The herald snake slithers its way into this weeks nature’s calling column
Snakes weren’t created for us to fear, however, they were created to have a vital part in the food chain. Without them we would genuinely be over-run by pests.
SPRING and summer are just around the corner, which means snakes will soon become more active.
According to Warren Dick, the herald snake is one of the most common snakes found in the Durban South area and is most commonly misidentified. “The herald snake is also known as the red lipped herald, or the red lipped snake. However, most specimens that I find in the Durban South area do not have any colour on their top lip.”
The herald snake averages about 70cm in length, with a maximum length of one metre. Their main diet is frogs and toads which makes them very useful to keep around the garden to help control frog numbers.
“When threatened these snakes put on quite a show, flattening their head (almost like that of a cobra), hissing and striking out viciously. But other than striking fear into the heart of a possible enemy, these snakes are completely harmless to humans and pets. While they do have fangs and venom, the venom only has an effect on frogs and toads.
“Some people claim to get a headache from the snakes bite, but most snake catchers like me will attest to this being all in one’s imagination. I have been bitten by the herald snake before and never experienced any adverse effects.”
“Sadly many of these snakes are misidentified by people as being black mambas, cobras or even night adders and subsequently killed without mercy.
“However, the herald snake is very easy to quickly identify if you know what to look for. While the body of this snake is grey/ brown, similar to that of a black mamba, the colour of the head is what quickly tells this snake apart. The herald snake has a distinctly darker (often black) head when compared to the rest of its body. Very often the herald snake also has white speckles on the body and a pearl white underbelly.”
“I hope this helps you to tell the difference between a harmless herald and deadly black mamba the next time you encounter a grey snake in your garden,” Warren concluded.
According to Warren, snakes weren’t created for us to fear, however, they were created to have a vital part in the food chain. Without them we would genuinely be over-run by pests. No snake, venomous or not, ever deserves to die. If you see a snake in your garden, don’t kill it or touch it unless you know exactly what it is. In most cases it is quite alright just to leave them in the garden where they belong.
However, if you would like to have a snake that you have seen identified and or removed, contact Warren on 072 211 0353.
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