Telescopus beetzi

Telescopus beetzi, commonly known as Beetz's tiger snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern Africa.

Etymology
The specific name, beetzi, is in honor of German geologist Paul Friedrich Werner Beetz (1887–1954), who collected the holotype.

Common names
Common names for T. beetzi include Beetz's tiger snake, Karoo tiger snake, and Namib tiger snake.

Geographic range
T. beetzi is found in southern Namibia and northwestern South Africa.

Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of T. beetzi are shrubland, desert, and rocky areas, at altitudes of 50 –.

Description
T. beetzi is a slender, medium-sized snake. Females are larger than males. The maximum recorded snout-to-vent length (SVL) is 59 cm for a female, but the maximum recorded SVL is only 43.5 cm for a male. The dorsal scales are arranged in 21 rows at midbody, and the anal plate is undivided.

Behavior
T. beetzi is nocturnal and partially arboreal.

Diet
T. beetzi preys upon lizards.

Reproduction
T. beetzi is oviparous. Clutch size is 3–5 eggs. The eggs are elongate, with an average size of 12 x. The average total length (including tail) of a hatchling is 18 cm.