Stripe bellied sand snake

During the trails guide course at Makuleke Camp in January this year, while studying in my tent, I heard a commotion outside. I went out to have a look and saw a male and female Chinspot Batis mocking a western Stripe bellied snake right next to the tent. All of a sudden the snake caught a Four Toed Elephant Shrew. The snake smothered the Elephant Shrew to death and tried to get it into its mouth, but the Elephant Shrew was to big. The snake took the elephant shrew into the grass where it struggled to eat it, later leaving it and moved on.

Usually Western striped bellied Sand snake prefers to eat lizards which made this a very interesting sight.

Ankia - EcoTraining Student