This week, we will continue our discussion on people and snakes. Reader, were you able to identify the snake on p.2 of the June 23 issue of Botswana Guardian? If not, then you need to learn more about them. Read on! A knowledge of snakes – their biology, behaviour, and how to recognise them, is key to keeping safe at home. And remember – most snakes are harmless and may be actually beneficial since they may control numbers of unwanted rats, mice, and even other snakes.
Features that should help you to recognise a snake include, amongst others, its length, thickness, and colour. Let’s begin with the highly venomous snakes. The most venomous is the black mamba [mokwepa]. This is a large greyish snake which is 200-250cms long but can reach more than four metres. The inside of the snake’s mouth is black; hence the name of the snake. When threatened, it will raise up to one third of its body off the ground, like a cobra. It will also open its mouth and hiss readily.
The snouted, or Egyptian, cobra [kake], 150-200cm long, is grey to brown in colour. Some species are banded with a series of yellowish bands. When threatened, it rears part of its body off the ground and spreads a hood. The Mozambique spitting cobra is a small cobra. It is brownish in colour with blackish blotches on its throat. Although it may also rear part of its body off the ground and spread a hood, unlike other cobras it spits readily at the eyes and never misses or runs out of venom! Venom in the eyes is extremely painful and must be washed out immediately with water failing which blindness may result. The puff adder [lebolobolo] is a short thick snake. It is yellowish brown to brown in colour with black edged V shaped markings on the back. It hisses when threatened.
Finally, the boomslang [legwere/legorwe]. As its Afrikaans name suggests, this is a tree snake and is rarely seen on the ground and so is less likely to take up residence in your home. It varies in colour from brown to green. One common venomous snake that may enter homes is the common night adder. This short docile snake is grey to brown in colour with dark coloured diamond-shaped markings on the back. It hisses and coils up when threatened. As its name suggests, it is most active at night and so can easily slip into your home undetected.
One common mildly venomous snake is the striped skaapsteker [mosenene/moselele]. This is a short slender snake and has yellowish and dark brown stripes that run down the length of the body. It is a very fast-moving snake. Sand snakes are similar in appearance and are also striped. One common graceful harmless snake if the spotted bush snake [kgogedi]. This short slender snake is green with black spots and has a distinctive orange iris in the eye. It is so often mistaken for the highly venomous green mamba; however, the latter does not occur in Botswana and is, instead, indigenous to the humid coastal forests of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and Mozambique. Another common harmless snake is the brown house snake.
As its name suggests, it may be found in homes if given the chance and is probably the most common snake wanting to share your home with you. Brownish in colour, there are two pale yellowish stripes one on either side of the head; together they form an unmistakeable V shape. This is the snake that appeared in the Botswana Guardian! Finally, the African rock python [tlhware]. This is a thick long snake which may reach up to five metres in length and has a triangular-shaped head. It is dark brown in colour with greyish brown blotches. Although it contains no venom [it is a constrictor], it may be dangerous since its numerous, small recurved teeth may cause painful wounds. And very rarely may a large python kill a small infant.
Of course, there are many other snakes that I have not included here. But the ones described here are some of those that you are more likely to encounter, or should be aware of. Now what should we do if we see a highly venomous snake in our home? Firstly, don’t panic! Freeze immediately and slowly move five paces backwards and you will now be safe and beyond the range of a bite. The snake will no longer see you as a threat and will retreat. And now you may move normally.
But never, never, make any quick sudden movements; the snake may now feel threatened and strike. And never try to kill the snake with a stick, rake or broom. Or catch it with your bare hands. The black mamba is one of the fastest moving snakes in Africa and you will be lucky to win a battle against an angry mamba - it will bite you before you know what is happening. Where possible, do not block an escape route for the snake, such as an open door. Believe it or not, snakes are more afraid of us than we are of them and so will do everything possible to avoid us and escape as quickly as possible.
They do not want confrontation! Injecting venom is the last resort for any snake; after all, why waste venom on a human being that does not feature on their dinner menu? Rather conserve it for killing a frog, lizard or bird... Some people are snake catchers and may be called out to remove snakes from people’s property. If possible, obtain the contact numbers of one near you. A few years ago, I was sitting in my house when I heard my dog barking outside. On opening the door, I was confronted with a black mamba five metres away.
