Dispholidus typus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The boomslang ( or; Dispholidus typus) is a highly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Its common name means "tree snake" in Dutch and Afrikaans – boom meaning "tree", and slang meaning "snake". In Afrikaans, the name is pronounced [ˈbuəmslaŋ].
The boomslang is a colubrid snake within the subfamily Colubrinae. It belongs to the genus Dispholidus, which contains two other species, D. pembae and D. punctatus. The boomslang is thought to be closely related to members of the genera Thelotornis, Thrasops, Rhamnophis, and Xyelodontophis, with which it forms the taxonomic tribe Dispholidini.
Close relationships can be shown in the cladogram below: The trinomial authority in parentheses for D. t. typus indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Dispholidus. The average adult boomslang is 100–160 centimetres (3.3–5.2 ft) in total length (including tail). Some exceed 183 centimetres (6.00 ft). The eyes are exceptionally... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg Zoo | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Giraffe House | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Universeum | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boomslang sighting in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Boomslang in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, August and November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Boomslang sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Boomslang sightings, Addo Elephant National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 30%), De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 20%) and Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Boomslang that you can see in Addo Elephant National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Western Natal Green Snake (about 10%), Spotted Bush Snake (about 10%) and Red-lipped Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Boomslang is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Addo Elephant National Park (17 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
