Amplorhinus multimaculatus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Amplorhinus multimaculatus, commonly known as the many-spotted snake or the Cape reed snake, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The species, which is native to southern Africa, is monotypic (only one species in the genus) in the genus Amplorhinus.
A. multimaculatus is found in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The preferred natural habitats of A. multimaculatus are freshwater wetlands, grassland, shrubland, and forest. A small species, A. multimaculatus may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 45 cm (18 in).
A. multimaculatus preys on frogs and lizards. A. multimaculatus is viviparous. Usually four to eight young are born in late summer. Each neonate measures 12.5–20 cm (4.9–7.9 in) in total length (including tail). If a human is bitten by A. multimaculatus, the venom may cause localized swelling, inflammation, and pain. The venom is delivered by enlarged grooved teeth at the rear of the mouth.
Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Reed Snake sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 34th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Reed Snake in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–October and December, the lowest months. Those are among Cape Town's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in June.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cape Reed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Cape Town, in our data
Cape Town is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Cape Reed Snake sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cape Reed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Cape Town (10 verified sightings), 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.