It had risen part of its body off the ground and had opened its mouth to reveal the black inside. This showed me that it was in striking mode and ready to bite. I now moved slowly backwards towards the door and it then retreated away from me. But why was it there in the first place since I do not keep chickens? But near where the snake was lying was a heap of dried grass and it probably had been resting under the grass to keep warm before the dog started barking. I now wanted the snake to disappear forever from my compound or someone to kill it.
I called a local snake catcher and he spotted the snake hiding in the corner of the patio. Standing some ten metres away from the mamba, he started to throw large rocks at it and, unable to escape, it was quickly killed. But it’s better to prevent snakes from entering our homes and compounds in the first place. Many people like to open their doors and windows during the day to allow cool breezes to enter. However, you could also install, in front of the door, a screen door.
This consists of a wire net, stretched over a frame, and has very small holes that allow air, but not snakes and insects, to pass through. But ensure that the screen door is closed if your main door is left open! And always ensure that you close doors firmly; never leave them ajar. Snakes can easily squeeze their bodies through small openings and cracks. Some people may also keep cats or a pet mongoose and these animals may be very effective in deterring snakes.
Commercial snake repellents may also be bought. These should be applied all over the compound to deter snakes from entering. However, many of these products are thought not to be very effective. Snakes are attracted to dark places, and so may take refuge beneath logs, building rubble, old tyres, sheets of corrugated iron, heaps of grass, amongst bricks and concrete blocks... So, keep your compound tidy and clean. Water features, such as pools and fountains, attract frogs and toads and these, in turn, will attract many snakes.
And if you raise chickens, don’t allow them to roam all over the compound. Instead, keep them in a well-constructed chicken house and ensure that snakes cannot enter it. If you don’t, then your chickens will be seen as an easy meal for every snake in your neighbourhood. And once their bellies are full, what better place to rest and digest their meal than your nearby home! Also, ensure that hedges and shrubs do not grow against windows as this increases the chance of a snake entering through a window.
And if you leave a window open in your bedroom, you may very well find a snake neatly coiled up on your bed at bedtime! In conclusion, the message is clear. Take the precautions mentioned in this article to protect yourself and your loved ones from danger. Human-snake confrontations can be avoided!
Grahame McLeod
Features that should help you to recognise a snake include, amongst others, its length, thickness, and colour. Let’s begin with the highly venomous snakes. The most venomous is the black mamba [mokwepa]. This is a large greyish snake which is 200-250cms long but can reach more than four metres. The inside of the snake’s mouth is black; hence the name of the snake. When threatened, it will raise up to one third of its body off the ground, like a cobra. It will also open its mouth and hiss readily.
The snouted, or Egyptian, cobra [kake], 150-200cm long, is grey to brown in colour. Some species are banded with a series of yellowish bands. When threatened, it rears part of its body off the ground and spreads a hood. The Mozambique spitting cobra is a small cobra. It is brownish in colour with blackish blotches on its throat. Although it may also rear part of its body off the ground and spread a hood, unlike other cobras it spits readily at the eyes and never misses or runs out of venom! Venom in the eyes is extremely painful and must be washed out immediately with water failing which blindness may result. The puff adder [lebolobolo] is a short thick snake. It is yellowish brown to brown in colour with black edged V shaped markings on the back. It hisses when threatened.
Finally, the boomslang [legwere/legorwe]. As its Afrikaans name suggests, this is a tree snake and is rarely seen on the ground and so is less likely to take up residence in your home. It varies in colour from brown to green. One common venomous snake that may enter homes is the common night adder. This short docile snake is grey to brown in colour with dark coloured diamond-shaped markings on the back. It hisses and coils up when threatened. As its name suggests, it is most active at night and so can easily slip into your home undetected.
One common mildly venomous snake is the striped skaapsteker [mosenene/moselele]. This is a short slender snake and has yellowish and dark brown stripes that run down the length of the body. It is a very fast-moving snake. Sand snakes are similar in appearance and are also striped. One common graceful harmless snake if the spotted bush snake [kgogedi]. This short slender snake is green with black spots and has a distinctive orange iris in the eye. It is so often mistaken for the highly venomous green mamba; however, the latter does not occur in Botswana and is, instead, indigenous to the humid coastal forests of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and Mozambique. Another common harmless snake is the brown house snake.
