Boomslang - Dispholidus
typus
A boomslang, Dispholidus typus is a
large, venomous colubrid snake native to sub-Saharan Africa. It
is the only species in its genus. Its name means "tree snake"
in Afrikaans and Dutch.
The Boomslang is long and slender build,
this makes it well adapted for an arboreal life stile where it spends
most of it’s time among the bushes and trees as the name so
clearly indicates. This snake can be distinguished from the Green
Mamba and the Bush snakes by the big eyes in relation to the head
and the prominently keeled scales. The juveniles have a very distinct
pattern being dark on top and the other half of the body being light
of colour leaving them looking completely different to the parents.
Average lenghts of a male is about
1.5 metres, but snakes of about 2 metres have been recorded. They
occur along the coast of South Africa up to tropical Africa. The
female lays between 8 to 23 eggs and the young measure about 330
mm. Unlike with other snakes that mate on the ground the boomslang
mates in trees.
A different anti-venom is required
that for other snake bites. The venom creates blood clotting in
the patient and a blood transfusion might be needed. Symptoms can
take up to 24-28 hours to develop but seeing that the boomslang
is not a aggressive snake but rather flees when approached.
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