Some of the most common snakes in Ghana some of which are poisonous but also very shy and keep away from humans as much as possible are: Green Mamba, Black Mamba, Twig Snake, African Python, Royal Python, Calabar Ground Python, Black Cobra, Green Tree Viper, Gaboon Viper, Red Lined Snake, Smyth's Water Snake, Puff Adder.

poisonous snakes

none poisonous snakes

African rock python, Python sebae

Rhinoceros Viper, Bitis nasicornis

Saharan Sand Boa, Gongylophis muelleri

Puff Adder, Bitis arietans

Gabon Viper

Bitis gabonica is a venomous viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world's heaviest viperid and it has the longest fangs (up to 2 inches), and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate race described here.

In their description of B. gabonica, Spawls et al.. (2004) give an average length of 80–130 cm (32 to 51.5 in), with a maximum size of 175 cm (69.3 in), saying the species may possibly grow larger still. They acknowledge reports of specimens over 6 feet (1.8 m), or even over 2 m (6.5 ft) in length, but claim there is no evidence to support this.
The head is large and triangular, while the neck is greatly narrowed: almost one-third the width of the head. A pair of horns is present between the raised nostrils — tiny in B. g. gabonica, but much larger in B. g. rhinoceros. The eyes are large and moveable, set well forward, and surrounded by 15–21 circumorbital scales. There are 12–16 interocular scales across the top of the head. 4–5 scale rows separate the suboculars and the supralabials. There are 13–18 supralabials and 16–22 sublabials. The fangs may reach a length of 55 millimetres (2.2 in) : the longest of any venomous snake.
Midbody, there are 28–46 dorsal scale rows, all of which are strongly keeled except for the outer rows on each side. The lateral scales are slightly oblique. The ventral scales number 124–140: rarely more than 132 in males, rarely less than 132 in females. There are 17–33 paired subcaudal scales: males have no fewer than 25, females no more than 23. The anal scale is single.
The color pattern consists of a series of pale, sub-rectangular blotches running down the center of the back, interspaced with dark, yellow-edged hourglass markings. The flanks have a series of fawn of brown rhomboidal shapes, with light vertical central bars. The belly is pale with irregular brown or black blotches. The head is white or cream with a fine, dark central line, black spots on the rear corners, and a dark blue-black triangle behind and below each eye. The iris color is cream, yellow-white, orange or silvery

Gaboon viper, butterfly adder, forest puff adder, swampjack, Gaboon adder, Gabon viper. Originally a name given by the Portuguese, Gabon (Gabão) refers to the estuary on which the town of Libreville was built, in Gabon, and to a narrow strip of territory on either bank of this arm of the sea. As of 1909, Gaboon referred to the northern portion of French Congo, south of the Equator and lying between the Atlantic Ocean and 12° east longitude

This species can be found in Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Central African Republic, southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, eastern Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, eastern Zimbabwe, Mozambique, northeast KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. Mallow et al. (2003) also list Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa. The type locality is given as "Gabon" (Africa).

The Gaboon viper is usually found in rainforests and nearby woodlands, mainly at low altitudes, but sometimes as high as 1500 m. Spawls et al. (2004) mention a maximum altitude of 2100 m. According to Broadley and Cook (1975), it is generally found in environments that are parallel to those occupied by its close relative, B. arietans, which is normally found in more open country. In Tanzania, this species is found in secondary thickets, cashew plantations, and in agricultural land under bushes and in thickets. In Uganda, they are found in forests and nearby grasslands. They also do well in reclaimed forest areas: cacao plantations in West Africa and coffee plantations in East Africa. They have been found in evergreen forests in Zambia. In Zimbabwe, they only occur in areas of high rainfall along the forested escarpment in the east of the country. In general they may also be found in swamps, as well as in still and moving waters. They are commonly found in agricultural areas near forests and on roads at night.

