CREATURE FEATURE: Eastern Vine Snake

The Eastern Vine Snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus) is a venomous reptile in the Colubridae family of vine snakes. It is also known as the Eastern Twig Snake, African Creep Snake, or the Savanna Vine Snake. It is a colubrid snake.

The Eastern Vine Snake is a thin, grey snake, with a beige underbelly. The top of its head is green, often with black speckles. Its body also has speckles. Its eyes have horizontal pupils, often in the shape of a keyhole. When startled, it inflates (swells) its throat to show black spots between its scales. 

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CREATURE FEATURE: Amazon Tree Boa

The Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus) is a reptile in the Boidae family of non-venomous, colubrid, boa constrictor snakes. It is a boid (pronounced bo-id). It is also known as the Garden Tree Boa or the Macabrel. 

The Amazon Tree Boa is long and slim. It varies in base colour from black, brown, grey, red, and orange to yellow. Its patterns can be banded, speckled, rhomboid shapes, or completely plain with no patterns or markings. It has a distinct head and it has dark, rounded eyes. It has sharp, long, needle-like teeth. 

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Madagascar Tree Boa

The Madagascar Tree Boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis) is a non-venomous, colubrid, arboreal reptile in the boa species of snakes. It is a boid (pronounced bow-id). It is also known as the Malagasy Tree Boa.

The Madagascar Tree Boa is greenish, such as olive-green or bright green, depending upon the colour of the rain forest leaves and trees. In dry areas, it can be orange-brown. It has patterned scales of dark markings with whitish inner markings. It has dark eyes. 

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Ladder Snake

The Ladder Snake (Rhinechis scalaris or Zamenis scalaris) is a medium-sized reptile and a colubrid (non-venomous) snake. It is related to the Ratsnake.

The Ladder Snake has yellowish to dark brown scales with two dark brown stripes running down the length of its body from neck to tail. It has a dark stripe at the back of its eye, angling down to its jaw. Its underbelly is pale, such as slivery-grey to whitish. It has a pointed snout (nose). It has dark eyes.

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Rhinoceros Ratsnake

The Rhinoceros Ratsnake (Gonyosoma boulengeri) is a non-venomous colubrid reptile in the Colubridae family. It is also known as the Vietnamese Longnose Snake.

The Rhinoceros Ratsnake is green with a prominent, distinctive protrusion of the front of its nose. The pointy protrusion—which looks like a rhinoceros horn—has scales like the rest of its body. It has 19 rows of dorsal (back) scales to its mid-body.

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False Water Cobra

The False Water Cobra (Hydrodynastes gigas) is a venomous colubrid snake. It is not related to the cobra, but it can flatten its neck to make it look larger, just as a cobra does. It does not rear up like a cobra. It is also known as the Brazilian Smooth Snake.

The False Water Cobra is olive-green or brown with dark spots and bands.  It has large eyes with circular pupils. Its colour becomes darker towards its tail. It has good vision. It has rear fangs. Its tongue is black.

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Boomslang

The Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) is a large venomous African colubrid (rear-fanged) snake. Boomslang means tree snake. It is a reptile.

The Boomslang can be various colours; males can be llight-green with black edges on their scales; and females can be brown, and may have tiny white spots. Its underbelly is cream or yellowish, without spots. Its head is egg-shaped and its eyes are very large and round. It has excellent eye sight.

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Rufous Beaked Snake

The Rufous Beaked Snake (Rhamphiophis oxyrhynchus) is a large, mildly venomous colubrid snake from East Africa. It is a reptile. A colubrid snake has fangs in the rear of their upper jaw.

The Rufous Beaked Snake has a hooked snout (nose), which can dig holes. It has brown-black scales. Its underbelly is cream or yellowish-white. Its head is distinct from its body. It has a dark brown-black eye stripe on the side of its head. Its eyes are large and round.

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African Tiger Snake

The African Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus) is from central, eastern, and southern Africa. It is a rear-fanged colubrid, which is non-venomous to humans.

The African Tiger Snake has pale orange or salmon pink scales with 24-48 black or dark brown bars on its back and tail. Its underbelly is pale yellow or orange. It has a narrow body, long tail, and a distinct head with large orange eyes that have vertical pupils.

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