What is this? ID Please

[drummer]

If you ever in glenanil, sunningdale, umghlanga area....bring it round and i can ID it for your, i would also like a DNA sample from it depending on what it is. But i would guess Purple Gloss.... the head just does not seem right for a natal black to me.

Nice find there roland! Def not a stiletto, can tell by the tail straight away.

[Mongoose]

M.microlepidotus - I would think just by looking at the top of the head.

[rolandslf]

@ Drummer - I work on the Mount Edgecombe Estate, so, not a problem.
I will bring it to work tomorrow, contact me on 071 605 1771 to arrange a meet.
Thanks

[rolandslf]

Well, the snake mystery will be solved today.
Drummer is coming through to the Estate to do a positive ID for me.

[drummer]

I went to confirm ID today....after scale counts to to decide between polylepis and concolor.....it is without a doubt Amblyodipsas concolor (Natal Purple-glossed snake).

Very nice find Roland, not many people find these very interesting fossorial gems. A valuable record.... a hatchling at exactly 180mm

[Rishaad]

Well done guys.

[Pythonodipsas]

Excellent great find and record. Drummer did you get DNA?

[drummer]

yep and gonna get venom...lets see what secrets they are hiding!

[Wolf777]

How do you tell the differance between a purple gloss and a stilleto?

[drummer]

without flinching.....you can see by the tail(but only if you are confident...please don't test yourself!)
But the anal shield is the key between the two. Stiletto entire, Purple-Gloss split.

[rolandslf]

@ Drummer - thank you very much for your valuable input and forcoming to my work to collect the snake.

@Wolf777 - I have found that the tail of the Stiletto ends in almost a spine, the Glossed, Natal Black and Wolf generally have actual tails which can be seen.
The Stiletto snout is sharper than the others which are more rounded, I use these features for quick in the field ID.
The scale count and anal shield are by far the most reliable as drummer said.

[BushSnake]

Thanks. So I take it the belly is not white then! I took this shot a while ago which shows the entire anal shield of a Stilleto (A.bibronii)

.

Does anyone have a pic of a divided anal shield?

[Wolf777]

Ok cool thanks drummer.

[rolandslf]

@ Bushsnake - correct, the belly is not white and was never described as such.