THE common Brown Water Snake is a species of non-venomous, South African, colubrid snake. This gentle, harmless snake is by far the most common water snake in southern Africa.
What does it look like? Well, its name says it all really, it’s brown. They don’t have any markings on them at all, on the top or bottom. Their belly has a nice salmon-pink shade, sometimes a cream/yellow colour. They’re really pretty snakes, even though they’re not all that colorful. They’re small too, with adults being around half a metre long.
Similar species? They could be confused with the Brown House Snake, but the House Snake has cream-coloured stripes running down the body, with a white belly. It could possibly be confused with a young Mozambique Spitting Cobra, as the colour underneath is quite similar. Brown Water Snakes are a darker shade of brown than the cobra, with a narrower head, and lack the tell-tale bands under the neck region.
Are they venomous? Not at all. Brown Water Snakes are completely harmless to us and our pets (well, most pets). They’re really good-natured snakes too, and are extremely reluctant to bite. They must be one of the most placid snakes around. Although, if you upset them, they may excrete a foul-smelling substance, which is probably worse than a bite. So please don’t pick them up, and just admire them in their natural environment.
Ivuzamanzi! In the Zulu culture, this snake is known as ‘Ivuzamanzi’. It is believed that this snake is very dangerous. Should one be bitten by this snake, you’d need to go and drink from the nearest river, before the snake does. This, of course, is not true.
What do they eat? Brown Water Snakes are often found close to water, as you’d expect, because that’s where their favourite food is – frogs. If you walk around a pond at night, which is surrounded by reeds, you stand a good chance of seeing one of these beauties. They’re often seen perched across the reeds, hunting little Reed Frogs. These snakes are not fussy, and will also eat fish, small rodents, lizards and even nestling birds.
For snake rescues and removals around the greater Durban area, contact Nick Evans on 072 809 5806. For educational work, you can email him at nickevanskzn@gmail.com.
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