Twig Snake

“A Twig snake can swallow its prey while hanging upside down from a branch”

The twig snake is also known as a vine snake because of its long, narrow body. These snakes are native to the southern part of Africa and have a lifespan of eight to twelve years. Their diet includes tree frogs, lizards, and sometimes birds. This reptile has gray and brown scales that allow it to blend into its woodland habitat. Two of the most distinctive features of this snake are its horizontal pupils shaped like keyholes and its bright red tongue.

4 Twig Snake Amazing Facts

• This reptile is called a bird snake because its diet includes birds
• It inflates its neck to make itself bigger and warn predators away
• This snake’s fangs are in the back of its mouth
• Its lifespan is eight to twelve years

Where to Find a Twig Snake

The twig snake is found in the southern part of Africa. Specifically, they live in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia as well as in parts of Mozambique.

This snake lives in a forest or savanna habitat where it’s able to blend in with tree branches, bushes, and shrubs. One of the most amazing facts about this reptile is it can hang from a branch to grab tree frogs, lizards, and other prey.

Twig Snake Scientific Name

Thelotornis capensis is the scientific name of the twig snake. It’s also known as a bird snake and forest vine snake. It’s a part of the Colubridae family and the class Reptilia.

The word Thelotornis refers to the genus of the snake and capensis refers to the reptile’s home in South Africa.

One subspecies of this reptile is:

• Thelotornis capensis oatesii

Twig Snake Population & Conservation Status

The population of the twig snake is unknown. However, herpetologists categorize its population as stable with a conservation status of Least Concern.

How to Identify a Twig Snake: Appearance and Description

The colors of a twig snake’s scales are gray and brown. Its underside is a combination of gray and pink. This reptile’s nose is pointed rather than rounded like other types of snakes.

Furthermore, it has light-colored eyes with horizontal black pupils. In fact, its pupils are one of its most distinctive features. This is because they have a shape like a keyhole. Studying its pupil shape can definitely help with the proper identification of this reptile. The horizontal positioning of its pupils helps this snake to have an expansive view of its surroundings.

Another one of this snake’s most distinctive features that can help with identification is its bright red tongue. Some people believe the snake uses its tongue to lure prey into its vicinity, but that’s just a myth.

Twig snakes can grow to a length of 48 inches. As their name implies, these reptiles have a thin, narrow body size similar to a twig or a vine hanging from a tree.

How to identify a twig snake:

• Gray and brown scale colors
• Large dark brown splotch in a location just behind its head
• Keyhole shaped, horizontal pupils
• A bright red tongue
• A neck that can inflate to a large size when the reptile feels threatened

Twig Snake Pictures

Twig Snake Venom: How Dangerous Are They?

The bird snake is extremely venomous. Its venom is categorized as hemotoxic. This reptile bite can cause internal bleeding.

A bite from this snake is rare. This is true for a couple of reasons. For one, these snakes are shy with a mild temperament. They stay hidden most of the time which is easy for them. Their grayish/brown scales serve as excellent camouflage in their woodland or savanna habitat. So, chances are you wouldn’t see a twig snake even if you were near one. Trying to climb a tree in this snake’s habitat would be an activity to avoid!

Second, they are not aggressive unless they feel threatened. When this snake feels threatened it inflates its neck to make it appear larger in size. It does this in an effort to scare predators away. In other words, the twig snake tries to avoid using its fangs unless it’s hunting prey.

If you do happen to be bitten by a twig snake aka vine snake, medical attention is necessary due to its potentially deadly venom. Keep the area where you were bitten lower than the level of your heart. This helps to prevent the venom from spreading.

As a note, because twig snake bites are so rare, an antivenom has not been developed for this particular snake.

Twig Snake Behavior and Humans

Most humans won’t encounter the venomous bird snake. This reptile lives in forests and savannas, high in the branches of trees or in dense bushes.

In addition, this snake is timid and its colors help it to hide in its branch-filled habitat. So, even if a person was in a location with these snakes nearby, it would be very difficult to spot any of them due to this reptile’s ability to camouflage itself.

Herpetologists and other wildlife experts who handle these snakes are the most likely to be bitten.

Similar Animals

• Vine snake
• Asian vine snake
• Western green mamba