Egg eater? [Dwarf Beaked Snake (Dipsina multimaculata)]

[Uromastyx]

Hi.
I just want to know if this is a small egg eater (dasypeltis scabra) or a night adder (causus rhombeatus)?
Thanks.

[Westley Price]

That is a Dwarf Beaked Snake (Dipsina multimaculata), but a particularly boldly patterned one.

You wont find one in any book that looks like that!

[Uromastyx]

Thank you westly.

The farmers here call it a night adder. lol

[Westley Price]

What a shame. They probably get killed as a result of the misidentification.

The worst they can do is give you a stinky hand as they are heavy on the musk, haha.

[Durban Keeper]

Wow that's beautiful and a species I have never seen in the flesh. How often do you or the farmers encounter these? Its markings look a heck of a lot like D. Scabra.

[jka]

Those guys are amazing! They mimic different species in different localities.
Some look like caudalis etc. its a pity really cause the way they have survived is now the reason they get killed.

No book will ever record all the phases they are just too varied. that's what makes them so unique!
Good on you for rescueing that one!

You will see that a night adder has smooth scales this guy has keeled scales, they are more slender then a night adder also. The V on the neck is different and you will see that a dwarf beaked snake has a enlarged sharpish nose scale.

It also looks like the beaked snakes has a tear under the eye, I'm not sure if this is true for all specimens. (maybe someone can tell us)

[Uromastyx]

@westly.
He was +-20cm long. How old do you think he is?

@Durban Keeper
There use to be alot of reptiles around town but the locals kill any reptile they find so this one is just lucky.

This is why I asked to be notified if any one finds any reptile.

Thanks jka I will be looking for the tear under the eye.

Ian

[Westley Price]

Well they're not very big snakes anyway.

With wild snakes it's difficult to judge age as we don't know how often he fed, but I would guess two years old.