Five snakes caught on one day in eMalahleni
Mr Piet Wassenaar, local snake-fundi, caught five snakes in one day on December 20.
The warmer weather has some slithering snakes visiting.
Mr Piet Wassenaar, local snake-fundi caught five snakes in one day on December 20.
“It was indeed a busy Sunday,” Piet said while carefully examining the puff adder, two Rinkhals snakes, a night adder, and a brown house snake for injuries.
He found them all to be very healthy and in good condition.
All these snakes were found in suburbs and the immediate area surrounding eMalahleni.
“When the weather warms up, the snakes come out to feed,” Piet said explaining the sightings.
Piet said the Rinkhals is a very interesting snake.
‘’Rinkhals are solitary snakes. They hunt by night and during the day usually, bask on large rocks. These are very shy snakes unless they feel danger or are threatened. If distressed, Rinkhals spread their hood, showing their distinctive, striped neck. Like true cobras, Rinkhals can spit their venom. Their spitting mechanism is primitive due to which the snake has to rear up and fling its body forward to spray its venom. They can spit their venom in a distance up to 2.5 m. If Rinkhals can’t escape danger, they may also fake death by rolling onto their back with their mouth open and their tongue hanging out.”
The puff adder is a slow-moving snake and prefers to rely on its brilliant camouflage to remain unseen. It is possible, therefore, to find yourself close to the snake, and should you accidentally surprise it by treading on it for example, or put it in a position where it feels the need to defend itself.
Night Adders have a cytotoxic venom which is not considered to be lethal to humans. However, that does not mean that this snake should be taken lightly.
A bite will cause swelling and pain, and it will not be a pleasant experience. Some people may react worse to the venom than others. If bitten, one should seek urgent medical attention.
Should you encounter any snake do not try and catch it. Rather phone Piet on 072 808 1390, who has all the equipment to catch these slithering visitors and place them back in nature at a safe distance from the city.
