Lamprophis

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Serpentes
Infraordo: Caenophidia
Superfamilia: Elapoidea

Familia: Lamprophiidae
Genus: Lamprophis
Species (7): L. abyssinicus – L. aurora – L. erlangeri – L. fiskii – L. fuscus – L. geometricus – L. guttatus
Name

Lamprophis Fitzinger, 1843: 25

Type species: Coronella aurora Schlegel, 1837 in error [=Coluber aurora Linnaeus, 1758], by original designation.

References
Primary references

Fitzinger, L. 1843. Systema Reptilium. Fasciculus primus. Amblyglossae. Braumüller et Seidel: Wien. vi + 106 pp. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Kelly, C.M.R., Branch, W.R., Broadley, D.G., Barker, N.P. & Villet, M.H. 2011. Molecular systematics of the African snake family Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843 (Serpentes: Elapoidea), with particular focus on the genera Lamprophis Fitzinger 1843 and Mehelya Csiki 1903. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58(3): 415–426. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.010 Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2022. Lamprophis . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 10 February 2020.
Lamprophis – Taxon details on Interim Register of Marine and Non-marine Genera (IRMNG).
Lamprophis – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Vernacular names
English: African House Snakes

Lamprophis is a genus of medium-sized, nonvenomous snakes commonly referred to as African house snakes.

Description

Species of Lamprophis exhibit a wide variety of pattern variation, and may be spotted, striped, or solid in color. House snakes are sexually dimorphic, the females grow significantly larger, to about 120 cm (47 in) in some species, and some specimens have been recorded over 150 cm (59 in), the males only grow to around 75 cm (30 in). Albino variants of Lamprophis aurora have been found.
Species

As of 2010, seven species in the genus Lamprophis are recognized:[1]

Lamprophis abyssinicus Mocquard, 1906 – Abyssinian house snake
Lamprophis aurora (Linnaeus, 1758) – aurora house snake
Lamprophis erlangeri (Sternfeld, 1908) – Ethiopian house snake
Lamprophis fiskii Boulenger, 1887 – Fisk's house snake, vulnerable (VU)
Lamprophis fuscus Boulenger, 1893 – yellow-bellied house snake, near threatened (LR/nt)
Lamprophis geometricus (Schlegel, 1827) – Seychelles house snake
Lamprophis guttatus (A. Smith, 1843) – spotted house snake

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Lamprophis.

The former Lamprophis capensis, brown or Cape house snake, has been assigned to the genus Boaedon, as Boaedon capensis.
Geographic range

House snakes are found throughout all of sub-Saharan Africa in a wide variety of habitats; some species are well adapted to living in burrows. They are named "house" snakes as they are frequently found around human dwellings, feeding on the rodents that congregate around human waste. They are extremely adaptable snakes, which are found in scrubland, woodland, savannah, and montane regions.
Behaviour and diet

Wild house snakes are often very nervous, but are not prone to biting. Their first defensive reaction is to flee. They are frequently found in and around human dwellings, where they consume rodents, small lizards, and even birds. House snakes are prolific breeders and lay clutches averaging eight to 12 eggs that hatch after around two months of incubation. Hatchlings are typically around 20 cm long.
In captivity

African house snakes are common in the exotic pet trade. The primary species available is B. capensis, with the others being harder to acquire. They are easy to care for and breed readily. They can live up to 20 years with proper care. Males are smaller than females and seldom grow longer than 2.5 ft (76 cm). Females can attain lengths of 3.5 feet (110 cm), and specimens from the eastern region of southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) are reported to reach lengths of 5 ft (1.5 m) or more. These snakes are nocturnal. The female lays one clutch of 9 to 16 eggs in early spring. They are known to store sperm and can lay up to six clutches per year in captivity, but it rarely happens in nature. Hatchlings are 5–7 in (13–18 cm) upon hatching.
Diet

Their main diet consists of rodents; in captivity, smaller snakes take pinkie mice, and in the wild they more commonly prey on geckos until they are powerful enough to constrict mice. Large females are known to occasionally eat weanling rats. Adult snakes get fed weekly. Hatchlings may eat small lizards, such as skinks and geckos, and newborn mice. In captivity, they can successfully be fed on gecko tails. Larger specimens are also known to take lizards, and in rare cases they will catch small bats. House snakes should be fed alone; their often violent feeding response may cause cannibalism.

Notes

Kelly CMR, Branch WR, Broadley DG, Barker NP, Villet MH. 2010. "Molecular systematics of the African snake family Lamprophiidae, Fitzinger, 1843 (Serpentes: Elapoidea), with particular focus on the genera Lamprophis, Fitzinger 1843 and Mehelya, Csiki 1903". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 58 (3): 415-426. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.010