Lamprophis aurora
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Aurora house snake, Aurora snake, African house snake, or night snake (Lamprophis aurora) is a non-venomous species of lamprophiid snake. It is endemic to Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana). This species of house snake is widespread across South Africa, where it is present all provinces (except for most of the Northern Cape). It also occurs in Lesotho, Eswatini and eastern Botswana, although this might represent a translocation.
The snake can achieve a maximum length of 90 cm, but averages 45–60 cm. Colour varies from shiny olive green to dull dark green above. A bright yellow to orange vertebral stripe runs from the top of the head to the tip of the tail.
This species occurs in grassland, fynbos, and moist savanna habitats at elevations up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level. They are often found near streams and under rocks, and may occur in old termitaria. It is secretive but can be locally common. It is active at night (nocturnal). The diet consists of rodents, lizards, and frogs. The female lays clutches of up to 12 eggs. It is non-venomous and seldom attempts to bite. 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 | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Aurora House Snake sighting in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 41 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.
February, June and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Aurora House Snake in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, July–September and November–January, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Aurora House Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Table Mountain National Park, in our data
Table Mountain National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Aurora House 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 Aurora House Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Table Mountain National Park (15 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.
