The specific name, gansi, is in honor of American herpetologist Carl Gans.

[2] D. gansi is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the Republic of South Sudan, Senegal, Sudan, and Togo.

[3] The preferred natural habitat of D. gansi is savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 600 m (2,000 ft).

[1] Females of D. gansi may attain a total length (including tail) of about 92 cm (36 in) with the longest recorded specimen being 110.6 cm (43.5 in) long (including tail).

[1] They are capable of swallowing eggs 3-4 times larger than their head, possibly the largest gape of all snake species.