Brown house snake
| Brown house snake | ||||||||||||
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Brown house snake ( Boaedon fuliginosus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Boaedon fuliginosus | ||||||||||||
| ( Boie , 1827) |
The brown house snake ( Boaedon fuliginosus ), also African house snake or shortly house snake is a reptile in the subordination of the snakes (Serpentes) with a wide range in Africa . Recent taxonomic papers list the species in the genus Boaedon within the family Lamprophiidae . It is a popular animal for keeping in terrariums .
features
This snake reaches an average length of 95 cm. It usually has a red-brown color, although dark brown, olive-brown or rarely orange specimens also occur. In general, the scales become lighter towards the bottom and individuals in deserts are lighter than specimens in other habitats . The scales are smooth, but not glossy. The head of the brown house snake is marked on the sides by two horizontal, yellow lines, one above and one below the eye. The eyes are directed slightly forward and have vertical pupils . Like other representatives of the genus, the species has curved teeth in the lower jaw that resemble the teeth of the Boas (Boidae).
distribution
The species lives in Africa west and south of the Sahara . It reaches Morocco in the north-west , Somalia in the north-east and South Africa in the south . The brown domestic snake can adapt to many different habitats, with being confined to oases in arid deserts . As a culture follower , the species can often be found in agricultural areas and in human settlements.
Way of life
This snake mainly hunts small to medium-sized mammals that are strangled. Their prey also includes resting bats . Due to its mobility, it can attack animals in narrow crevices and similar hiding places. After consuming larger prey, it often takes four days or more to digest . For reproduction, females lay around 15 eggs.
swell
- Mattison, Chris: Snakes of the World . Dorling Kindersley, London, Munich 2015, ISBN 978-3-8310-3145-0 , pp. 74-75 .
- Boaedon fuliginosus in The Reptile Database
