Savanna vine snake

Thelotornis capensis is found in southern Africa.^[2]

The preferred natural habitats of Thelotornis capensis are forest, savanna, and shrubland.^[1]

Thelotornis capensis is diurnal and semi-arboreal.^[1]

Thelotornis capensis is slender and has a long tail. The longest museum specimen is a male with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 106 cm (42 in), a tail 62 cm (24 in) long, and a combined total length of 168 cm (66 in).^[2][3]

Thelotornis capensis is venomous.^[3] Venom is delivered by large grooved teeth at the rear of the upper jaw.^[2] German herpetologist Robert Mertens died as the result of being bitten by this species.

Thelotornis capensis is oviparous.^[1][2][3] Clutch size is 4–13 eggs.^[1] The eggs are elongated and rather small, each measuring on average 36 mm (1.4 in) long and 16 mm (0.63 in) wide.^[2]

Two subspecies of Thelotornis capensis are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[3]

• Thelotornis capensis capensis A. Smith, 1849
• Thelotornis capensis oatesi (Günther, 1881)

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Thelotornis.

The subspecific name, oatesi, honors British naturalist Frank Oates.^[4]