Primarily nocturnal, Gaboon vipers have a reputation for being slow-moving and placid. They usually hunt by ambush, often spending long periods motionless, waiting for suitable prey to happen by. On the other hand, they have been known to hunt actively, mostly during the first six hours of the night. In Kumasi, Ghana, they were regularly killed around some stables in an open area with the forest some 500 meters away — a sign that they were hunting rats in the grassland. They are usually very tolerant snakes, even when handled, and rarely bite or hiss, unlike most vipers. However, bites by bad-tempered individuals do occur. An ambush predator, its color pattern gives it excellent camouflage. This is B. g. rhinoceros.Locomotion is mostly rectilinear, in a sluggish "walking" motion of the ventral scales. They may writhe from side to side when alarmed, but only for short distances. Ditmars (1933) even described them as being capable of sidewinding. If threatened, they may hiss loudly as a warning, doing so in a deep and steady rhythm, slightly flattening the head at the expiration of each breath. Despite this, they are unlikely to strike unless severely provoked.
There have been numerous descriptions of their generally unaggressive nature. Sweeney (1961) wrote that they are so docile that they "can be handled as freely as any non-venomous species", although this is absolutely not recommended. In Lane (1963), Ionides explains that he would capture specimens by first touching them lightly on the top of the head with a pair of tongs to test its reaction. Anger was rarely displayed, so the tongs were usually set aside and the snake firmly grasped by the neck with one hand and the body supported with the other as he picked it up and carried it to a box for containment. He said the snakes hardly ever struggled.
Parry (1975) describes how this species has a wider range of eye movement than other snakes. Along a horizontal plane, eye movement can be maintained even if the head is rotated up or down to an angle of up to 45°. If the head is rotated 360°, one eye will tilt up and the other down, depending on the direction of rotation. Also, if one eye looks forwards the other looks back, as if both are connected to a fixed position on an axis between them. In general, the eyes often flick back and forth in a rapid and jerky manner. When asleep, there is no eye movement and the pupils are strongly contracted. The pupils dilate suddenly and eye movement resumes when the animal wakes up.

Bites are relatively rare, due to their docile nature and the fact that their range is mainly limited to rainforest areas. Due to their sluggishness and unwillingness to move even when approached, people are often bitten after they accidentally step on them, but even then in some cases they may not bite. However, when a bite does occur it should always be considered a serious medical emergency. Even an average bite from an average sized specimen is potentially fatal. Antivenom should be administered as soon as possible to save the victim's life if not the affected limb
In humans, a bite causes rapid and conspicuous swelling, intense pain, severe shock and local blistering. Other symptoms may include uncoordinated movements, defecation, urination, swelling of the tongue and eyelids, convulsions and unconsciousness. Blistering, bruising and necrosis may be extensive. There may be sudden hypotension, heart damage and dyspnoea. The blood may become incoagulable with internal bleeding that may lead to haematuria and haematemesis.Local tissue damage may require surgical excision and possibly amputation. Healing may be slow and fatalities are not uncommon.

Rhinoceros Viper

Bitis nasicornis is a venomous viper species found in the forests of West and Central Africa. A big viper known for its striking color pattern and prominent horns on its nose. No subspecies are recognized.

Large and stout,ranging in length from 72 cm to 107 cm. Spawls et al. (2004) mention a maximum length of 120 cm, but admit that this is exceptional, quoting an average length of 60–90 cm. Females become larger than males.
The head is narrow, flat, triangular and relatively small compared to the rest of the body. The neck is thin. They have a distinctive set of 2-3 horn-like scales on the end of their nose, the front pair of which may be quite long. The eyes are small and set well forward. The fangs are not large: rarely more than 1.5 cm in length.
Midbody there are 31-43 dorsal scale rows. These are so rough and heavily keeled that they sometimes inflict cuts on handlers when the snake struggles. There are 117-140 ventral scales and the anal scale is single. Mallow et al. (2003) say that the subcaudals number 16-32 with males having a higher count (25-30) than females (16-19). Spawls et al. (2004) state that there are 12-32 subcaudals, that they are paired, and that males having higher numbers of them.
The color pattern consists of a series of 15-18 blue or blue-green oblong markings, each with a lemon-yellow line down the center. These are enclosed within irregular black rhombic blotches. A series of dark crimson triangles run down the flanks, narrowly bordered with green or blue. Many of the lateral scales have white tips, giving the snake a velvety appearance. The top of the head is blue or green, overlaid with a distinct black arrow mark. The belly is dull green to dirty white, strongly marbled and blotched in black and gray. Western specimens are more blue, while those from the east are more green. After they shed their skin, the bright colors fade quickly as silt from their generally moist habitat accumulates on the rough scales.

