Spring rains bring hunters out of hiding
NOW THAT the rains have started to fall, I am sure that everyone has noticed the start of the calls from the frogs and toads.
Issued by Rian Viljoen (083 306 3787)
NOW THAT the rains have started to fall, I am sure that everyone has noticed the start of the calls from the frogs and toads.
Yes, frogs and toads… There is a difference, but that is not our topic for today. Our topic is about who eats these raucous animals. So, I’m sure you’ve heard a toad calling in your back yard, and then the next night, there was blissful quiet. The toad has met its match with an amphibian eating predator.
One of the most common culprits to come into the picture about now is the Common or Rhombic Night Adder, Causus rhombeatus. A small to medium sized snake that comes out at night to feed on toads and frogs.
They are pretty uniform in colour and pattern from specimen to specimen, and are usually a dull grey brown, with darker brown diamond type patterning running down the back, with a single “V” marking on the top of the head.
They are stout little snakes, and are irascible at the best of times. Adders usually have front hinged fangs, that are large, and fold up against the back of the roof pallet in a sheath, but Night Adders have short fixed front fangs, and lay eggs (as opposed to normal adders giving birth to live young).
Their venom, although listed in most books as “mildly venomous”, these little snakes can pack a big punch with a bite, and symptoms can include swelling, pain, nausea, vomiting, and necrosis at the bite site (finger tips have been lost in bites from this species). Small dogs, have been known to die from a bite, and Night Adders, and their bites, are not to be taken lightly.
A similarly looking snake, the Rhombic Egg-Eater, Dasypeltis scabra, is often misidentified as a Night Adder and needlessly killed on sight, even though the Rhombic Egg-Eater is completely harmless, and lacks even teeth (eggs don’t try and run away).
You can see the differences between the two with a little studying:
1. Night adder has a single “V” on the neck, Egg Eater has several broken arrows on the back of the head.
2. Night adders have smooth scales on the upper part of their body, while the Egg Eater has keeled (ridged) scales.
3. Night Adders will usually defend themselves in a normal “S” bend pattern, raising the head to strike if necessary, while the Egg Eater usually rubs its scales against itself in a horse-shoe shape, creating a hissing noise.
4. The body pattern of the Night Adder consists of diamond shaped patterns running along the spine with minimal patterning along the sides of the body, while the Egg Eater has squarish blocks running the length of the spine (sometimes joined to create a stripe effect) along with heavy patterning running down the sides of the body.
Patternless and albino varieties of both species have been found in the past. Never pick up a snake that you are unsure of. Even the most drab, cute, innocent looking snake can possibly lead to a world of pain, hospitalization, or even death, if incorrectly identified and handled.
Egg-Eaters are needlessly killed, and after seeing the basic differences between the two, it is usually easy to identify which is which. Both are beneficial to have, and play a vital role in the ecosystem.
Should you still be unsure of which is which, don’t ever hesitate to contact your local snake remover, and he/she will be able to identify it, and apply the appropriate remedy to save both you, and the animals involved.
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