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Study Recognised Seven African Vine Snake Species and Elevated oatesi to Full Species

Wild savanna vine snake with neck inflated in defensive display at Phinda Private Game Reserve
Research · Evolution & taxonomy

An integrative taxonomic study of African vine snakes formally recognised seven species in the genus Thelotornis. The study, first published on 1 March 2026, redefined the savanna vine snake (Thelotornis capensis) more narrowly and elevated the former subspecies Thelotornis capensis oatesi to full species as Thelotornis oatesi.

The researchers combined two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes with morphology, geography, habitat information and several independent species-delimitation approaches. Across these analyses, seven independently evolving lineages were recovered.

Seven Lineages Were Supported Across Different Analyses

The authors formally recognise T. kirtlandii, T. uluguruensis, T. usambaricus, an undescribed Thelotornis species from Vamizi Island, T. mossambicanus, T. capensis and T. oatesi. The seven lineages shared no mitochondrial haplotypes — characteristic combinations of mitochondrial DNA variants — and a separate clustering analysis that combined DNA, morphology, ecology and geography recovered the same seven groups.

oatesi Was Elevated and uluguruensis Moved Into Thelotornis

The former T. c. capensis and T. c. oatesi formed separate, well-supported lineages, leading the authors to recognise them at species rank as T. capensis and T. oatesi. The lineage leading to T. oatesi was estimated to have emerged about 0.67 million years ago.

The Tanzanian snake previously called Xyelodontophis uluguruensis was genetically nested within Thelotornis. The authors therefore transfer it to the genus as Thelotornis uluguruensis. A further lineage from Vamizi Island in Mozambique was consistently distinct but remains undescribed.

The broader analysis dates the origin of Thelotornis to about 16.6 million years ago, with diversification within the genus beginning around 8.3 million years ago. The authors interpret the radiation in the context of historical changes in African forests and savannas.

Sources and image credit

  1. Engelbrecht, H. M., Seeiso, K. L., Eimermacher, T. G., Farooq, H., Menegon, M., & Conradie, W. A. (2026). Drawing the vine line: Integrative analyses reveal seven distinct species of African vine snakes, Thelotornis (Colubridae: Colubrinae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 2026, 3068066. https://doi.org/10.1155/jzs/3068066Primary peer-reviewed open-access study first published 1 March 2026 under CC BY 4.0. Integrative analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, morphology, ecology and geography supported seven independently evolving lineages. The authors formally recognise T. capensis and T. oatesi as separate species, transfer Xyelodontophis uluguruensis to Thelotornis and retain an undescribed Vamizi Island lineage as Thelotornis sp.

Image: Charles J. Sharp — wild savanna vine snake in defensive display at Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, photographed 26 October 2014; Wikimedia Commons Quality Image and Valued Image. Representative image for this story; not presented as an animal or scene from the reported study or event. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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