Gunther’s Garter Snake
- Elapsoidea guentherii
- IUCN Status: Least Concern
- Threat: unconfirmed
- Venom/Toxin: none
- Trend: unconfirmed
General Information
Elapsoidea guentherii, also known commonly as Günther’s garter snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central Africa.
The specific name, guentherii, is in honor of German-British herpetologist Albert Günther.
Description
E. guentherii exhibits sexual dimorphism with males being significantly larger than females. Males may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 56 cm, but females only grow to 38.5 cm SVL. Juveniles have a dorsal color pattern of alternating black and white crossbands of equal width. The pattern fades as the snakes mature, with adults becoming uniformly grayish black dorsally, and lighter gray ventrally.
Diet
E. guentherii preys predominately upon reptiles such as lizards and snakes, but it will also eat amphibians and termites.
Reproduction
E. guentherii is oviparous. In late summer an adult female may lay a clutch of as many as ten eggs.
Distribtion & Habitat
E. guentherii is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The preferred natural habitat of E. guentherii is savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 1,500 m
Interaction With Humans
E. guentherii is venomous, but no human fatalities have been reported.
