Psammophis subtaeniatus
One of the most exciting and memorable sightings of our Easter trip to the Kruger National Park took place right in front of the reception office at Shingwedzi Rest Camp. We watched as a Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake (aka Western Yellow-bellied Sand Snake) stalked, caught, killed and swallowed a skink – the whole episode playing out within perhaps ten minutes at the most.
This was a fairly large specimen of this slender species, which grows to around a metre in length. Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snakes are strictly diurnal, equally at home on the ground or in low trees and shrubs, and extremely fast moving. Aside from lizards they will also prey on frogs, small birds and rodents, which they dispatch with a dose of mild venom (not lethal to humans though).
Females lay between 4 and 10 eggs in summer, and probably lives for between 5 and 10 years in the wild.
The Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake is described as widespread and common by the IUCN, which considers it to be of least concern. It is distributed from southern Angola and northern Namibia through to Swaziland and South Africa (North West, Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and possibly northern Kwazulu-Natal), occurring in a variety of savanna types and being especially closely associated with mopane veld (such as which occurs around Shingwedzi).
While visiting Marakele National Park over Easter in 2019, we encountered another Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake at the Thutong Environmental Education Centre, and watched as it searched, this time unsuccessfully, for a lizard to catch.
This Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake visited our tent at Tlopi in the Marakale National Park during a visit in February 2021:
Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake at our tent
While staying at Shingwedzi Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park in June 2019, a Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake came to visit us at our campsite – seems Shingwedzi is a really good place to go looking for this species!
We were parked at a Leopard sighting while visiting the Kruger National Park in December 2021 when Marilize noticed this Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake in a bush next to our car.
Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake (photo by Joubert)
In July 2022 we visited Marakele National park and Tlopi Tented Camp again, and were delighted to find another Western Stripe-belllied Sand Snake guarding our tent again.
DeWetsWild 
Wow; nature can be cruel! Poor little skink, but that snake is adorable as well! Sigh.
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A wonderful series. I like snakes as long as they can’t kill me. Problem is, I can’t tell the difference between a venomous and non-venomous snake.
Absolutely the best option to play on the safe side, Maralee, and treat them all with caution if you are unsure. Luckily for us the really venomous snakes we have are easy to identify – mambas, cobras, boomslang & adders all very distinct.
Ek vat hulle maar verby…
Nee wat, Tina, ons was baie opgewonde om hierdie te kon gade slaan!
In Texas, I grew up seeing such things, but never liked the process. However, if the snake took out a rat, that was OK. I hated rats.
Our snakes must be much more “discreet” at mealtime, Beth, as we don’t often encounter them in the process of swallowing their prey. You were very lucky to see it happen often!
Sjoe Dries,dis een van daardie besondere oomblikke wat mens selde sien.Die derdelaaste foto is fantasties!
Baie dankie, Dina! Inderdaad n baie seldsame gesig, en ons sal nou nooit weer by Shingwedzi se ontvangs kan inloop sonder om te onthou wat ons daar gesien het nie.
Hi guys, brilliant photos again of my favourite place, KNP! I have also seen the Western stripe-bellied sand snake at Shingwedi camp, but just sunning itself on some rocks. The most memorable sighting at Shingwedzi was seeing a leopard lying, awake, along a tree branch, just the other side of the camp fence, very near our hut.
Shingwedzi is my ultimate favourite place. Heaven on earth.
Very beautiful snake, it reminds little about a corn snake on the colors. Really nice photos you took of the snake, and even managed to shoot it when it took a prey!😊
I knew you would love this post, John! 😉
Thank you for the series of images chronicling the process. Most of us don’t get to see such events.
We count ourselves very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time, Tim!
very cool. Excellent post as always.
Thank you very much, Kelly!
Cool sighting of the snake eating the lizard! I saw a snake eating a frog once.
Such a fascinating process to watch!