Mole Snake (Pseudaspis cana)

[Lizz]

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Kitten this one is just for you!

A large powerful constrictor (1 to 1.4m adults but can reach 2m in the cape area) A snake that varies tremendously in colour - gray, black, dark and light browns, mustard brown and redish brown. The juveniles look very different to the adults with the zigzag markings and light spots on top.

A snake that is extremely agro and will hiss and perform when confronted and will viciously lunge forward with its gaping mouth.

Will inflict nasty wounds when it gets hold of you due to the "ripping" motion when it bites.

Not venomous but the bite is painful and nasty.

Small head with a pointy nose, perfectly suited for its borrowing existence.

I will post the pics tonight!

Kitten I hope this will help a bit.

[Snakes Incorporated]

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Mole Snakes – Pseudaspis Sp.

Africa’s version of the North American Genus Pituophis. If Africa had a Bullsnake, Pine snake or Gopher snake, the Mole Snake would be it. This Large heavy bodied colubrid of the genus Pseudaspis is by far one of the most valuable colubrids in all of Africa. One adult Mole Snake could wipe out an entire nest of rats in one feeding. African Mole Snake are by far one of the most underrated snakes in the Pet Trade today. It can come in many different patterns and colors. The Genus Pseudaspis is made up of two species one is a nominant subspecies. I however, feel that more work needs to be done on this species and that it should be broken down into even more subspecies.
For this book I have broken it down into 7 subspecies and gave Latins names that I feel it rightfully deserves based upon region in which it is found in. Many people are unaware that many different locals show specific color phases and that these color phases are in fact genetic and are based upon the region in which the Mole Snake orginated from. I have worked with this species for a number of years now and personally believe that it is in fact different subspecies and not all just one species.
The African Mole Snake is a large, stout heavy snake with a small pointed head. This snake is extremely fond of Mole Rats hence the name and is probally one the reasons it has a head shaped for digging. The Mole snake comes in a variety of colors depending on the region it is from.
The Mole Snake is found through out South Africa, all of Namibia half of Angola, all through Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambuique, Malawi, Southern tip of Zaire, Tanzania, half of Uganda , Southern Sudan and South Eastern Ethiopia. They are ovoviparous meaning they give live birth.

Subspecies of the African Mole Snake

· Anchieta’s Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Anchietae
· Central Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Argentum
· Cape Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Capensis
· Spotted Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Maculosus
· South African Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Niger
· Kenyan Blotch Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Oblittero
· Olive Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Olivaceus

When First captured the Mole Snake will strike out viciously and they are known to inflict and very painful bite. However, they do settle down quick in captivity and make ideal pets. Mole Snakes are extremely easy to keep and can be kept just as you would any North American Pituophis Species. They are avid rodent eaters and will never refuse a meal. Some Mole Snakes may be burded with internal parisites when first collected from the wild and would need to be dewormed. This holds true with mos colubrids that are wild caught. This Genus experiences an ontogenetic shift from juvinile to adult. The young are born brown to light brown with irregualr black cross bars with a double row of white spots, as they mature they lose the cross bars and develop a series of irregular zizags then finally to adult colors

Anchieta’s Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Anchietae

The Anchieta’s Mole Snake is found in semi tropical regions including Southern Zaire, Western Zambia, Angola, Northern Namibia and North Western Botswana. The Anchieta’s Mole Snakes are ussually a golden brown to tan in color. In Botsawana they can be Orange brown with dark brown blotches but this could be an intermediate intergrade of the Pseudaspis Cana Anchietae and the Pseudaspis Cana Maculosus.



Central Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Argentum

The Central Mole Snake is one of the most spectacular of the Genus, they are a steel silver, light silver or brown silver color phase endemic to Zimbabwe.





Cape Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Capensis

The largest of the Genus, the Cape Mole Snake is only found in the Cape of Good hope, just South of Cape Town. This species exceed 2 meters in length and specimens of 2.5 meters have been found. They are usually black, dark brown to a light brown in color. From the size of this subspecies as compared to Mole Snakes found in other African regions only help to reinforce the idea that this is a definate subspecies.



Spotted Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Maculosus

The Spotted Mole Snake is found in Southern Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, and Eastern Zambia. The Spotted Mole snakes are usually brown to light brown with yellow or orange spots covering their entire body.




South African Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Niger

The South African Mole Snake is the most known of the entire Genus, it has a huge range and covers much of South Africa, Southern Namibia and Southern Botswana.
This species is almost always some shade of black, from light greyish black to almost blue black. They look much like the Black Pine Snakes and Indigo Snakes found in North America.



Kenyan Blotched Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Oblittero

The Kenyan Blotched Mole Snake has to be the most beautiful of the Genus, this subspecies are usually pastel colors, some may be a light pink, orange, orange brown. They will have black tipped dorsal scale and a dark blotch on outer edge of every second or third scale. They have pink or orange bellies, making this subspecies one of the most amazing colored of the entire Genus. The Kenyan Blotched Mole Snake is found in much of Central Kenya, Eastern Uganda and along the borders of Ethiopia and Sudan where it meets up with Kenya.



Olive Mole Snake – Pseudaspis Cana Olivaceus

The Olive Mole Snake is another on of the nicest looking of all the Mole Snakes. It can be Brown, Olive Brown, Olive, Grey Green to Yellow Brown. Some specimens display beautiful a light blue grey blotches all over their body. The Olive Mole Snake is found in in much of Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Zaire and North Zambia.


Thanks for the info Mike

[kitten]

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WOW Lizz.. I feel honoured, A big Ta, And grumpy bum is starting to settle into his new home.
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The life of a reptile holds many secrets.

[Lizz]

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Have a look at the first photo - colouration of the two snakes and the small head vs the neck and the rest of the body.



The second photo shows off the sharp nose. The mole snake have smooth shiny scales from head to tail.


Just look at that nose!


From the top it looks like he has an eyebrow!


And these are the tools that these buggers use to cause such a eina bite!


If you ensure that u handle your little one ofter then he will not be such a terror like the two on top - we had our hands full with these naughty little terrors - Good fun though and lots of screams and giggles and obviously jumps!

I hope you enjoy your baby lots and lots - big kisses from me!

[kitten]

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thank you Lizz, Started handling and it hasn't even coiled at me yet. Oh but it has such a pretty hiss. and it puffs itself up so before it does. Really pretty little thing. Will handle as much as possible promise. but still don't know if I need a permit for it? if I don't then it will become my seventh addition. Sooooo pretty, I will take some nice pics as soon as I can over the weekend 'cause the lighting in the house doesn't allow for nice ones at night.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The life of a reptile holds many secrets.

[Lizz]

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You unfortunately need a permit for him babes! Being indigenous you will have to get one.

I am sending u a pm.

[kitten]

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Thank you will wait for it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The life of a reptile holds many secrets.