Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-lipped Snake sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 14th most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and December–January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-lipped Snake in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in June to October, the lowest months. Those are among Pretoria's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
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.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Red-lipped Snake sightings, Pretoria ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Durban (South Africa, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-lipped Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Pretoria (14 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.
