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Hi, this little guy decided to take a swim in my pool overnight and obviously drowned.
Please help me identify in case there are more in the garden.

Thanks

Hi

Your snake looks like one of the species of blind snakes. Where do you live? How big was this animal?

Regards

Howard

Can you see to the left of the photo, there seems to be eyes.

I wonder whether this is a snake at all?

Did you have a proper look at the animal. You did not maybe see a single pair of small legs to the back of the animal?

I am asking, because I suspect that this may in fact be a burrowing skink. A type of lizard rather than a snake. These skinks have greatly reduced legs, because they live underground. Most have in fact lost at least one pair of legs, if not both.

This one looks very much like the Striped Dwarf Burrowing skink, which would be found in the South and West Cape area.

Hi Thanks for the input, this was in Hermanus Western Cape and it is about 30cm long.
I was smooth the whole way down to the tail, no sign of tiny legs.

Right area ... but it is too long (should be 55-130mm) and there should be at least some sign of legs.

Just found a few more options. Bigger specimen of burrowing skink ....

I think yours is the cape legless skink. Maksimum length of around 25 cm. Found in coastal and fynbos habitat in the west and eastern cape. Found in dry sandy spoils often beneath leave litter. Gives live birth to 2-4 babies in late summer. Two races found (Acontias meleagris meleagris - western cape / A. m. orientalis - eastern cape) Feeds on beetles, termites, earthworms, etc. Endemic.

Yes I agree with Imberbe's ID of the Cape Legless Skink. Well done Imberbe!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pho ... 1161561142

Think this is another example found in my Garage in Greyton earlier this year.floor tile is 320 mm square to give an idea of size.

please let me know if the picture did not come out as this is my first time on the site.

Hello Jimpot,
Welcome to the forum!!
I could not open your photo.
(by the way, Greyton is a lovely little village, we've spent a couple of days there in December)

Hi Bennievis

Sorry about the photo...any advice on how to post a photo??
Jimmie

Hi there Jimpot welcome to the forums!

Wow you live in Greyton, wonderful place have some family there!

Here are the tutorials to Tinypic and Flickr