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Boomslang breeding - October 2023

Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) are a large and often common snake across much of southern Africa. They prefer savanna woodlands as well as fynbos and are largely absent from grasslands, high elevation mountains, the dry Karoo and Namaqualand scrub as well as deserts. These snakes feed on a variety of lizards, frogs and baby birds and have been recorded eating smaller snakes. Boomslang average around 1-1.5 meters in length with the maximum length recorded at 2.1 meters.

A variety of colour variations in male Boomslang 

In the breeding season, around January to February, male boomslang are often observed engaged in male combat. The two males twisted around one another with their heads in the air. Each male will attempt to push the others’ head to the ground in a battle to show dominance. Males do not bite or hurt one another, and the beaten male will move off after the scuffle.
The males will then pair up with females and mate, usually in a tree or roof of a building. The female may mate with multiple males over the season and her offspring are likely to have multiple fathers to increase the clutches genetic diversity.

Colour variations of female Boomslang. 

By around September-October, the female Boomslang will have developed eggs and will find a suitable place to lay them. She will lay around 8-14 eggs (but as many as 27) usually in a hollow in a tree trunk, rotten log or in leaf litter. The female leaves the eggs which will take around 79-109 days to hatch, depending on the temperature. Babies will usually start being seen between February and April but as early as December and January in the warmer northern parts of the southern Africa. Juveniles hatch at around 25-38 cm in length. They are venomous from birth and will feed largely on lizards and small frogs. They are docile and shy snakes, living in thick bush and trees and avoiding humans.

A young Boomslang hatching

They are occasionally caught by pets, especially dogs, and may bite in self-defense. Dogs that have been bitten must be taken to a vet and ideally treated with antivenom.

Female Boomslang around southern Africa will start becoming active now, searching for a suitable egg-laying spot. They may be seen in the garden or around the house. Being a docile snake, they can be left alone, however if there are dogs in the garden it may be best to use the free ASI SNAKES app to find a local snake remover and get the animal relocated to a better location.

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Johan Marais
African Snakebite Institute | +27 82 494 2039
E-mail johan@asiorg.co.za 
Find out more at www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com

Johan Marais is the author of various books on reptiles including the best-seller A Complete Guide to Snakes of Southern Africa. He is a popular public speaker and offers a variety of courses including Snake Awareness, Scorpion Awareness and Venomous Snake Handling. Johan is accredited by the International Society of Zoological Sciences (ISZS) and is a FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) and SASTM (South African Society of Travel Medicine)-approved service provider. His courses are also accredited by the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa). Johan is a qualified instructor for the Emergency Care & Safety Institute in Oxygen Administration and Wilderness First Aid and a qualified Basic Life Support instructor.
 

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