[1] The generic name Walterinnesia honours Walter Francis Innes Bey (1858–1937), who was a physician and zoologist in Egypt.

However, it was subsequently found that the eastern populations represent a different species, Walterinnesia morgani.

W. morgani differs in having a juvenile pattern of reddish crossbars on the back, and lower average ventral and subcaudal scale counts.

The dorsal scales are smooth anteriorly and weakly keeled on the posterior part of the body and tail.

[4] These species feed mainly on lizards such as skinks, geckos and agamids, other snakes, toads, and occasionally mice and birds.