‘S’ stands for summer and snakes
The warm weather in Middelburg has seen an increase in snake sightings.
Do not be fooled into handling a snake you think might be harmless when in fact it could be very poisonous, warns local snake expert Victor Boshoff.
Snake species to watch out for in Middelburg are:
Stiletto Snake:
These guys are often mistaken for a Brown House Snake or a Water Snake.
Stiletto snakes cannot be handled because of the position of their teeth, making it possible for them to stab you in the finger if you try to hold them behind the head.
There is no antivenom available for a Stiletto Snake bite, which can be extremely painful.
Puff Adder:
The Puff Adder is usually well camouflaged. This snake can bite faster than you can blink your eye. Victims have described being bitten to feeling like you are putting your hand into scorching hot cooking oil.
Read: Snake in pool
Rinkhals ( Ring-necked Spitting Cobra):
This snake is very dangerous because it will pretend to be dead when confronted. If you touch it, it will bite you. A Rinkhals bite can take up to 72 hours to show serious symptoms.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra:
More and more sightings of this snake have been reported in Middelburg. In 70% of cases, victims have to undergo a skin transplant.
Black Mamba:
Although Black Mambas are not usually found in Middelburg. Five of these very dangerous snakes have been caught in Middelburg in the recent year.
Victor believes that it might be because of global warming, turning areas previously too cold for mambas into more suitable habitats.
Numerous sightings of water and rock monitors have been reported by Middelburg residents recently:
Gavin and Sherri Franklin were alerted that something was wrong by their dogs frantic barking. A large water monitor fell off their property wall and behind a Wendy house.
They managed to capture the reptile and release it back into the wild.
Also read: Eskom worker bitten by Stiletto Snake
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