Kingdom Animalia Suborder Serpentes Genus Amblyodipsas Phylum Chordata Order Scaled reptiles | Class Reptilia Family Atractaspididae Scientific name Amblyodipsas polylepis Rank Species | |
Similar Amblyodipsas, Aparallactus lunulatus, Atractaspis bibronii, Aparallactus, Dipsadoboa aulica | ||
Amblyodipsas polylepis, or the common purple-glossed snake, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family.
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Geographic range
It is endemic to the eastern and northern regions of southern Africa. More specifically, it is found in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, coastal Kenya, and Somalia.
Description
Dorsal scales smooth, without pits, arranged in 21 rows, which is more than any other species of Amblyodipsas as the specific epithet, polylepis, implies. Ventrals 163-212; anal divided; subcaudals 16-27, divided. In every other respect scalation is like Amblyodipsas unicolor.
Completely blackish brown. Total length 40 cm (15 3⁄4 in); tail 23 mm (7⁄8 in).