THE Brown House Snake is nature’s own pest controller. It is the most widespread snake found in all areas of South Africa. It is also one of only a few snakes that are tolerant of urban sprawl and can thrive living in the city.
The Bluff-based professional snake catcher, Warren Dick, always tries to encourage residents to leave this species of snake in the garden as it plays a vital role in the environment.
Also read: Facts about snakes
Dick said, “Through articles in the paper and face-to-face communication with people, I am slowly changing some mindsets. It fills me with such joy when someone contacts me with a photo of a snake – for identification – and they are happy to leave it be and enjoy watching it in the garden.”
“Snakes are nature’s own pest controllers – with their fast metabolisms, Black Mambas are the best to have around to consume large numbers of rats. However, given their deadly potential, I do not recommend residents share their space with a Black Mamba, but instead, encourage folks to leave the harmless Brown House Snake around,” he added.
As juveniles, Brown House Snakes feed on small lizards, such as geckos and skinks, and as they grow, they move on to eating mice and rats.
“I have often encountered them eating small birds, such as sparrows.”
Brown House Snakes are nocturnal constrictors, killing their prey through suffocation, the same way a python does. They do not have fangs, nor venom, however, like pythons, they have a good set of tiny teeth. A bite from this snake is not painful, though, and probably less concerning than a cat scratch.
The Brown House Snake is one of the easiest snakes to identify by the two distinct light stripes on either side of its head. One line runs from the nose through the top of the eye, sometimes going about a third of the way down the body; the second line runs from the nose under the eye to the bottom of the jaw.
Their overall colour is brown, which can vary from dark brown to sandy brown or light brown, with a pearl-white belly. They often have a mottled pattern on the first half of the body. Brown House Snakes average around 80cm in length but can grow up to 1.2m with exceptional individuals reaching 1.5m long.
Contact Warren to have some of your interesting insects, snakes or spiders identified. Call or WhatsApp him on 072 211 0353, or visit his Facebook page, Warren’s Small World.
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