Black mamba caught in Berea
Nick Evans from the KZN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation has encouraged residents not to panic when they see a Black Mamba.
WHEN herpetologist, Nick Evans from the KZN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation received a call from a Berea resident in Malcolm Road saying he believed he had spotted a black mamba at his home, Nick thought it had to be a house snake or herald snake. “It was not until the resident said it was around 2m long that I realised it could only be a mamba. Black Mambas are rare in the Berea area. I do know there’s a couple in the Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve; but apart from that, I don’t hear of many,” said Evans.
“The call came from the area near Msinsi Nature Reserve and UKZN Howard campus. I thought this was unusual, and it is a bit, but looking at the surrounding areas, there must be a few more around. I was nervous. The caller said it was trying to get away but that he had it cornered behind some rubble. Fortunately, when we arrived, we were told it was still there,” he said.
Evans said he was surprised to find the mamba in the area and cautioned Berea residents not to panic. “Mambas are not invading the Berea. This area was close to bush and the food source was there for this snake. Also, something else worth noting: The guys at the house threw plastic bottles at the snake every-time it tried moving out from behind the bins. They didn’t want to hurt it, hence throwing plastic, they just wanted to contain it, despite this the mamba didn’t attack. They just don’t want to attack people,” he said.
The Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a highly venomous snake endemic to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Skin colour varies from grey to dark brown. Juvenile black mambas tend to be paler than adults and darken with age. It is the longest species of venomous snake indigenous to the African continent; mature specimens generally exceed 2 metres. Although most mamba species are tree-dwelling snakes, the black mamba is not generally arboreal, preferring lairs in terrestrial habitats in a range of terrains. These include savannah, woodlands, rocky slopes and in some regions dense forest.
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Nick Evans can be contacted at 072 809 5806 nickevanskzn@gmail.com