From Guinea to Ghana in West Africa, and in Central Africa in the Central African Republic, southern Sudan, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Uganda and western Kenya. The type locality is listed only as "interior parts of Africa."

Primarily nocturnal, they hide during the day in leaf litter, in holes, around fallen trees or tangled roots of forest trees. Their vivid coloration actually gives them excellent camouflage in the dappled light conditions of the forest floor, making them almost invisible. Although mainly terrestrial, they are also known to climb into trees and thickets where they have been found up to 3 m above the ground. This climbing behavior is aided by a tail that is prehensile to a certain extent. They are sometimes found in shallow pools and have been described as powerful swimmers.
They are slow moving, but capable of striking quickly, forwards or sideways, without coiling first or giving a warning. Holding them by the tail is not safe; as it is somewhat prehensile, they can use it to fling themselves upwards and strike. They have been described as generally placid creatures; less so than B. gabonica, but not as bad-tempered as B. arietans. When approached, they often reveal their presence by hissing. Said to produce the loudest hiss of any African snake—almost a shriek

Because of its restricted range, few bites have been reported. No statistics are available. There are only a few detailed reports of human envenomation. Massive swelling, which may lead to necrosis, had been described. In 2003 a man in Dayton, Ohio, who was keeping a specimen as a pet, was bitten and subsequently died. There is at least one antivenin that protects specifically against bites from this species: India Antiserum Africa Polyvalent.

West African Gabon Viper

Bitis gabonica rhinoceros is a venomous viper subspecies found in West Africa. It is distinguished from the nominate subspecies primarily by the presence of a set of large nasal horns.

Bitis gabonica rhinoceros has a distinctive set of enlarged nasal scales that look like a pair of horns on its nose. This is a characteristic that it shares with a close relative, B. nascornis. However, B. nasicornis has a brighter color pattern and a narrower head. Bitis gabonica gabonica has no such enlarged nasal horns, and is overall somewhat smaller than Bitis gabonica. rhinoceros. Also, with Bitis gabonica gabonica, the dark triangular marking leading back from the eye towards the angle of the mouth is divided. With Bitis gabonica rhinoceros it is not.

The Geographic range is West Africa from Ghana west to Guinea, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast. Togo is also mentioned.

According to Spawls & Branch (1995), Ghana and Togo are at the eastern limit of the range of this subspecies, and they begin to intergrade here with B. g. gabonica. The distribution map they provide indicates that the general range for B. g. rhinoceros does not include Togo, but that there has been at least one report of a specimen found there. Togo, together with Benin and at least eastern Ghana, are part of a larger region known as the Dahomey Gap; a relatively dry region that separates the rainforests of West Africa from those of Central Africa.

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rain forest regions. Its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

