Boaedon capensis
Encyclopedia
The Cape House Snake is a Species
of Colubrid
from South Africa
, its range stretches from KwaZulu-Natal
all the way through to the Western Cape
. Being a colubrid, they are non-venomous.
This species was previously grouped in the genus: Lamprophis
but as of November 2010 is regrouped with the genus: Boaedon
T+Albinos (Tyrosinase
positive albinos), also known as caramel albinos are very interesting looking; their body colour is a light, buttery yellow to a pale orange. Their eyes are green and their pupils black, their belly colour is the same as to normals, mother-of-pearl.
T-Albinos (Tyrosinase
negative albinos) are very similar to the T+ in appearance; they are usually red in body colour with white body markings and a bright white belly colour. The eyes are green with red pupils.
Anerythristic Characterized by a grey/blue overtone, some mild yellow colour is not uncommon on the sides, similar to Anery corn snake
s; the markings on the body are similar to that of the normals, pale cream/white in colour. The eyes are similar in colour to the overall body tone with regular black pupils.
Calico This is an interesting mutation, it appears as though it does not present until the snake is around 1 year old. It presents with normal coloration for the first year, then suddenly several scales will turn white, this gradually spreads as the snake sheds and grows, leaving the snake with large white patches of scales on it, somewhat similar to a piebald
.
Erythristic Erythristic individuals present with heightened red pigment in the skin, this causes all other pigments to appear muted. These snakes have an overall red colour.
Hypomelanistic Hypomelanistic Housies are similar in appearance to the T-Albinos, but slightly darker; there is visually more brown and dulled red pigment. The eyes are green with primarily black pupils that in some lights have a slight red tinge.
Ilumo Ilumo is the name that has been coined for the green morph of House Snakes. This morph heightens the green pigment in the skin; the underbelly is a pale olive-yellow in colour. This appears to be a genetically patternless morph, all individuals thus far having no pattern.
Patternless Patternless House Snakes are exactly what it says on the tin, they are patternless, they still have the “V” markings on the head, mother-of-pearl belly tone and brown overtones but none of the pattern on the body.
Striped Striped phase House Snakes are very interesting indeed resembling Striped House Snakes, Boaedon lineatus
greatly in their appearance. They are reportedly a locale-specific variant, occurring in the Springbok area of the Northern Cape, this being a semi-arid area of South Africa, some prefer to keep these snakes with lower humidity. This is perhaps not a morph of Cape House Snake but a subspecies although since it hasn't been classified as such it has been included here.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Colubrid
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, its range stretches from KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
all the way through to the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
. Being a colubrid, they are non-venomous.
This species was previously grouped in the genus: Lamprophis
Lamprophis
Lamprophis is a genus of colubrid snakes commonly referred to as African house snakes. They are small, non-venomous snakes. They exhibit a wide variety of pattern variation, and may be spotted, striped, or solid colored...
but as of November 2010 is regrouped with the genus: Boaedon
Boaedon
Boaedon is a genus of African Colubrids consisting of the African House Snakes. The genus was originally described by Duméril but the species contained were reclassified as Lamprophis by Fitzinger in 1843, this taxonomy remained true until November 2010 when a study was published by Kelly, C.M.R...
