THE brown house snake is one of the most commonly found snakes throughout much of South Africa.
As the name suggests, these snakes are often a common sight near houses, making them one of the few species that are quite tolerant of urban sprawl.
The brown house snake is one of the most easily identifiable snakes in our area. Their body colour ranges from light, sandy brown to dark brown and their belly is mother of pearl white, but what distinguishes them from other snakes is the white stripes on their head. A whitish stripe runs from the tip of the nose through the upper eye, to the back of the head, where another stripe extends from the lower eye to the back of the head. Both of these stripes may stretch through most of the body, especially in juvenile snakes. The brown house snake also has a distinctly spear-shaped head, like that of pythons.
The brown house snake averages about 80cm in length. Some can reach around 1,5-metres in length but to find such big individuals is rare nowadays.
These snakes are harmless constrictors, do not possess fangs or venom, but they do have a good set of teeth which are used to latch onto prey such as mice and rats. Young individuals also eat geckos and other lizards. It is a good thing to have these snakes in your garden as they make light work of rats and mice in the area.
Like most snakes, when disturbed they put on quite a show to avoid being killed. They strike out viciously and will bite readily, even drawing a little blood, but a bite from these snakes is nothing to be concerned about.
They are an all-natural pest control agent and there is never a good enough reason to kill one.
If you would like to have a snake that you have seen identified, WhatsApp photos to Warren or call him on 072-211-0353.
A small call-out fee to cover petrol may apply for removals.
