Catch of the Fortnight – Hatchling cobras
The past two months or so, have been the hatching season for most snake species, and they are frequently encountered in gardens.
IN this edition of Catch of the Fortnight, we look at many rescues of a particular species, of a particular size, rather than just the one rescue.
Which is the species in question? The Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica), aka, mFezi (the isiZulu name). A highly venomous species occurring in many parts of KwaZulu-Natal, and South Africa. And there have been many, many hatchlings seen out and about of late.
Why the influx of babies? The past two months or so have been the hatching season for most snake species and they are frequently encountered in gardens. People generally send me photos of juvenile green or grey snakes in their garden. These are usually Spotted Bush Snakes, Herald Snakes, or Brown House Snakes – all of which are harmless. Hatchling Night Adders have been a common sight as well. Most people generally aren’t too concerned by these, and just ask for identification and the best way to deal with it (a broom and bucket work well).
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However, when a hatchling Mozambique Spitting Cobra is seen, people tend to work out what it is pretty quick (I’ll explain why further down). Seeing one of these snakes in the home or garden tends to concern people a lot more than the other snakes, and I suppose it’s a fair concern.
Sightings of them will start decreasing, as natural predators pick many off, and with winter approaching, they’ll be less active.
What areas are you getting most of these calls from? Most of these calls come from Westville (in properties bordering the Palmiet and Roosfontein Nature Reserves) and also Queensburgh. But I have received calls from other areas for these snakes, including Kloof (around the gorge) and the Upper Highway Area. They’re common in most areas around Durban, especially around reserves. They always have been. Despite their name, this snake is not on holiday from Mozambique.
Where exactly on properties have you been catching them? A bedroom, lounge, veranda, gardens, an office parking lot, and one had fallen into a swimming pool, unable to get out. All of these calls have come in during the day, in warm weather, although Mozambique Spitting Cobras are seen moving around at night too.
How do I identify the Mozambique Spitting Cobra? From my experience, and judging from the photos that concerned residents send me, the juveniles make it easy to identify them. They’re so cheeky. When confronted, they raise the front half of their body surprisingly high up, and flare that iconic, cobra hood of theirs. The hood is orange with black bands, a beautiful sight, unless you’re too close. With this defensive display, which it performs to scare you off, makes figuring out what this snake is, easy. Adults are not as quick to hood up as the youngsters. The top half of their body is a light brown colour, with some individuals appearing more grey than brown.
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On occasion, the harmless Heralds (grey in colour with a darker-coloured head), is confused for a cobra. They too put on a show, but they flatten their heads out, arch back, and strike repeatedly. All talk and no action.
What should I do if I see one? Treat it with some respect, and try to keep calm. Do not try to kill it or capture it, keep a safe distance from it. Immediately call a snake-catcher for advice or to safely remove it. Remember, as is the case with all snakes, they are far more afraid of you than you are of it.
As its name suggests, the Mozambique Spitting Cobra is capable of spraying its venom at you, unlike most other snakes. It really is an ingenious defence mechanism. Adults can spray their venom two to three meters away, however, these hatchlings are not able to spit that far. They also do not spit as much venom as the adults, who have larger venom glands. In fact when these little ones spit, not an awful lot of venom projects out. In saying that, they spit just enough to defend themselves, and I recently learnt this the hard-way (through carelessness).
Venom in the eyes is painful, and that venom needs to be rinsed out with water immediately. Dogs are usually the ones to get spat at, as they go for the snake. A hosepipe on low pressure, water bottle, or just a running tap works well. Rinse for a good ten to fifteen minutes, and the pain will subside. It’s hard to rinse for this long with dogs, so taking them to the vet is always wise (you may not be able to do a thorough enough job).
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Please note, the Mozambique Spitting Cobra is perfectly capable of biting too, should it feel the need to in order to defend itself.
For snake removals/emergency rescues you can contact Nick Evans on 072 809 5806, or for snake awareness/educational work, e-mail nickevanskzn@gmail.com or visit www.kznamphibianreptileconservation.com.
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