FILE SNAKE

(Mehelya), any of about 15 species of snakes belonging to the family Colubridae. They are named for their triangular body cross section and rough-keeled (ridged) scales. All are rather large and plain. They are active by night on the ground. File snakes are nonvenomous; they prey on other snakes, including venomous ones. The Cape file snake (M. capensis) of eastern and southern Africa is the enemy of night adders (Causus).