Striped skaapstekers (Psammophylax tritaeniatus)

[Bushviper]

I recently received these snakes from someone who obviously had kept them for a while and then got bored with them.

It looks like a male and two females. The one is rather large as you can see and the others should still eat small mice.

I have not kept these snakes in years and have only ever bred these snakes once in the past. The female wrapped around the eggs and attacked me when I tried to take the eggs away.

[Pythonodipsas]

I have always been very drawn to these. There is something about them I really like.

Nice to hear that you bred them in the past. Did you manage to hatch the eggs? And if so, did you attempt to raise any babies?

[Bushviper]

Nope unfortunately the eggs collapsed after about two weeks. I would not even try to raise these guys. Far easy to wait till they have shed and then release them back where the parents came from.

I have tried with hatchlings that I found but they want a steady supply of baby skinks. This means they get taken back rather rapidly.

[Mitton]

This is the snake I have found the most of in the areas I used to go looking for snakes, have found up to 6 in 1 day. They are very cool but I have never really felt the urge to keep any.

[gaboon69]

I dont get out much,but Ive never seen one in the wild.
Really impressive creatures!
Whats a bite like?suppose not much?

[Mitton]

I have been bitten a few times and nothing happened at all. I can't say that they chewed on me but they did penetrate the skin with blood coming through. I have heard of some people experiencing head aches so maybe someone else can give more details here.

[snake-5]

The spotted skaapstekers are also really nice snakes and their temprements vary from very placid to actually coming towards you, this is the only snake species i have ever backed away from and they come towards you. Interestingly they seem to constrict rats and mice but when it comes to frogs they envenomate and wait for it to die. I have caught 17 in one day at the sand pan in Benoni before they started developing it. They also protect their eggs but i have found they move off when disturbed then return a while later. One of the best moments in my life was finding a nest of eggs busy hatching one early morning about 5years back on a farm next to the R21 highway at the benoni off ramp where they are developing now i still have it on vhs cassette somewhere. i have also been nailed many times and the worst thats happened was a swolen finger and some pain for the next 2-4 days.

[mfezi]

I have a striped skaapsteker from tanzania, it looks very similar to that and is a different species, will take some photos tonight and post them. The Kenyan ones will sham death like rinkhals!! I found many striped skaapstekers around Klerksdorp back in the day.. cool snakes to keep

spawls had a bad reaction to a Kenyan Striped Skaapsteker, and i have heard of one other person having quite a bad reaction. I would avoid being bitten by all these guy, i think they can be pretty bad

here is a picture of a psammophis bite---

[BillyBoy]

OUCH!!



Billy

[rubida]

This one is from my friend Riaan’s collection. It’s a mice dustbin!

[Rob]

Quite a robust snake, i like it.

[Natal_Black]

The head shape from that angle looks awesome , nice snake !

[exanthematicus]

can we get some more info about the psammophis bite?