East African Garter Snake
Elapsoidea loveridgei
Elapsoidea loveridgei, also known commonly as Loveridge's garter snake and the East African garter snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to East Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.
From the article Elapsoidea loveridgei on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
Adults of Elapsoidea loveridgei usually have a total length (tail included) of 30–55 cm (12–22 in). However, it may attain a total length of 65 cm (26 in). The tail is short, about 7.5% of the total length. The dorsal scales, which are smooth and glossy, are arranged in 13 rows at midbody. The coloration is black with light crossbands, which may be white, yellow, pink, or red.
Range & habitat
Elapsoidea loveridgei is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Wikipedia: “Geographic range”
What it does
If threatened, Elapsoidea loveridgei inflates and flattens its body, making the bright-colored crossbands more prominent. It may also raise the anterior half of the body and move it abruptly from side to side.
Wikipedia: “Defensive behavior”
Toxicity
Elapsoidea loveridgei is venomous. In humans, its bite causes local pain and swelling, plus pain and swelling in the lymph nodes. There is no antivenom for species of the genus Elapsoidea, but no human fatalities have been recorded.
Wikipedia: “Venom”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Elapsoidea loveridgei in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 30654.