Slippery snakes, what to do?

IT’S snake season, but don’t panic.

This is the advice of Pat McKrill, snake handler and author of the book, Getting to Know the Neighbours, which talks about coming to terms with snakes in your day to day lives. Pat has spent his life working with snakes and studying their behaviour. He’s also involved in a number of education programmes in the rural areas, working with snakes.

“Snakes are very active this time of the year. There’s lots of food coming into their lives and it’s the start of their breeding period. Because of our unreasonable and mostly unfounded fear of snakes, we naturally want to kill them, but that’s not what we should be doing. We should respect them for what they are, and we should begin to understand where they fit into our environment,” said Pat.

He said snakes are predators, and their role in the environment is vital. They are a control element for many things, including birds, rodents, frogs, other snakes etc. Every animal mentioned, if not kept in check, could become a potential threat to the environment.

He said as humans, we naturally attract snakes with our living habits by supplying them with food and a habitat. “We’re the ones who attract rats and mice with our rubbish, we’re the ones who erect bird baths and water features that attract the birds and frogs, and we’re the ones who put out bird feeders which attract birds and rodents – all of which snakes eat. It’s no good chopping down trees to keep snakes away, what about the grass, the plants, the rubbish we pile up in the garden, the holes in the wall, the driveway gate? Do we really think that snakes are thick? Must we live in a box?” said Pat.

“The majority of South African snakes are harmless to man, and only about 25 out of the 160 odd species in this country are potentially harmful. Snakes are wild animals so if you pick them or stand on them, there’s every chance they will try to defend themselves and they might bite you. If you start hitting them or throwing things at them, they almost certainly will defend themselves.

“Try picking up a strange dog by its throat, or standing on a sleeping stray cat and see what happens. Leave them alone and they will do likewise. KZN is essentially a snake park for which you have a free season ticket, so enjoy the privilege,” said Pat.

This is what you have to do if you encounter a snake.

– Don’t panic. Don’t run away screaming and waving your arms. Relax.
– Do not pick it up with anything – braai tongs, towel, fingers etc.
– Stand still and cut out the movement. Snakes consider movement to be food or a threat.
– You can warn others if you want to, by shouting as loud as you like; snakes cannot hear you.
– Back away slowly and leave the snake alone. It will go on its way.
– If you’re still worried – which in most cases you need not be – phone a snake catcher, but thereafter watch the snake to see where it goes, because they are the world champions at ‘hide and seek’. They will not come over to you and eat you.
– Carry on with whatever it was you were doing.