Dangerous Snakes Tips Procedures

The most common species, captured regularly, are the puff adder, Mozambique spiting cobra, boomslang, snouted cobra (formerly known as Egyptian cobra) snouted night adder, shieldnose
snake, brown house snake, sand snake and grass snake. Other species that are found less frequently are the black mamba, twig snake, purple gloss snake, stiletto snake, spotted bush snake, African rock python, common egg eater and striped skaapsteker. Other reptiles encountered on a regular basis are the Nile monitor, rock monitor, leopard tortoise and the flap-necked chameleon.


Snakes are lured to houses by the prey that they feed on; the most common prey being rodents and frogs. Rodents are lured to the house by the rubbish we generate. At night the lights lure insects and this in turn lures the frogs. If we can reduce the number of prey around the house than we reduce the chance of snakes getting into the house. Snakes hunt their prey by following their scent, so if the scent of their prey is strong around the house, chances are high that they can end up using your house as their hunting ground. There is no product that can repel snakes from your house, but some plants have displayed the ability to naturally repel snakes, two of these include wild garlic and scented geraniums.

  

What people can do if they find a snake in or around the home:

The houses built on Spekboom and Motaganeng are surrounded by veld and bush, and the
chance of a snake occurring in the house is quite high.
 
• It is vital that you do not try to kill the snake; as the chance of being bitten is very high.
• Try to sweep the snake out of the house or yard with a broom and it will move off by itself.
• If the snake is in an area that cannot be accessed, then its best to keep an eye on its hiding place until the snake removal expert arrives, as snakes have the ability to disappear very quickly.

Emergency procedures in case of snake bite In the event of a snakebite it is of utmost importance to follow the next few steps.

• Firstly try to stay as calm as possible; with an increased heart rate the circulation is much faster and it will spread the venom much quicker.
 
• Never try to kill the snake. This will complicate the situation especially if it bites the victim a second time.
 
• Try to identify the snake so that a description can be given to the doctor and an identification can be made.
 
• Remove all restricting clothing, like the trouser leg or shirtsleeve, as well as jewelry like watches, rings and bracelets.
 
• If a first aid kit is available then bandage the bitten limb like a broken limb. Use a pressure bandage and bandage the whole limb from the tip of the finger to the armpit very lightly but not cutting off the blood supply. This will help to slow down the spreading of the venom. Use a splint to prevent any movement of the limb.
 
• Get to the nearest doctor or hospital as fast as possible.

Posted in: Snakes