The average size is about 1 m in length and very stout. Large specimens of 190 cm (75 in), weighing over 6.0 kg (13.2 lbs) and with a girth of 40 cm (16 in) have been reported. Specimens from Saudi Arabia are not as large, usually no more than 80 cm in length. Males are usually larger than females and have relatively longer tails.
The head has a less than triangular shape with a blunt and rounded snout. Still, it is much wider than the neck. The rostral scale is small. The circumorbital ring consists of 10–16 scales. Across the top of the head, there are 7–11 interocular scales. 3–4 scales separate the suboculars and the supralabials. There are 12–17 supralabials and 13–17 sublabials. The first 3–4 sublabials contact the chin shields. Often, there are two fangs on each maxilla and both can be functional.
Midbody there are 29–41 rows of dorsal scales. These are strongly keeled except for the outermost rows. The ventral scale count is 123–147, the subcaudals 14–38. Females have no more than 24 subcaudals. The anal scale is single.
The color pattern varies geographically. The head has two well-marked dark bands: one on the crown and the other between the eyes. On the sides of the head, there are two oblique dark bands or bars that run from the eye to the supralabials. Below, the head is yellowish white with scattered dark blotches. Iris color ranges from gold to silver-gray. Dorsally, the ground-color varies from straw yellow, to light brown, to orange or reddish brown. This is overlaid with a pattern of 18–22 backwardly-directed, dark brown to black bands that extend down the back and tail. Usually these bands are roughly chevron-shaped, but may be more U-shaped in some areas. They also form 2–6 light and dark cross-bands on the tail. Some populations are heavily flecked with brown and black, often obscuring other coloration, giving the animal a dusty-brown or blackish appearance. The belly is yellow or white, with a few scattered dark spots. Newborn young have golden head markings with pinkish to reddish ventral plates toward the lateral edges.
One unusual specimen, described by Branch and Farrell (1988), from Summer Pride, East London in South Africa, was striped. The pattern consisted of a narrow (1 scale wide) pale yellow stripe that ran from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. Generally, though, these are relatively dull-looking snakes, except for male specimens from highland east Africa and Cape Province, South Africa, that usually have a striking yellow and black color pattern.

This species is probably the most common and widespread snake in Africa. It is found in most of sub-Saharan Africa south to the Cape of Good Hope, including southern Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, southern Algeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, northern, eastern and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It also occurs on the Arabian peninsula, where it is found in southwestern Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The type locality given is "Promontorio bonae spei" (Cape of Good Hope, South Africa).
Not found in rainforest areas, such as along the coast of West Africa and in Central Africa (i.e., central DR Congo). It is also absent from the Mediterranean coastal region of North Africa. On the Arabian peninsula, it is found as far north as Ta'if. There are also reports that it has been found in the Dhofar region of southern Oman.

Normally a sluggish species that relies on camouflage for protection. Locomotion is primarily rectilinear, using their broad ventral scales in a caterpillar fashion and aided by their own weight for traction. When agitated, they can resort to a typical serpentine movement and move with surprising speed.
Although mainly terrestrial, these snakes are good swimmers and can also climb with ease; often they are found basking in low bushes. One specimen was found 4.6 m above the ground in a densely branched tree.
If disturbed, they will hiss loudly and continuously, adopting a tightly coiled defensive posture with the fore part of their body held in a taut "S" shape. At the same time, they may attempt to back away from the threat towards cover. They may strike suddenly and at a high speed, to the side as easily as forwards, before returning quickly to the defensive position, ready to strike again. During a strike, the force of the impact is so strong, and the long fangs penetrate so deeply, that prey items are often killed by the physical trauma alone. The fangs are apparently able to penetrate soft leather. They can strike to a distance of about one third of their body length, but juveniles will launch their entire bodies forwards in the process. These snakes rarely grip their victims, instead releasing quickly to return to the striking position.

This species is responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake. This is due to a combination of factors, including its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size, potent venom that is produced in large amounts, long fangs, their habit of basking by footpaths and sitting quietly when approached.
In humans, bites from this species can produce severe local and systemic symptoms. Based on the degree and type of local effect, bites can be divided into two symptomatic categories: those with little or no surface extravasation, and those with hemorrhages evident as ecchymosis, bleeding and swelling. In both cases there is severe pain and tenderness, but in the latter there is widespread superficial or deep necrosis. Serious bites cause limbs to become immovably flexed as a result of significant hemorrhage or coagulation in the affected muscles. Residual induration, however, is rare and usually these areas completely resolve.
Other bite symptoms that may occur in humans include edema, which may become extensive, shock, watery blood oozing from the puncture wounds, nausea and vomiting, subcutaneous bruising, blood blisters that may form rapidly, and a painful swelling of the regional lymph nodes. Swelling usually decreases after a few days, except for the area immediately around the bite site. Hypotension, together with weakness, dizziness and periods of semi- or unconsciousness is also reported.
If not treated carefully, necrosis will spread, causing skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscle to separate from healthy tissue and eventually slough with serous exudate. The slough may be superficial or deep, sometimes down to the bone. Gangrene and secondary infections commonly occurs and can result in loss of digits and limbs.
Despite all of this, deaths are exceptional and probably occur in less than 10% of all untreated cases, usually in 2–4 days from complications following blood volume deficit and a disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Most fatalities are associated with bad clinical management and neglect.

