AN AFRICAN HOUSE SNAKE
 
African house snakes are small, non-venomous snakes, usually brown in color but display a range of variation from red, orange, green to black. They also exhibit a wide variety of pattern variation even within single species, and may be spotted, striped, or solid colored. House snakes are sexually dimorphic; the females grow significantly larger than the males, reaching approximately 1.2 meters in length.
House snakes are frequently found around human dwellings, feeding on the rats, mice and other rodents that congregate around human dwellings. They are extremely adaptable snakes, which are found in scrubland, woodland, savannah, and montane regions. Because of their feeding habits House Snakes should not be killed.
House Snakes are often very nervous, but are not prone to biting. Their first defensive reaction is to flee. House snakes are prolific breeders and lay clutches averaging 8-12 eggs that hatch after around two months of incubation. Hatchlings are typically around 20 cm in length.