Re: Unknown snake, please identify. - boomslang.jpg

wrote:

>I took this shot in Kruger Park (RSA) with a Nikon N70
>and a Tokina 400mm f5.6 lens. At the time I thought it
>was a young Black Mamba, but one of my brothers in law
>pointed out that the eyes were too big. The color was
>about right, but I think he may be correct about the
>eyes. This snake was about 5~6 feet long and very
>slender. The back had no distinct pattern. I believe it
>was trying to escape from a large 'monitor' type lizard
>which was tromping through the grass not far away.

Hello Jack
I looked up your snake in my Field Guide on
Snakes and other reptiles of Southern Africa,
and think the Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) is the
most likely candidate. If so it is probably a female.
(By the way, Boomslang is Afrikaans (and Dutch) for Tree Snake,
but it does not live only in trees (not on your picture,
and not according to my book)).
I scanned the picture from the book for you to compare
I checked other candidates with brown backs, white
bellies and a typical head shape, but they did not
reach the size you indicated.
Hope this helps. You may find confirmation
(or not) from other websites or newsgroups.

Martin Kramer

mkramer@wxs.nl
http://home.wxs.nl/~mkramer/

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Bob
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