WARREN Dick, a professional snake catcher, was called to a business premises in Prospecton on June 20, for a snake he has never encountered on a callout – a Rhombic Egg-eater.
“Despite what the distribution maps tell you, they do not occur in the greater Durban area. This poor little guy had been brought in from another part of KZN after he was accidentally transported to the business premises in between crates,” he said.
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The nature enthusiast, who shared a video of the snake on his Facebook page, Warren’s Small World, said they have the coolest self-defence strategy. They form a coil and rub their rough scales together to make a rasping sound similar to a hiss.
“But, seeing as they are absolutely toothless, it means they are totally harmless,” said Warren.
Because he has no idea where to release the animal, he has decided to keep it as a pet and use it for educational talks.
“I have a few bird-breeding friends who can hopefully help me out with some small eggs,” said Warren.
He added that it is never a good idea to release any animal into a place where it does not originate from. “This could not only spell certain death for the animal itself, but if said animals found mates and started breeding, it could throw off the whole balance within that ecosystem,” said Warren.
For assistance or to have some of your interesting spiders, snakes or other wildlife identified, call or WhatsApp Warren on 072 211 0353.
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