East African Garter Snake

Fascinating facts about the East African Garter Snake

• Adults are 30–55 cm long (12–22 in) and may reach 65 cm (26 in); the tail is about 7.5 % of total length.
• It occurs at elevations from 600 to 2,200 m (2,000–7,200 ft) in woodland, savanna and grassland.
• If threatened, it inflates and flattens its body, making its bright crossbands more prominent, and may raise the anterior half and move it side-to-side.
• It preys on small frogs, lizards, snakes, mammals and reptile eggs.
• Its bite causes local pain, swelling and swollen lymph nodes; there is no antivenom for Elapsoidea species, and no human fatalities have been recorded.

At a glance

About the East African Garter Snake

The East African garter snake, Elapsoidea loveridgei, is a sleek, venomous elapid that typically measures 30–55 cm, though some individuals reach 65 cm. Its glossy, smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 13 rows, and its striking black body is bisected by vivid crossbands that may appear white, yellow, pink, or red, colors that become even more pronounced when the snake inflates and flattens its body in defense. This nocturnal, terrestrial predator roams the woodlands, savannas, and grasslands of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania, favoring elevations from 600 to 2,200 m. By night it hunts a varied menu of small frogs, lizards, snakes, mammals, and reptile eggs, using its venom to subdue prey while its short tail, about 7.5 % of total length, helps maintain balance in the underbrush. A surprising trait of this modest serpent is its dramatic threat display: it raises the front half of its body and swings it side-to-side, flashing its bright crossbands to startle would-be attackers. Though its bite inflicts local pain, swelling, and lymph-node irritation, no antivenom exists for the genus and, remarkably, no human fatalities have ever been recorded, underscoring the snake’s generally low danger to people.

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