As its name suggests, it may be found in homes if given the chance and is probably the most common snake wanting to share your home with you. Brownish in colour, there are two pale yellowish stripes one on either side of the head; together they form an unmistakeable V shape. This is the snake that appeared in the Botswana Guardian! Finally, the African rock python [tlhware]. This is a thick long snake which may reach up to five metres in length and has a triangular-shaped head. It is dark brown in colour with greyish brown blotches. Although it contains no venom [it is a constrictor], it may be dangerous since its numerous, small recurved teeth may cause painful wounds. And very rarely may a large python kill a small infant.
Of course, there are many other snakes that I have not included here. But the ones described here are some of those that you are more likely to encounter, or should be aware of. Now what should we do if we see a highly venomous snake in our home? Firstly, don’t panic! Freeze immediately and slowly move five paces backwards and you will now be safe and beyond the range of a bite. The snake will no longer see you as a threat and will retreat. And now you may move normally.
But never, never, make any quick sudden movements; the snake may now feel threatened and strike. And never try to kill the snake with a stick, rake or broom. Or catch it with your bare hands. The black mamba is one of the fastest moving snakes in Africa and you will be lucky to win a battle against an angry mamba - it will bite you before you know what is happening. Where possible, do not block an escape route for the snake, such as an open door. Believe it or not, snakes are more afraid of us than we are of them and so will do everything possible to avoid us and escape as quickly as possible.
They do not want confrontation! Injecting venom is the last resort for any snake; after all, why waste venom on a human being that does not feature on their dinner menu? Rather conserve it for killing a frog, lizard or bird... Some people are snake catchers and may be called out to remove snakes from people’s property. If possible, obtain the contact numbers of one near you. A few years ago, I was sitting in my house when I heard my dog barking outside. On opening the door, I was confronted with a black mamba five metres away.
It had risen part of its body off the ground and had opened its mouth to reveal the black inside. This showed me that it was in striking mode and ready to bite. I now moved slowly backwards towards the door and it then retreated away from me. But why was it there in the first place since I do not keep chickens? But near where the snake was lying was a heap of dried grass and it probably had been resting under the grass to keep warm before the dog started barking. I now wanted the snake to disappear forever from my compound or someone to kill it.
I called a local snake catcher and he spotted the snake hiding in the corner of the patio. Standing some ten metres away from the mamba, he started to throw large rocks at it and, unable to escape, it was quickly killed. But it’s better to prevent snakes from entering our homes and compounds in the first place. Many people like to open their doors and windows during the day to allow cool breezes to enter. However, you could also install, in front of the door, a screen door.
This consists of a wire net, stretched over a frame, and has very small holes that allow air, but not snakes and insects, to pass through. But ensure that the screen door is closed if your main door is left open! And always ensure that you close doors firmly; never leave them ajar. Snakes can easily squeeze their bodies through small openings and cracks. Some people may also keep cats or a pet mongoose and these animals may be very effective in deterring snakes.
Commercial snake repellents may also be bought. These should be applied all over the compound to deter snakes from entering. However, many of these products are thought not to be very effective. Snakes are attracted to dark places, and so may take refuge beneath logs, building rubble, old tyres, sheets of corrugated iron, heaps of grass, amongst bricks and concrete blocks... So, keep your compound tidy and clean. Water features, such as pools and fountains, attract frogs and toads and these, in turn, will attract many snakes.
And if you raise chickens, don’t allow them to roam all over the compound. Instead, keep them in a well-constructed chicken house and ensure that snakes cannot enter it. If you don’t, then your chickens will be seen as an easy meal for every snake in your neighbourhood. And once their bellies are full, what better place to rest and digest their meal than your nearby home! Also, ensure that hedges and shrubs do not grow against windows as this increases the chance of a snake entering through a window.
And if you leave a window open in your bedroom, you may very well find a snake neatly coiled up on your bed at bedtime! In conclusion, the message is clear. Take the precautions mentioned in this article to protect yourself and your loved ones from danger. Human-snake confrontations can be avoided!
Grahame McLeod