Green Mamba

The western green mamba or West African green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) is a long, thin venomous arboreal snake native to West Africa, including Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. It has large green scales outlined in black, and grows up to two meters in length. The scales on its long tail are yellow and edged in black. It is mostly diurnal, but may be active at night as well. Its habitat is the rainforest. Its natural prey includes birds, lizards, and mammals. Two very close relatives of the Western green mamba are the Eastern green mamba, and the Black mamba.

Black and White Cobra

Length, 59-79 in. (150-200 cm). Occasionally they can reach lengths of up to 300 cm. The highly glossy dorsal area can vary from brown, brownish grey to black. While most individuals are uniformly black or brown some specimens may have a vague pattern of lighter scales and lines across the back which give the appearance of narrow cross-bands. The ventral area is yellowish or white with several wide dark bands. The head is black or yellowish brown with distinct light cream labial scales with dark edges.

The geographic Range is (Africa) Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Habitat: Savannah, grasslands, costal areas, and forest habitats from sea level to 2500 meters.

Forestcobras are big and extremely fast snakes that can move quick on land in the water and in the trees. They are able to rise up almost two-thirds of their body length and will stand their ground and attack when cornered. Due to its neurotoxic venom, size and disposition, this snake it is considered extremely dangerous.

Twig or Bird Snake

The twig or bird snakes of the genus Thelotornis are a group of back-fanged, colubrid snakes in the family Colubridae. All species have a slender and elongated profile, a long tail, narrow head and pointed snout. The eyes of each species have horizontal pupils, shaped like keyholes, which gives twig snakes binocular vision. Twig snakes are greyish-brown with faint light and dark markings. When threatened, they inflate their throat to display bold black markings between the scales.

The twig snake is one of the several back-fanged colubrids whose bite is highly venomous and potentially fatal. The venom is hemotoxic, and although its effects are very slow, and bites are rare, no antivenom has been developed and several fatalities (such as Robert Mertens) have occurred.

The African twig snakes are distinctive in appearance and unlikely on that continent to be mistaken for any other snake, if indeed the observer notices them. Preying on lizards, frogs and sometimes birds, they conceal themselves in trees, but often at a low enough level to be able to also strike at terrestrial prey, which they may swallow upwards after killing. Their cryptic coloration and apparent ability to freeze or sway gently, as chameleons do, like a twig on a tree (hence the name) makes them hard to spot. Indeed, they may be more abundant in areas than is immediately obvious.

Thelotornis is characterised by a depressed and flat head, keyhole-shaped pupils, and in T. kirtlandii, a projecting canthus rostralis which forms a shallow loreal groove on each side of the head. This allows a certain amount of binocular vision to the snake. In appearance, the head at least is unlikely to be mistaken for any other African snake. Other characteristics include a very long tail and large back fangs.

African Rock Python

Python sebae is a no venomous python species found in sub-Saharan Africa. This is one of the world's largest species of snakes. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Python sebae was first described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. Its generic name Python is a Greek word Πύθων referring to the enormous serpent at Delphi slain by Apollo in Greek Mythology. Its specific name sebae is a Latinized genitive form of Dutch zoologist, Albertus Seba's last name.

This is one of the world's largest species of snakes, with adults reaching lengths of over 6 m (20 ft). The typical adult length is 4.8 m (16 ft) and rumors of specimens over 6 m (20 ft) are generally considered reliable, but larger specimens have never been confirmed.

The color pattern is typically brown, with olive and tan irregular blotching, fading to white on the underside. At a glance, they can be easily mistaken for the Burmese python, P. m. bivittatus, but the two species are not closely related.

Found in Africa south of the Sahara from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Somalia, including Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Ghana, Togo, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe south to northern Namibia, Botswana and north-eastern South Africa (to Natal). Extirpated from eastern Cape Province in 1927. The type locality given is "America" -- an obvious mistake. According to Loveridge (1936), no type locality was given. According to Stimson (1969) it was "Guiara, Brazil."

