nolloth, Northern Cape.⁠
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📸️ @nextgenherpetologist

Jul 22

53 1

Eastern Natal Green Snake (Philothamnus natalensis), harmless.⁠
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📸️ @bushbabyk8

Jul 22

104 1

Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) feeding on a Common Platanna. Dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @lindsaymandy.za

Jul 22

76 1

Western Yellow-bellied Sand Snake (Psammophis subtaeniatus), midlly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @hirals_hive

Jul 22

70 1

Common Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus), harmless.⁠
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📸 @the_herping_files

Jul 22

62 1

Long-tailed Garter Snake (Elapsodia sundevallii longicauda), venomous.⁠
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📸 @melissa_petford

Jul 21

51 1

Karoo Sand Snake (Psammophis notosticus), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸️ @presley_weiss

Jul 21

99 1

Brown Forest Cobra (Naja subfulva), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @chandre_v001 / @cazzzie1980

Jul 21

173 1

Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @scalesandmore

Jul 21

76 1

Short-snouted Whip Snake (Psammophis brevisrostris), midly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸️ @bryandoesfieldwork

Jul 21

63 1

Yellow-bellied House Snake (Lamprophis fuscus), harmless.⁠
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📸 @fieldherpingafrica

Jul 21

93 1

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @petergeraerdts

Featured Photographers

(Click to browse photos)

Living Zoology

Lindsay Mandy

Thilo Beck

Gerrie Heyns

Chandré Volschenk

Best Photo Galleries

(Based on the number of likes received – click to browse a gallery)

Best Photos: 2021 May

Best Photos: 2021 April

Featured Species

(Click for more info)

Species: Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)

Species: Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)

Species: Spotted Harlequin Snake (Homoroselaps lacteus)

Species: Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)

Species: Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)

Species: Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus)

Species: Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia)

Species: Forest Cobra (Naja subfulva)

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