Spotted Bush Snake -
Philothamnus Semivariegatus
The body of the spotted bush
snake is particularly slender, with scales in 15 rows at midbody;
ventrals normally 176 to 204 in number and distinctly notched and
keeled, the keels forming a continuous ridge along either side;
anal divided; tail very long, slender and tapering, with subcaudals
sharply keeled and notched like the ventrals and usually from 130
to 142 in number. Bright to olive green above, uniform or more often
with black (exceptionally dark bluish) scattered spots or narrow
crossbars on anterior half to two-thirds of body, and scattered
scales bearing a bluish white spot or edging; underparts greenish
white to yellowish, passing to darker shades posteriorly and keeling
on either side demarcated by a dark line; eye golden to deep yellow,
tongue bluish green basally, passing to black distally. Specimens
from Zimbabwe sometimes bluish green anteriorly, passing to bronze
posteriorly, while occasionally specimens from the eastern Transvaal
are uniform dark olive green above and smoky greenish black below.
Average length of adults 90 to110cm, but attains as much as a little
over 120cm; length of tail into total length 3 to 33/4 times.
Distribution: From eastern Cape
Province, northwards throughout the eastern half of the country
to Zimbabwe, and westwards (in the north) into the northern parts
of Namibia; north of our limits it extends to Tropical West Africa
on the west and Sudan and Somalia on the east.
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