Forest Vine Snake

DESCRIPTION:

The Forest Vine Snake is long and very thin with an arrow-shaped head. The eye is large with a keyhole-shaped pupil – this keyhole shaped pupil is only found on Vine/Twig Snakes of the genus Thelotornis. The tongue is bright red with a black tip. Light grey in color and speckled with darker grey or black. The top of the head is bright green with the the lips and chin white, sometimes with black speckling. bright markings on the neck may be visible when the snake inflates it’s throat.

HABITS & HABITAT:

The Forest Vine Snake is found in deep forest, smaller patches of forest and woodland. This snake is diurnal and usually found in trees or bushes but rarely found very high, preferring to be lower. It will sometimes come to the ground to cross to other tress or pursue prey. It can move fast both in trees and on the ground.

DISTRIBUTION:

Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.

VENOM:

Haemotoxic; Like the Boomslang, the venom of the Forest Vine Snake affects the blood clotting mechanism and causing uncontrolled bleeding. Most bites are to snake handlers.

SYMPTOMS:

Bleeding at the bite site; Headache; Nausea; Colicky abdominal pain; Sleepiness; Confusion; Bleeding from old and recent wounds such as venepuncture; Bleeding from the gums and nose; Hot and cold fever; Increased sweating; Nosebleed; Vomiting blood; Black “tarry” faeces; Dark urine due to blood in the urine.

FIRST AID:

Pressure Bandage

ANTIVENOM:

None available