Snake season is upon us

Snake season is upon us, and SCP Security has been assisting residents who find reptiles in their gardens.

Recently they rescued 2 Short-snouted grass snakes and a brown house snake from three properties in Northcliff. The snakes were all released safely in Albert’s Farm.

SCP’s Clive Maher said, “Snakes [are] definitely coming out of hibernation from winter. In the Northcliff area and surrounds, 90% of the time it’s harmless brown, house or grass snakes. It is very seldom that we come across venomous snakes in residential properties.”

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He urges people not to kill a snake if they come across one because it is almost certainly a harmless reptile or a baby that is making its way somewhere.

“We understand people are scared of snakes, but please give SCP Security the opportunity to remove it from your property and we will relocate it to one of the nearby ridges or Alberts Farm.”

Certified snake catcher, Brett Holding said residents should not be worried as snakes are reclusive and are going to want to hide. They are not looking for people… they just want to be left alone. They are probably doing the community a favour by catching small rats and rodents. But I understand there is a fear behind this.”

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Most dangerous snakes, how to identify them, and what to do

Holding said the African Snakebite Institute has an abundance of resources on its website (www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com) on snakes in South Africa, and there is also a downloadable app that includes first aid information, snake identification features, free snake posters, and more.

An enormous database of snake catchers, with their contact information, can be found here. 

The group encourages residents to contact a snake catcher to remove a snake instead of trying to do so themselves.

According to the website, only 11% of the 173 species of snakes in southern Africa can be considered deadly and these include mambas, cobras, rinkhals, puff adder, gaboon adder, boomslang and the twig snake.

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• The Mozambique spitting cobra accounts for the vast majority of serious bites, followed by the puff adder, and then the stiletto snake and rhombic night adder. Most of the deaths resulting from snakebites in southern Africa are a result of Cape cobra and black mamba bites.
• The Cape cobra varies in colour from nearly black to dark or light brown, beige, yellow or speckled while juveniles have a dark band on the throat.
• The black mamba is the largest venomous snake in Africa with a maximum length of 4.5 m. It is shy and reclusive but lashes out if it feels cornered.

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• The vast majority of snakebite victims who are hospitalised soon after a bite will survive. No more than 15% of snakebite victims will require antivenom.
• “If the snake is spotted, then a snake rescuer should be contacted immediately to help with the safe removal (snake rescuer contact info is available on the ASI app),” Holding said.
• “The community should be reminded that snakes are normally reclusive and do not attack unless they feel threatened, so keeping clear of them is the best strategy for preventing a bite.

If you have a snake you would like relocated, please call SCP Security on 011 477 1222.

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