Boomslang
Dispholidus typus (Smith, 1828)
The boomslang (Dispholidus typus) is a snake in the family Colubridae, subfamily Colubrinae, within the order Squamata of the reptiles. It is a medium-sized snake with a representative adult body mass of 3.8 kg, and its listed habitat is forest.
Quick facts about the boomslang
Its egg incubation period is 84.5 days, its young per litter or eggs per clutch value is 16.5, and its lifespan is given as 8.7 years. The IUCN Red List assesses the boomslang globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- 3.77 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- 8.7 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- forestsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 84.5 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 16.5src for Young per litter or clutch
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the boomslang
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
_at_Nairobi_Snake_Park_3.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Nairobi_Snake_Park_1.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Nairobi_Snake_Park_2.jpg){kind=link}
Where does the boomslang live?
Not recorded
What is the boomslang?
The boomslang ( or ; Dispholidus typus) is a highly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Sub-Saharan Africa.
From the Wikipedia article “Boomslang” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boomslang&oldid=1383747994), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the boomslang endangered?
The boomslang is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the boomslang classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classReptilia
- orderSquamata
- familyColubridae
- genusDispholidus
- SpeciesDispholidus typus (Smith, 1828)
Synonyms Bucephalus bellii, Bucephalus capensis, Bucephalus gutturalis, Bucephalus jardineii, Bucephalus typus, Bucephalus viridis, Dendrophis colubrina, Dendrophis pseudo-dipsas, Dispholidus typus occidentalis
Other names and names in other languages (14)
- bojga africkáCzech
- Afrikansk GifttræsnogDanish
- bafweTaita
- vunjarereTaita
- Grüne BoomslangGerman
- Afrikanische BaumschlangeGerman
- dysfolid drzewnyPolish
- БумслангRussian
- Африканский бумслангRussian
- Coracundu?Shona
- LegwereTswana
- logwereTswana
- iNyushuXhosa
- iNambezuluXhosa
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the boomslang
Other species in the same genus Dispholidus.
Pemba boomslang
Dispholidus pembae
Angolan boomslang
Dispholidus punctatus
CompareBoomslang vs Pemba boomslangBoomslang vs Angolan boomslang
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the boomslang?
The boomslang is a snake, a reptile in the family Colubridae and the order Squamata.
How heavy is the boomslang?
The boomslang has a representative adult body mass of 3.765 kg, placing it in the medium size class (1 to 25 kg).
Is the boomslang endangered?
No. The boomslang is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the boomslang live?
The boomslang's lifespan is given as 8.7 years.
What habitat does the boomslang live in?
The boomslang's listed habitat is forest.
How long is the boomslang's egg incubation period?
The boomslang's egg incubation period is 84.5 days, and its young per litter or eggs per clutch value is 16.5.
Who named the boomslang and when?
The boomslang, Dispholidus typus, carries the authority (Smith, 1828).
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Boomslang (Dispholidus typus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/boomslang
“Boomslang (Dispholidus typus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/boomslang.
@misc{boomslang_2026,
title = {Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/boomslang},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}