Mole Snake
scientific name
pseudapsis cana
size/weight/height
Length: 5'; occasionally over 6.5'
adaptations/coloration
Color: from light gray, brown, reddish-brown to black; adults 1 color; young blotched colors
Body: stout; muscular
Head: narrow
Scales: smooth
Tail: wedge-shaped; constrictor
behavior
Activity: day/night; spends most of their time underground
Personality: young ferocious when threatened, adults no less so
reproduction/lifespan
Hatching: eggs hatch internally (ovoviviparous)
Young: 8 - 10"; don't resemble adults
Litters: average 3 - 6 dozen; record = 95
Mating: October - April
diet
Wild: small mammals (rats, mice jerboas, moles); eggs when other food not available
Zoo: mice
habitat/range
grasslands; savanna; sandy open woodlands; adjacent rocky foothills; Kenya south to Southern Africa, west to Angola
status
not listed
oregon zoo exhibit