The Aurora house snake, Aurora snake, or night snake (''Lamprophis aurora'') is a species of
snake
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...
(South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana).
Distribution
This species is widespread in South Africa (present all provinces but is absent from most of the Northern Cape) and also occurs in Lesotho and Eswatini. It is also recorded from eastern Botswana, although this might represent a translocation.
Description
The snake can achieve a maximum length of 90 cm, but averages 45–60 cm. Colour varies from shiny olive green to dull dark green above. A bright yellow to orange vertebral stripe runs from the top of the head to the tip of the tail.
Habitat and ecology
This species occurs in grassland, fynbos, and moist
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
habitats at elevations up to above sea level. They are often found near streams and under rocks, and may occur in old
termitaria
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes ( eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blat ...
.
It is secretive but can be locally common. It is active at night ( nocturnal). The diet consists of rodents, lizards, and frogs. The female lays clutches of up to 12 eggs. It is non-venomous and seldom attempts to bite.
Conservation
Grassland habitats that this species inhabits are heavily transformed by urban development and agriculture, but it is not considered threatened because it remains common in suitable habitat and is widespread. Its range overlaps with a number of protected areas.