In 2009, the African rock python was found in the Florida Everglades, and is feared to be establishing itself as an invasive species alongside the already-established Burmese Python.

Typically associated with grassland and savannah habitat, not too far from water (rivers, streams, marshes), sometimes entering the edges of forests. Often occur in or near cane fields. While not considered endangered or threatened, this species is listed as a CITES Appendix II species, which puts restrictions on its exportation around the world. The primary reason for this is because their skin is used in the leather industry, frequently being made into shoes, belts, and purses.

They are highly dependent on sources of water, and estivate during the hottest and driest parts of the year, remaining deep in burrows made by other animals. This species is noted for its bad temperament and readiness to bite if harassed. This is in contrast to the Burmese python, P. molurus, which is typically docile except when food is near. Attacks on humans are very uncommon. Although this species can easily kill an adult, there are only a few cases in which the victim, in most cases a child, was actually consumed. A Ugandan newspaper reported in 1951 that a 13-year-old boy was swallowed, but the python was forced to disgorge the body. In 1973, another newspaper reported that a Portuguese soldier was discovered in the stomach of a snake. In 1979, a 14.9 ft (4.5 m) python tried to eat a 13-year-old boy. It was discovered with the boy completely entwined, but after being hit by stones, it regurgitated the body and retreated. The boy was 1.3 m tall and weighed 45 kg. On Easter weekend of 2009, Ben Nyaumbe, a farmer was attacked after stepping on a specimen, and was dragged up a tree by the snake, but managed to escape after calling for help on his mobile phone. The last known case in which a person was eaten occurred in South Africa in 2002, the victim being a 10-year-old child.

Royal Python

Python regius is a nonvenomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular in the pet trade. No subspecies are currently recognized. They are also known as royal pythons or ball pythons.

Adults generally do not grow to more than 90–120 cm (3.0–3.9 ft) in length, although some specimens have reached 152 cm and even 182 cm (5–6 feet), but this is very rare. Females tend to be slightly bigger than males maturing at an average of 4-4.5 feet. Males usually average around 3-3.5 feet. The build is stocky while the head is relatively small. The scales are smooth and both sexes have anal spurs on either side of the vent. Although males tend to have larger spurs, this is not definitive, and sex is best determined via manual eversion of the male hemipenes or inserting a probe into the cloaca to find the inverted hemipenes (if male).

The color pattern is typically black or dark brown with light brown or gold sides and dorsal blotches. The belly is a white or cream that may include scattered black markings. However, those in the pet industries have, through selective breeding, developed many morphs(genetic mutations) with altered colors and patterns.

Found in Africa from Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Niger and Nigeria through Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic to Sudan and Uganda. No type locality was given in the original description. Prefers grasslands, savannas and sparsely wooded areas.

This terrestrial species is known for its defense strategy that involves coiling into a tight ball when threatened, with its head and neck tucked away in the middle. In this state, it can literally be rolled around. The python also has the tendency to hiss loudly when it feels threatened. Favored retreats include mammal burrows and other underground hiding places where they also aestivate. In captivity they are considered good pets, for their relatively small size and placid nature make them easy to handle. Captive bred adults rarely bite. This species is particularly revered in the traditional religion of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It is considered symbolic of the earth, being an animal that travels so close to the ground. Even among many Christian Igbos, these pythons are treated with great care whenever they happen to wander into a village or onto someone's property; they are allowed to roam freely or are very gently picked up and placed out in a forest or field away from any homes. If one is accidentally killed, many communities in Igboland will still build a coffin for the snake's remains and give it a short funeral.

Saharan Sand Boa

Gongylophis is a genus of non-venomous boas found in mostly in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Currently, 3 species are recognized.

Found in Africa from Mauritania and Senegal east to Egypt and south to Tanzania. Also reported from the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In the Indian subcontinent the genus is found from eastern Pakistan, eastern India and Bangladesh southwards as far as north-western Sri Lanka. In Africa along the southern edge of the Sahara, from Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone, eastwards through Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Chad to eastern Sudan.