Boaedon

Boaedon is a genus of snakes, family Lamprophiidae, commonly called brown house snakes, comprising 27 recognized species native to sub-Saharan Africa, found across dense forests, deserts and the full range of habitats in between. Members are small snakes typically under four feet in length, sexually dimorphic with females larger than males, nocturnal with vertically elliptic pupils, and overall body coloration typically sandy brown to black with variation; most species show a distinctive v-shaped stripe pattern on the head, though body patterns vary by species, some lacking markings and others displaying stripes or spots. Originally described in 1854 by French zoologists, the genus was reclassified under Lamprophis for many years until a 2010 phylogenetic study resurrected the name Boaedon; the genus belongs to the family Lamprophiidae rather than Colubridae, reflecting the modern split of Lamprophiidae from Colubridae.