Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, commonly known as the herald snake or the red-lipped snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia can be identified by its olive green or grey body, multiple white speckles, distinctive black head, and red, yellow, white, or black upper lip. It can grow to an average total length (including tail) of 70 cm (28 in), but may reach up to 1 metre (39 inches) in total length.
It is mildly venomous and poses no threat to humans or domestic animals, according to the African Snakebite Institute. C. hotamboeia feeds on amphibians (including rain frogs), lizards, and other snakes (only in captivity). The red-lipped snake has been known to live for between 10 and 15 years. Adult females of C. hotamboeia lay between 6 and 19 eggs in early summer.
Endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, the herald snake is present in Zambia, throughout South Africa (except for the Karoo and Northern Cape) as well as Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, southern and central Mozambique, and northern Botswana.
The herald... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gambia Reptile Farm | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 2 | Lilongwe Wildlife Center | 🇲🇼 Malawi |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-lipped Snake sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 33rd 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-lipped Snake in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in April–August and October–January, the lowest months. Those are among Cape Town's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in June.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-lipped Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Red-lipped Snake sightings, Cape Town ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Durban (South Africa, about 20%) and Pretoria (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Red-lipped Snake that you can see in Cape Town (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Boomslang (about 10%) and Egg-eating Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-lipped Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Cape Town (16 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.
