# Boomslang (*Dispholidus typus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/boomslang  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

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. 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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.77 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 8.7 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Egg incubation | 84.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 16.5 |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Squamata
- family: Colubridae
- genus: Dispholidus
- species: *Dispholidus typus* (Smith, 1828)

Synonyms: *Bucephalus bellii*, *Bucephalus capensis*, *Bucephalus gutturalis*, *Bucephalus jardineii*, *Bucephalus typus*, *Bucephalus viridis*, *Dendrophis colubrina*, *Dendrophis pseudo-dipsas*, *Dispholidus typus occidentalis*

## Common questions

### 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

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), 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](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), 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](https://commons.wikimedia.org), 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](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), 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).

Cite as: Boomslang (Dispholidus typus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/boomslang