About Gracililima nyassae (Günther, 1888)
Gracililima nyassae (Günther, 1888), also called the black file snake, is a small snake species. Females of this species can reach a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 52 cm (20 in), while males are shorter, reaching roughly 44 cm (17 in) in snout-to-vent length. On its dorsal (upper) side, G. nyassae is dark brown or purplish brown, with pink-colored skin visible between its scales. Unlike the Common File snake, this species does not have a light dorsal stripe, but it does share the characteristic triangular-shaped body. On its ventral (under) side, G. nyassae occurs in two distinct color phases: a uniform phase that is black to dark olive, and a bicolored phase that is cream-olive to white. G. nyassae is native to southern and eastern Africa, where it can be found in Botswana, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This species is oviparous, meaning it reproduces by laying eggs. Female G. nyassae can lay up to six eggs per clutch.
