The rainy season is here, and now is the time of year when a particular small, dark and inoffensive-looking snake becomes active, especially on those really humid evenings, before or after rain. I’m talking about the Stiletto Snake. More specifically, the Bibron’s Stiletto Snake (Atractaspis bibronii).

Since September, I’ve already had six reports of people bitten, in the Greater Durban Area, as well as four reports of dogs being bitten. Again, that’s just around Durban. So yes, ‘Stiletto Season’ is in full swing! I should mention that all of the bites on people occurred when the snakes were picked up.

“Why is this snake so aggressive?“, I’ve had people ask. Can we really blame the snake for biting people or dogs?

When some people see this little snake, with somewhat innocent features, they assume that it’s harmless, or, they mistaken it for a Brown House Snake, or the like. To be fair, it’s not a large, intimidating Black Mamba or Mozambique Spitting Cobra, nor a hissing Night Adder.  Judging that the snake is harmless based on appearance is a painful error to make, because this is when many people decide to pick it up, and this is, of course, is when they get bitten.
Now is that the snakes fault? No, not at all. Snakes see human as danger, they don’t know if one is trying to help. And like any snake (apart from spitting cobras), Stiletto’s only have one way to defend themselves, and that’s to bite. They bite out of fear, with the hope the seemingly threatening human will drop it. If a dog goes up to it and sniffs it or bites it, the snake will react in the same way as it does to people. It wants to be left alone.

The Stiletto Snake is an interesting snake for many reasons, but one is the way in which they strike. They don’t strike out like the typical snake, in a forwards-fashion. Instead, they swipe their heads from side to side. This is because their exceptionally long fangs (in comparison to their body) protrude out of the sides of their mouth. It doesn’t even open its mouth to bite, really. This ability of theirs mean that one can’t simply grab it behind the head, to pin it down. It barely has to twist its head to sink a fang into a finger. A lot of people learn this the hard way. If handled, it may swipe its head and bite multiple times.
I remember hearing of a classic case on the Bluff, where a group of three friends encountered a Stiletto. One of them picked it up, got bitten, and passed it to one of his mates. He then got bitten, and passed it onto the other mate, who also got bitten. So there they were, all three of them sitting in a hospital.

“Is the bite fatal?”

Fortunately not. I’ve also not heard of any fatalities in dogs either. However, from what I’ve heard from everyone who has been bitten, the pain is excruciating. The main symptom that the cytotoxic venom causes is swelling. In some cases, though, there may be blistering as well as necrosis (tissue damage). Some bites have resulted in severe necrosis, leading to the loss of a finger tip, for example.

The most extreme case I’ve heard of was actually my friend. He was driving at night, when he spotted a small snake on the road. He wasn’t sure what it was but he couldn’t resist in grabbing it. Unfortunately for him, it was a Stiletto Snake. The venom caused excessive swelling all the way up his arm. He went to some dodgy hospital (I think it was somewhere in the Transkei) where the doctors wanted to amputate his arm. He straight out refused, thankfully. Instead, the doctors made incisions along his arm, to relieve the swelling. This was not the right treatment, and it could have cost him his arm. He has recovered, but he’s left with massive scarring on his arm. Below is a pic after he was cut. Remember, that was made by doctors, NOT the venom. I’m sorry if you’ve just eaten lunch or dinner, but this must be shared to discourage people from picking up snakes they don’t know, or snakes they think they know.

Patients who go to hospital (which is exactly what you should do if you are bitten by any snake) are usually put on a drip and given a good few painkillers. Antivenom is not required nor effective.

The below pics are of the same man’s finger. The first pic was taken soon after the bite. The second 48 hours later. Ouch!

Right, so, you get the picture- DO NOT TOUCH THIS SNAKE, or a snake that looks like it! “But how do you identify it?”, is what you may ask next.

Adult Stiletto Snakes are usually less than half a meter long, so yes, they are small. Colour-wise, they’re a brownish/black colour, and a pale brown colour underneath. The head isn’t very distinctive- small and rounded, with beady little eyes. The tail ends in a sharp tip, which you could also look out for. It uses this to dig into an attacker (e.g, a persons hand). It can’t harm anyone/anything, nor does it break the skin. It’s more to give you a fright into dropping it.
Another feature to look for, is behavior. If threatened, Stiletto Snakes arch their necks up, with their head against the ground. This is their ‘striking position’, where they swipe from side to side. That sideways-swiping movement is something else to look for. However, you shouldn’t be irritating one!

Similair looking snakes…

Stiletto Snakes are fossorial, meaning they spend most of their time underground. At this time of year, though, the rain and humidity brings them out. It’s the mating season, but they also come out to look for food as well. They feed on small lizards as well as other snakes. They love Thread/Worm Snakes! My mum actually removed one from a property (I was away!) which regurgitated a hatchling Night Adder. Impressive!

I do hope that this post has helped you in identifying the Stiletto Snake. Please note it is not a snake we need to fear, just a snake we need to be wary of. If you don’t pick them up, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

~Nick Evans
072 809 5806
[email protected]

Venom in the eyes

The most common incident I see is dogs being spat at by Mozambique Spitting Cobras (MSC).

To me, this cobra’s defense mechanism has to be one of the best of any animal. It’s genius! It basically has its own pepper spray. It spits to blind its attacker, not so that the cobra can then attack its blinded opponent. With the attacker blind, the snake can make a quick and safe getaway. More often than not, thanks to this spitting ability, the cobra does indeed escape the dog/s. Not always though, now and then, I get cases where the cobra has actually been killed.

