Amblyodipsas polylepis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Amblyodipsas polylepis, or the common purple-glossed snake, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family. It is endemic to the eastern and northern regions of southern Africa. More specifically, it is found in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, coastal Kenya, and Somalia.
Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, arranged in 21 rows, which is more than any other species of Amblyodipsas as the specific epithet, polylepis, implies. Ventrals 163–212; anal divided; subcaudals 16–27, divided. In every other respect scalation is like Amblyodipsas unicolor.
Completely blackish brown. Total length 40 cm (15+3⁄4 in); tail 23 mm (7⁄8 in). This species has been recorded to prey upon Monopeltis luandae, as well as other genera of Amphisbaenidae such as Zygaspis. Notes Bibliography
Bocage, J.V.B. 1873. Melanges herpétologiques. II. Sur quelques reptiles et batraciens nouveaux, rares ou peu connus d'Afrique occidentale. Journ. Acad. Sci. Lisboa 4:209-227. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanning Zoo | 🇨🇳 China |
No species of the same family or order lives in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Purple-glossed Snake sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 43 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Purple-glossed Snake in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Purple-glossed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Common Purple-glossed Snake sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Purple-glossed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (14 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.
