Beware, snake season is never over

GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - Snake expert Johan Barnard sent the Mossel Bay Advertiser a message regarding snakes.

"Beware, snake season is never over."

Barnard said that since September 2021 snakes were caught in houses, garages, gardens, in a hair salons (boomslang), on the beach below De Brander flats in Hartenbos (Cape cobra), in one of the ATKV campsites (puff adder) and one juvenile Cape cobra even paid a visit to the administration offices of the Hartenbos NG church. So, snakes are everywhere.

Don't walk around after dark where you do not have a clear view of your surroundings. If camping, always use a flashlight after dark. Do not feed the birds and mice. They attract snakes. Snakes hide in small, warm, dark places.

Snakes were found in slippers. Be careful with your braai wood. They love to hide there. If you work in the garden, always make sure you can see clearly where you work with your hands.

Do not put your pets' food and water outside. It attracts birds, mice, frogs, lizards etc. - all snake food. Educate your children about snakes - cape cobra, boomslang, puff adder, night adder, harlequin and coral snakes.

"The more you know about them, the less you have to fear them," said Barnard,

False information

If the snake's pupil is round it is said to be harmless, while if the eye is elliptical (like cat eyes) the snake is said to be venomous. This is totally false within southern Africa. All the shape of the pupil tells you about the snake is whether it is nocturnal (active at night) or diurnal (active during the day).

Boomslang

According to the African Snakebite Institute these are ways to avoid getting bitten by a snake:

Leave snakes alone and treat them with respect.
Do not handle snakes, even small ones.
Never tamper with a seemingly dead snake, as many have the nasty habit of playing dead.
Wear boots and thick trousers or jeans if you spend a great deal of time outdoors.
Step on to logs and rocks and never over them. Snakes often sun themselves while partially concealed under a log or rock.
Never put your hands in out-of-sight places, especially when mountain climbing.
Many snakes are active after sunset, and slow-moving snakes like the puff adder are easily trodden on.
Do not try to kill or catch a snake if you come across one.
In case of a snakebite emergency, do not attempt to catch or kill the snake – rather take a photograph from a safe distance to assist with identification.

Puff adder