Psammophis notostictus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Psammophis notostictus, the Karoo sand snake or the Karoo whip snake, is a species of mildly venomous snake belonging to the genus Psammophis. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Karoo Sand Snake sighting in West Coast National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 23 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.
July
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Karoo Sand Snake in West Coast National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, August, October and December–February, the lowest months. That is one of West Coast National Park's wettest months, with about 60 mm of rain against 5 mm in February.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Karoo Sand Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Karoo Sand Snake sightings, West Coast National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Table Mountain National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
Same genus: Psammophis
The closest relatives of the Karoo Sand Snake that you can see in West Coast National Park (genus Psammophis, Sand Racers) are Cape Sand Snake (about 20%) and Cross-marked Grass Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Karoo Sand Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in West Coast National Park (6 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.
