Snakes of SA

#️⃣ Tag your Instagram photos & videos with #snakesofsa to be featured #️⃣

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)

Aug 4

55 1

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

Aug 4

168 2

Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @africansnakebiteinstitute

Aug 4

93 2

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

Aug 3

59 1

East African Shovel-Snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni), harmless.⁠
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📸 @kurtvanwyk

Aug 3

71 1

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

Aug 3

104 1

Black Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricincta woodi).⁠
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📸️ @svijetzmija

Aug 3

92 1

Namaqua Dwarf Adder (Bitis schneideri), venomous.⁠
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📸 @presley_weiss

Aug 2

181 2

Boomslang (Dispholidus typus), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @anciad13

Aug 2

118 2

A drawing of an East African Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica).⁠
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📸️ @austrismazurs

Aug 2

123 2

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

Aug 2

85 1

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

Aug 1

119 2

Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @just.jess013

Aug 1

109 1

Sketch of a Black Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricincta woodi), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @zee.muller

Aug 1

108 2

Common Slug-eater (Duberria lutrix) from Montagu, Western Cape. Harmless.⁠
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📸️ @gerrieheyns

Aug 1

87 1

Snouted Cobra (Nana annulifera), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @chandre_v001

Aug 1

73 1

Zambezi Garter Snake (Elapsoidea boulengeri), venomous.⁠
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📸 @kurtvanwyk

Aug 1

81 1

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

Aug 1

80 1

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

Jul 31

71 1

Karoo Sand Snake (Psammophis notostictus).⁠
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📸 @_reptile_keeper_101

Jul 31

255 5

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

Jul 31

87 2

Eastern Bark Snake (Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia) found in a riverine woodland habitat. These are masters of camouflage and very easily overlooked.⁠
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📸️ @scbc_limpopo

Jul 31

86 1

Spotted Skaapsteker (Psammophylax rhombeatus), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @timponton

Jul 31

124 1

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

Jul 31

96 1

Spotted Harlequin Snake (Homoroselaps lacteus), venomous.⁠
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📸 @lindsaymandy.za

Jul 31

92 1

Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @jmsnakes

Jul 30

85 1

Rhombic Egg-Eater (Dasypeltis scabra), harmless.⁠
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📸 @snakerescue

Jul 30

99 2

Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis)⁠
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📸️ @svijetzmija

Jul 30

88 1

Horned Adder (Bitis caudalis) from southern Namibia. Dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @herpingnamibia

Jul 30

90 2

Rhombic Egg-Eater (Dasypeltis scabra), harmless.⁠
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📸️ @jody_barends

Jul 30

63 1

Tiger Snake (Telescopus beetzii), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @lukela_adventures

Jul 30

59 1

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

Jul 30

59 1

Namib Sand Snake (Psammophis namibensis), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @rvh_nature

Jul 29

66 1

Rhombic Egg-Eater (Dasypeltis scabra), harmless.⁠
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📸 @wayne_lurner

Jul 29

165 2

Forest Cobra (Naja subfulva), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸️ @sterrinswildworld / @cjs_reptiles

Jul 29

65 1

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

Jul 29

242 5

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

Jul 29

145 1

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

Jul 29

81 1

Eastern Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus), mildly venomous but harmless to humans.⁠
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📸 @sake_v_wyk_photography

Jul 29

90 1

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

Jul 28

99 1

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

Jul 28

59 1

Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), dangerously venomous.⁠
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📸 @regamey_wildlife_photographer

Jul 28

100 2

Cape File Snake (Limaformosa capensis), harmless.⁠
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📸️ @jmsnakes

Jul 28

63 1

Sundevall's Shovel-snout (Prosymna sundevallii).⁠
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📸️ @simbasaurus_on_adventures

Jul 28

105 2

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

Jul 28

86 1

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

Jul 28

68 1

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

Jul 27

58 1

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

Jul 27

155 1

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

Featured Photographers

(Click to browse photos)

Chandré Volschenk

Living Zoology

Thilo Beck

Gerrie Heyns

Lindsay Mandy

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: Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)

Species: Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)

Species: Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)

Species: Spotted Harlequin Snake (Homoroselaps lacteus)

Species: Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus)

Species: Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)

Species: Snouted Cobra (Naja annulifera)

Species: Forest Cobra (Naja subfulva)

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