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Olive grass snake
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Psammophiidae
Genus:	Psammophis
Species:	P. mossambicus
Binomial name
Psammophis mossambicus Peters, 1882
Synonyms
Psammophis thomasi Gough, 1908 Psammophis sibilans Peters, 1882

Psammophis mossambicus, the olive grass snake, is a snake species in the family Psammophiidae, the sand and whip snakes (not to be confused with the Australian olive whipsnake, Demansia olivacea).

Distribution

P. mossambicus is native to Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, eastern South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe), but may also be found in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, and as far north as southern Chad.

Description

This snake grows to 100 to 180 cm (roughly 3-5 feet) in length, and lives in somewhat moist places near a source of water. It is olive-brown in color, with dark-edged scales and a lighter-hued underside. It is often confused with the black mamba, as it can raise its head in a similar fashion to the mambas, cobras and other elapid snakes; however, unlike the aforementioned species, the olive grass snake is opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged), with small teeth located at the back of the mouth that deliver mild venom (and/or toxic salival compounds), primarily used for subduing small, slippery or "squirmy" prey such as frogs, lizards and some rodents. It is considered mildly venomous to humans. No deaths have been recorded, though possible side effects of envenomation may include localised pain and swelling, nausea and fatigue.

In Afrikaans, it is known as olyfkleurige grasslang.

References

1. Alexander, G.J.; Tolley, K.A.; Conradie, W. (2021). "Psammophis mossambicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021. IUCN: e.T44980018A44980027. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44980018A44980027.en.
2. Gough, L.H. (1908) Catalogue of the South African snakes in the collections of the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, and the State Museum, Bloemfontein., Ann. Transvaal Mus. 1: 17-45
3. Peters,W. (1882) Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique auf Befehl seiner Majestät es Königs Friedrich Wilhelm IV. in den Jahren 1842 bis 1848 ausgeführt von Wilhelm C. Peters. Zoologie III. Amphibien., Berlin (Reimer), 191pp.
4. ^ "Observations - iNaturalist". iNaturalist. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
5. "Olyfkleurige Grasslang - Reptiele - Suid Afrika". southafrica.co.za. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

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• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Fauna of South Africa
• Psammophis
• Reptiles described in 1882
• Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters
• Snake stubs