Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans was not expecting calls on Thursday in the cool and rainy weather but to his surprise, he got one, a herald snake.
Evans said the rain Wednesday night he read in some places, such as Westville, reached 100mm. It got some snakes moving during the night.
He said the herald snake concerned a family bright and early on Thursday morning, in Westville. It was under a small table inside their house.
The family could not see much of the snake and they lived in a part of Westville where mambas occur.
Evans said that with it being hatching season for mambas, the family did not want to risk it and called him instead.
He said it was important to note that the family locked their dogs away from the snake once they were alerted to the snake.
“This is such a crucial thing to do.”
“I could confirm the identity as a herald, due to the white speckles on the body, this one had less than many do, dark, back part of the head, and a faint orange lip. Not all have this. Some have white ‘lips’, and some have red/orange ‘lips’, hence the common name, red-lipped herald,” Evans described.
He explained that herald snakes have very mild venom, harmless to people and pets.
“Still, do not pick them, or any snake up,” Evans said.
“These snakes are extremely common and are quick to put on a defensive display. They flatten their heads, strike and hiss repeatedly,” he described.
Evans further explained that the rain will likely bring up fossorial (ground-dwelling) species such as Natal black snakes and stiletto snakes.
“No need to panic. I just plead with you not to pick any up. You do not want to pick up a stiletto snake,” Evans advised.
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