Spotted skaapsteker

Introduction: Skaapsteker is Afrikaans for 'sheep stabber' a rather generous title by all accounts as they do not produce enough venom to kill a small rodent, let alone a sheep. They are a terrestrial grassland snake that will forage day and night in search of a wide variety of small vertibrates. Their prey is held until the effects of the venom have materialized.

The Spotted or Rhombie Skaapsteker (Psammophylax rhombeatus) is a medium-sized snake with a rounded snout on a small head. They are common in moist grasslands and will only bite if provoked.

Distribution: There are scattered recordings in the highveld grasslands between Spitzkoppe and the Brandberg Mountain, with other observations in a similar habitat in the southern Sperrgebiet region.

Diet: Frogs, lizards, birds, rodents and other snakes are actively pursued.

Colouring: The back is yellowish-brown to pale olive with striped blotches down the back. The belly is yellowish.

Breeding: Females lay up to 30 eggs in a hole and are guarded by the female coiling around them. Incubation periods are between 35 to 45 days.

Size: Max SVL male 1.2m, female 0.9m.