The brown house snake is one of the most widespread and common snakes across southern Arica. They have adapted well to urbanisation, taking advantage of the abundance of skinks, geckos and rodents that utilise human dwellings. They are nocturnal and although very common, can be quite cryptic, and may remain undetected around a house for a number of years.
As the name suggests, they are various shades of brown from dark brown to reddish-brown. The belly is pearly-white and in the lowveld area, the belly colour often extends slightly up the lower sides of the body. There is a white or pale stripe above each eye, which is a distinct feature for the harmless house snakes. The eyes are large and have vertical pupils like a cat, which allows them to see better at night. They may reach up to 1,5 meters in KwaZulu-Natal but seldom exceed 80 cm in most other regions.
Although largely nocturnal they may be uncovered during the day under boxes or equipment in a garage, workshop or storeroom. They may also be found under pots in the garden or logs and rocks. They are frequently seen crossing roads at night and unfortunately often killed by passing vehicles.
These are efficient hunters, ambushing prey items and grabbing them before constricting them. They are well-known for eating rodents and may be good at controlling pests around agricultural set ups. They will also eat geckos, lizards and occasionally frogs.
Having small, sharp teeth used for hunting, these snakes can deliver a sharp bite if handled. The bite from these harmless snakes may bleed slightly but no other effects should occur. They are quick to tame down if handled.
Brown house snakes lay around 8-18 eggs in early summer and the eggs take around 70 days to hatch. The young will measure around 19-26 cm after hatching and are perfect replicas of the adults. Females may produce several clutches of eggs in a season.
These little snakes are commonly encountered and easy to identify with the pale stripes above the eye. They are completely harmless and useful to have around the house or lodge.
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