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Dasypeltis inornata SMITH, 1849

IUCN Red List - Dasypeltis inornata - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Southern Brown Egg Eater
G: Südafrikanische Eierschlange oder Braune Eierschlange 
SynonymDasypeltis inornatus SMITH 1849: 73
Rachiodon inornatus — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 498
Dasypeltis inornatus — FITZSIMONS 1946
Dasypeltis inornata — BOYCOTT 1992
Dasypeltis inornata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 210
Dasypeltis inornata — STANDER 2023: 264 
DistributionRepublic of South Africa (Natal, SE Cape), Eswatini (Swaziland)  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesType: BMNH 1946.1.2.47 (and possibly additional specimens). 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 942 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentDistribution: see map in GÖTHEL 2015: 19, Bates et al. 2014: 410.

Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018).

Although the range of the Spotted Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scaber scaber) overlaps that of the Brown Egg-eater (D. inornatus), and the two forms are often found even in the same localities, there is no evidence of their interbreeding (Fitzsimons 1946: 380). 
EtymologyPresumably named after the Latin inornatus (unadorned) in reference to the relatively plain coloration or scalation. 
References
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • Boycott, R.C. 1992. An Annotated Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Swaziland. The Conservation Trust of Swaziland - get paper here
  • Branch, William R. 1993. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 144 S.
  • Fitzsimons, V. 1946. Notes on some African Snakes, including a discription of a new subspecies of Xenocalamus. Annals Transvaal Mus. 20 (4): 379-394 - get paper here
  • Gans, C. 1959. A taxonomic revision of the African snake genus Dasypeltis (Reptilia: Serpentes). Annales du Musée Royal du Congo Belge Tervuren 74: ix + 237 pp.
  • Göthel, Helmut 2015. Die Pazifisten unter den Schlangen – Afrikanische Eierschlangen der Gattung Dasypeltis. Draco 16 (61): 6-21 - get paper here
  • Göthel, Helmut 2015. Nachzucht von Afrikanischen Eierschlangen. Draco 16 (61): 62-69 - get paper here
  • Göthel, Helmut 2015. Die Eierschlangenarten Afrikas. Draco 16 (61): 78-92 - get paper here
  • Harrington, Sean M; Jordyn M de Haan, Lindsey Shapiro, Sara Ruane 2018. Habits and characteristics of arboreal snakes worldwide: arboreality constrains body size but does not affect lineage diversification. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 125 (1): 61–71 - get paper here
  • Jacobsen, N.H.G 1988. Geographical Distribution - Dasypeltis inornata. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (34): 50-50 - get paper here
  • Kirchhof, S.; Engleder, A.; Mayer, W. & Richter, K. 2011. Die Radiation der Lacertiden des südlichen Afrikas. Elaphe 19 (4): 6-11
  • Kulmus, H. 1985. Einige Anmerkungen zur Zucht und Haltung von Eierschlangen. Herpetofauna 7 (36): 23-34 - get paper here
  • Mc Cartney, C.J.; Branch, W.R. 1988. Life History Note: Dasypeltis inornata: Reproduction. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (35): 38-38 - get paper here
  • Rupert Wilkey & Sarah Nann 2025. Field Guide to the Snakes of Eswatini. Pelagic, 208 pp., DOI: 10.53061/FWDV3720 - get paper here
  • Smith, A. 1849. Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa. 3 (Reptiles). Smith, Elder, and Co., London [facsimile published by Winchester Press, Johannesburg, 1977] - get paper here
  • Stander, R.I. 2023. The Reptiles of the Limpopo Province and Kruger National Park. Herp Nomad, Polokwane, South Africa, 367 pp. - get paper here
  • Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria
  • Venter, Jan A.; Werner Conradie 2015. A checklist of the reptiles and amphibians found in protected areas along the South African Wild Coast, with notes on conservation implications. Koedoe 57 (1): 1-25. doi: 10.4102/koedoe.v57i1.1247 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • WITBERG, M. 2011. Dasypeltis (Wagler, 1830) Inter-species copulation. African Herp News (53): 45-46 - get paper here
 
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