Amblyodipsas polylepis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Purple-glossed Snake sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 62 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.
April–May and November–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Purple-glossed Snake in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and June–October, 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Common Purple-glossed Snake sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Atractaspididae
The closest relatives of the Common Purple-glossed Snake that you can see in Kruger National Park (family Atractaspididae, Atractaspidid Snakes) are Cape Centipede-Eater (about 10%) and Mole Viper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Purple-glossed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kruger National Park (9 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.
