WATCH: Snakes of the 031 – the Stiletto Snake
The Stiletto Snake accounts for a large number of snake bites in Durban.
CAXTON Local Media has partnered with snake rescuer Nick Evans for a series called ‘Snakes of the 031’.
In this series, Nick will be introducing the most common snakes of Durban.
In the eighth part of our series, Nick speaks about the Stiletto Snake.
“The Stiletto Snake is the snake that bites the most people in Durban every year. It’s not because they are aggressive or want to bite people but more due to their size. They are small snakes, usually between 30cm and 40cm long, so because they don’t look intimidating, people think they are harmless and end up picking them up.
“A bite from a Stiletto Snake, while not fatal, is rather painful as they have a cytotoxic venom which causes localised swelling and necrosis. The snake has long, almost backwards-facing fangs that protrude out of the side of their mouths. They spend most of their time underground but come out after rains, especially on warm, humid nights,” he said.
Evans urged residents that should they see any snake, they should contact a professional rather than approaching the snake themselves.
“The best thing to do is monitor the snake and call in a professional,” he said.
Contact him on 072 809 5806.
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