Snake breeding season off to an early start

IF the last week of snake activity is anything to go by, then the snake breeding season has started early. Local snake man Jason Arnold said he received no less than 10 call-outs last week. Though the rescued snakes were mainly herald snakes and brown house snakes, residents around the north have admitted to seeing snakes fighting with each other.

“The mating season for the majority of snake species begins around the middle of September. It’s strange to see this much snake activity so early in the year. In most of the call-outs, people say they see snakes twisting around each other.

“What they are in fact doing is combating. Male snakes that are following the scent left behind by a receptive female in the vicinity will inevitably bump into one another at some point, and when this happens they will go into combat to prove dominancy,” he said.

Arnold added the increase activity has also led to people trying to kill snakes that are similar in colour to the feared black mamba. One such snake is the non venomous herald snake. Last week a security guard in Mobeni Heights killed two greyish black snakes believing they were mambas.

“The guard was convinced that the snakes were black mambas. The males snakes were both about 80cm long. It must be terrible being a grey/black or green snake in Durban, as you’ll always be labelled a green or black mamba,” he said.

Contact Jason Arnold on 082 745 6375.

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