Elapsoidea sundevallii, also known commonly as Sundevall's garter snake or African garter snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.[1][2] There are five recognised subspecies.[2]
The specific epithet, sundevalli, honours Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall (1801–1875).[2][3]
The subspecific name, decosteri, is in honour of Belgian consul Juste De Coster, who collected natural history specimens at Delagoa Bay, Mozambique.[3]
The subspecific name, fitzsimonsi, is in honour of South African herpetologist Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons.[3]
E. sundevallii is found in Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.[1][2]
The preferred natural habitats of E. sundevallii are grassland, shrubland, savanna, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,800 m (5,900 ft).[1]
Adults of E. sundevallii are slate-grey to black or dark brown on the upper body, with whitish to pinkish bellies. Juveniles are banded.[2]
Males grow to be longer than females. The maximum recorded snout-to-vent length (SVL) for a male is 93 cm (37 in). The maximum recorded SVL for a female is only 65 cm (26 in).[4]
E. sundevallii preys upon frogs, lizards and their eggs, snakes, moles, and rodents.[4]
Although E. sundevallii is venomous and can inflict a serious bite, few bites have been recorded, and none has resulted in a human fatality. Symptoms may include pain and swelling, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness.[4]
The species E. sundevallii is oviparous.[2] A sexually mature female may lay a clutch of as many as 10 eggs.[4]
The following five subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognised as being valid.[2]
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Elapsoidea.
Elapsoidea sundevallii, also known commonly as Sundevall's garter snake or African garter snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Southern Africa. There are five recognised subspecies.
