Latin Name: Dispholidus typus
Length: 1 – 1,5 m.
Lifespan: Average 8 years in the wild.
Distribution:
Throughout Africa except in the arid regions, preferring grassland, savannah and woodland often found in shrubs and trees.
Diet:
Chameleons, lizards, birds, birds’ eggs, frogs and small mammals.
Reproduction:
10 – 25 eggs are laid in the late spring to midsummer with an incubation of 2 – 3 months.
Venom:
The boomslang has extremely powerful hemotoxic venom.
This venom affects the blood clotting mechanism, resulting in headaches, and loss of blood through the bodily openings and if left untreated internal bleeding of the organs will occur.
Vision:
Unlike most snakes, the boomslang has a full colour vision aiding it in the detection of still standing prey. The boomslangs' eyesight is so keen that it is even capable of detecting motionless chameleons!
Notes:
The Boomslang is a very placid snake, but if provoked it may bite.
It is predominantly arboreal but will also hunt on open ground and has also been known to cross water in pursuit of prey.
A Boomslang can open its mouth as wide as 170 degrees, and even with its fangs at the back of the mouth it is still capable of biting an arm or leg.
The name "Boomlang" derives from the Afrikaans language, meaning Tree snake.