Appearance
Cape House Snakes are usually dark brown on top but the colour varies greatly, from almost black through brown to olive green. The stripes that stretch from the rostral scale through the eye to the back of the head are very strong, thick and bold. Often this species may have a lateral stripe running down the flanks, this often resembles the links of a chain, they sometimes too have lateral stripes running along either side of the spine, linking lines between the lateral striping is not uncommon. These body markings tend to be a paler brown/cream in colour on top of the often dark, chocolate-brown base tones, these markings normally fade after 2/3's of the body until only the base colour remains but there are exceptions to the rule. Individuals without pattern are often found in the wild, these individuals have the head markings but no markings on top of an often pale-brown body colour. Like all House Snakes, Boaedon capensis is very irrdescent, their scales often shining with an oily sheen in certain lights. This is a sexually dimorphic species, females growing substantially larger than males, sometimes reaching up to 4 feet (121.9 cm) males smaller often only reaching 2–2.5 ft (61–76.2 cm).Behaviour & Diet
In the wild, this species is known to frequent human habitations, feeding on the rodents that gather there. It is common misconception that South African people introduce these snakes to their home to eat rodents, this happens extremely rarely. Nocturnal by nature this species is known to eat entire nests of mice in one sitting. In the wild this species breeds once or twice per year.In Captivity
This species is increasingly more common in the exotic pet trade, many hobbyists are now beginning to keep and breed this species throughout the world. It's becoming increasingly more popular with hobbyists as more reproducible morphs become available, those are listed below. Their care is basic making them ideal for the new hobbyist yet they still hold their interest to the more advanced keepers also. In Captivity this secies is known to breed as many as 6 times a year, laying 5–16 eggs every 60 days or so.Morphs
There are an increasingly high number of genetically reproducible colour variants available in the pet trade these days, those that are known are listed below.T+Albinos (Tyrosinase
Tyrosinase
Tyrosinase also known as monophenol monooxygenase is an enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of phenols and is widespread in plants and animals...
positive albinos), also known as caramel albinos are very interesting looking; their body colour is a light, buttery yellow to a pale orange. Their eyes are green and their pupils black, their belly colour is the same as to normals, mother-of-pearl.
T-Albinos (Tyrosinase
Tyrosinase
Tyrosinase also known as monophenol monooxygenase is an enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of phenols and is widespread in plants and animals...
negative albinos) are very similar to the T+ in appearance; they are usually red in body colour with white body markings and a bright white belly colour. The eyes are green with red pupils.
Anerythristic Characterized by a grey/blue overtone, some mild yellow colour is not uncommon on the sides, similar to Anery corn snake
Corn Snake
The Corn Snake , or Red Rat Snake, is a North American species of Rat Snake that subdues its small prey by constriction. The name "Corn Snake" is a holdover from the days when southern farmers stored harvested ears of corn in a wood frame or log building called a crib...
s; the markings on the body are similar to that of the normals, pale cream/white in colour. The eyes are similar in colour to the overall body tone with regular black pupils.
Calico This is an interesting mutation, it appears as though it does not present until the snake is around 1 year old. It presents with normal coloration for the first year, then suddenly several scales will turn white, this gradually spreads as the snake sheds and grows, leaving the snake with large white patches of scales on it, somewhat similar to a piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
.
Erythristic Erythristic individuals present with heightened red pigment in the skin, this causes all other pigments to appear muted. These snakes have an overall red colour.
Hypomelanistic Hypomelanistic Housies are similar in appearance to the T-Albinos, but slightly darker; there is visually more brown and dulled red pigment. The eyes are green with primarily black pupils that in some lights have a slight red tinge.
Ilumo Ilumo is the name that has been coined for the green morph of House Snakes. This morph heightens the green pigment in the skin; the underbelly is a pale olive-yellow in colour. This appears to be a genetically patternless morph, all individuals thus far having no pattern.
Patternless Patternless House Snakes are exactly what it says on the tin, they are patternless, they still have the “V” markings on the head, mother-of-pearl belly tone and brown overtones but none of the pattern on the body.
Striped Striped phase House Snakes are very interesting indeed resembling Striped House Snakes, Boaedon lineatus
Boaedon lineatus
The Striped House Snake is a species of colubrid from Africa. This species has a wide range stretching from Tanzania through Central Africa as far as Uganda. They are kept as pets with increasing regularity, they are often captured and exported for the pet trade...
greatly in their appearance. They are reportedly a locale-specific variant, occurring in the Springbok area of the Northern Cape, this being a semi-arid area of South Africa, some prefer to keep these snakes with lower humidity. This is perhaps not a morph of Cape House Snake but a subspecies although since it hasn't been classified as such it has been included here.