Cape House Snake

The Cape house snake is among the most familiar and widespread snakes in southern Africa, often noted for its role in controlling rodent populations around homes, farms, and outbuildings. It belongs to a group of African house snakes long placed in the genus Lamprophis but now classified within Boaedon.

Completely non-venomous and a constrictor, the Cape house snake poses no danger to humans and is one of the more ecologically beneficial snakes in agricultural and residential areas due to its rodent-heavy diet.

• Smooth, glossy scales
• Coloration ranges from reddish-brown to dark brown or gray above, often with a paler underside
• Two fine pale stripes may run from the snout through the eyes toward the neck
• Head only slightly distinct from the body
• Round pupils

Its glossy uniform brown appearance and pale eye-stripes help distinguish it from venomous species of similar size and habitat.

Cape house snakes are highly adaptable, occurring in a wide range of habitats across southern Africa including grassland, savanna, fynbos, and particularly disturbed or human-modified environments such as farmyards, gardens, and buildings, where rodent prey is abundant.

Primarily nocturnal, Cape house snakes are active hunters of rodents, which they subdue by constriction, along with occasional lizards and birds. They are generally docile but may bite defensively if disturbed. The species is oviparous, with females capable of laying multiple clutches of eggs in a single season, often in warm, sheltered locations.