Snake season safety tips from Durban expert

Reports of snake sightings all across Durban have been streaming in, keeping both out control centre and local snake-catching expert Nick Evans on their toes. He shares some of his wide knowledge and deep insights of the species with us.

Hark! It’s snake season.

Once spring has sprung, so do the local species of snakes, being the breeding season for many of them. Females leave a pheromone scent trail as they move around, indicating that they’re ready to mate, and the males use their fork tongue to pick up on it and track them down, leading to a lot of activity during this time of the year. Then as we’re heading into summer, the mothers start laying their eggs. It’s their common nature to lay the eggs and leave them behind, and little sibling snakes don’t stick together either, so there’s no need to be concerned about a nest if you see a baby snake slithering around.

You’re startled by a snake… now what?

* The number one rule – leave it alone! When you encounter a snake, DON’T try to catch or kill it.
* Snakes get nervous when they see fast movements, so first freeze and then back away slowly. If you spot a snake in the grass, it will quickly be on its merry way and disappear into the bushes.
* If it’s indoors and you need it removed, call your local snake-catcher immediately.
* Snakes are hide-and-seek champions and masters of escape, keep your eyes locked on the slippery serpent from a safe distance (about 5 meters) until the snake-catcher arrives.
* If you work on sites or in gardens, report snake sightings immediately. Reports often come in hours or even days later, which makes tracking them then an impossible task.

Like a boy killing snakes. But don’t!

Some people’s first instinct when seeing a snake might be to kill it, but Nick encourages residents to please not, for these two reasons:
1. It’s a dangerous task that puts you at risk of being bitten. By inflicting pain on the snake you force it to defend itself, which could end up making the situation worse for yourself. Snakes are more scared of humans than we are of them, and they will try to avoid us at all costs. A snake won’t chase or attack a person for no reason.
2. They serve a purpose in the food chain. During spring and summer prey animals such as frogs, lizards, bats and rodents are most abundant and snakes help control these numbers. Not only are they important predators, but also serve as a vital food source for many other animals such as birds, mongooses, genets and monitor lizards.

Do’s and don’ts when spat in the eye or bitten.

One of the most common snake species in the greater Durban area is the highly venomous Mozambique Spitting Cobra. At first glance it looks like a plain brown snake, but underneath the neck region they have black and orange/yellow bands and their belly is a salmon pink colour. Although famous for being a spitting cobra, it’s very capable of biting and is responsible for the most snakebites in South Africa every year. Capable of very accurately spraying their potent cytotoxic venom a distance of up to 3 meters away, they spit at movement and specifically direct their aim at the highest point of an attacker’s body – where the eyes are.
Venom in the eyes is extremely painful, and Nick likens the feeling to a mixture of beach sand and soap scrubbing against your eyeballs. A fairly non-lethal form of attack, both humans and pets generally make a full recovery quickly, if immediately treated. He offers this advice should you get venom in your eyes:
DO NOT
* Rub your eyes.
* Flush your eyes out with milk (this is an old wives tale).
DO
* Immediately flush with water for a good 10-15 minutes. It’s going to be very uncomfortable, but try to keep your eyes open as long as possible and pour the water directly into them. A hose pipe on low pressure works best, but a bottle or glass of water will also do the trick. It’s normal for your eyes to be inflamed for the rest of the day.
* If your cat or dog gets sprayed in the eye the same treatment applies, although it will be a much greater challenge to restrain them. A trip to the vet for proper treatment is non-negotiable. Dogs getting venom in the eye happens far more often than people or cats, instinctively attacking snakes when they see them.
Getting bitten is a completely different story, you need to get to the hospital ASAP! Remain calm and try not to move around too much. If you were unable to identify the snake don’t worry, doctors will be able to work out what species or venom group is responsible, judging by your symptoms.

But first, let me take a snake selfie.

When encountering a snake you will very, very likely live to tell the tale, but you need to know what type of snake it was to be able to do that! So how do you identify a snake?
* There are no clear distinguishable features on snakes to tell if they are venomous or can spit, you would need to learn more about the species.
* Nick has compiled a poster of the common snakes around the greater Durban area that was designed by Jonathan Leeming. Download it here!
* There is also a very handy Snakes of Durban photographic guide that goes into a bit more detail on each species that you can use for reference.
* Alternatively take a photo of the snake from a safe distance and send it to the local snake-catcher.

More about the common snakes found around Durban.

Durban is home to venomous snake species, as well as many harmless species.
The most common snake in the greater Durban area, by far, is the Spotted Bush Snake. This thin green snake, with black spots/stripes going half-way down the body, is often confused for a Green Mamba due to its colour. Regularly seen around homes throughout Durban’s suburbs, they are frequently found on burglar guards, curtain rails, security gates, in the rafters of roofs and on walls. They’re active during the day while they enjoy basking in the sun, and they are extremely fast-moving and excellent climbers who will get out of your way quickly. They are non-venomous and are really nothing to worry about. If you see one around the garden, or on the outside of your house, you can just leave them and they’ll move off.
The Green Mamba is actually a snake that keeps itself scarce, restricted to coastal forests they don’t tend to venture in land. It is much longer and thicker than the Spotted Bush Snake, and is a plain emerald green. It is highly venomous, but shy and retreating.
There are two other plain green snakes in the area, that look exactly like the Spotted Bush Snake. The Natal Green Snake and the Green Water Snake, both of which are harmless.
Black Mambas are fairly common around Durban too, mostly in and around valley areas. They feed on dassies, young cane rats, birds, bats and rodents. Their fearsome reputation is very over-exaggerated and not many Black Mamba bites are reported in the Durban area. They are very nervous, and will try to avoid conflict with people at all costs. However, if provoked, they are more than capable of defending themselves and bites are likely to be fatal if left untreated.
Nick encourages residents to report any incidents where dogs or cats clash with venomous snakes, as they use this information for research purposes. The now-famous, local snake-catcher can be reached on 072 809 5806 or nickevanskzn@gmail.com.
If you’re interested in the snakes around Durban and their conservation, follow his adventures and in-depth knowledge shared on the KZN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Facebook page and website.