Dog owners who live in areas frequented by Mozambique Spitting Cobras may come home to find their dogs eyes appearing red and puffy- a sure sign that the dog has been spat at. Or, occasionally, dog owners hear their dogs barking furiously at something in the garden, and then discover the cobra. By that time, its usually too late for the dog.

If your dog has been spat at, immediately flush the venom out of the eyes with water. I find what works best for dogs, is a hosepipe. On low pressure, of course. However, this is easier said than done. Its challenging to keep the dogs eyes open, which you need to do, but that’s the easier of the two challenges to overcome. The main challenge is keeping your dog still! If you have a big Boerbul or similar, I think give up on trying to restrain it, unless your dog is extremely well-behaved. Venom in the eyes feels like having sand mixed with soap in your eyes- it is extremely uncomfortable. The last thing your dog will want to do is sit still. So this rinsing job is generally a two-man job.
It’s very important that you do a thorough job at flushing the dogs eyes out, because if you don’t, the venom can cause permanent damage. I’ve found that many dog owners just aren’t able to restrain the dog and rinse the eyes out, so they usually take it to the vet to get the job done. This is probably the best and safest bet. I do know many people, though, whose dogs often get spat at, who just do it themselves.

Please note that MSC’s can bite, and the bite can potentially be deadly. In fact, it is the snake responsible for the most bites on humans in South Africa each year. Because of this spitting ability, though, they generally don’t need to bite dogs. I’ve never had a case of a dog being bitten by one.

Snakebite

I always hate hearing about dogs who have killed a snake and who have been bitten in return. It’s sad for both animals.

The snake responsible for the most bites on dogs, from my experience here in Durban, is the Rhombic Night Adder. The snake is almost always killed by the dog, but not before it bites back in self-defense. The cytotoxic venom of the Night Adder causes swelling and pain. Death from a Night Adder bite, in dogs, is extremely, extremely rare. I have had three cases where dogs did die. One dog was believed to have built up an allergic reaction to the venom after receiving multiple bites in the past. But as I said, this is extremely rare. Just about all dogs survive Night Adder bites, fortunately.

A snake with similar venom that causes similar effects as the Night Adder, is the Bibron’s Stiletto Snake. They too are responsible for a number of bites on dogs Dogs kill this small snake, which is active in the rainy season, and get bitten. Most bites happen in the mouth or around the jaw, as you’d expect.
If you find that your dog has killed one of these snakes, please monitor your dog for swelling, if you haven’t yet rushed it to the vet. For both species, as well as Puff Adders (which in Durban, are generally found in Outer West areas), the dogs are generally bitten on their head, either around the jaw or on the neck. Your dog will need to be taken to a vet ASAP.

If you find that your dog has killed a Boomslang, I suggest taking the dog to the vet for blood tests. The venom of the Boomslang works slowly, and symptoms may only show hours later. If left untreated, the venom prevents the blood from clotting, and your dog will bleed to death. Blood will appear out of every orifice. Not a nice thought, but that’s what happens. So please, don’t take a chance. Just because Boomslang are back-fanged, doesn’t mean they can’t bite.

The most dangerous bite to a dog, and to a human, is a mamba bite. Each year, I get a couple of calls about dogs who have been bitten by a Black Mamba. What often happens is, the 2-4 dogs on a property corner a Black Mamba, or all bite at it. By the end of the stand-off, we end up with a dead Black Mamba, and dead dogs. It’s my worst call/message to receive. It’s truly tragic.
The potent, fast-acting neurotoxic venom shuts down the dogs body at a rapid rate. It causes nausea and eventually paralysis. From my experience, the dog often doesn’t make it to the vet. Nine times out of ten, dogs don’t make it. But there’s always that chance, and survival is possible, with some luck. The dog will need antivenom though.

Green Mamba bites end with similar results, however, they’re far more rare, due to the species’s limited, coastal distribution and arboreal habits.

If a dog is found dead, a snake is often blamed, with the prime suspect being a mamba. While a mamba bite could be responsible, its not always the case. I was once called out to a house where a German Shepard had died, and a snake was found nearby. The snake was a Herald, and the dog presumably died of heart-attack. Dogs may also die from poisoning by low-life scum. Just FYI.

As you can work out after reading the above, if you suspect your dog has been bitten by a snake, please take your dog to a vet ASAP.

Why no mention of cats? Simply because I never get calls for cats clashing with venomous snakes. Although cats kill snakes frequently, they seem to know which ones to avoid.

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME SNAKES FOR THIS CONFLICT. It really isn’t their fault. A snake knows its limits, its not going to go and attack a dog. They know dogs are dangerous. Unfortunately, when a dog sees a snake, instincts kick in, and they generally attack. It’s not their fault either, really. When a dog goes to attack a snake, the snake, even mambas, will try to flee. But if escape is not an option, it will have to defend itself, and snakes (apart from the MSC) only have one way in doing that. As I always tell people, it genuinely is just an accident. It’s horrible, but it happens. It does not mean you should now kill every snake in sight. That’s not fair, cruel, and damaging to our environment.

Keep your garden as neat and tidy as possible (no, don’t chop down all the trees etc), and don’t waste money on repellents. If you do see a snake in the garden before your dogs do, immediately lock the dogs inside. If you hear your dogs barking and then see them going for a snake, try to call them off. If that doesn’t work, spray them with a hosepipe. You need to get them away from the snake pronto!

I’m doing a study on snake vs dog incidents, by building up a database of statistics. My focus is on the Greater Durban Area. If your dog, or one you hear about, has been spat at or bitten by a snake (touch wood it doesn’t), please let me know by emailing me at [email protected]. You’re also welcome to call me for assistance 24/7.
I’ve also created a FaceBook group to make reporting easier, and to help people learn more.
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/282712425851932/)

In the Greater Durban Area, for reference, the Westville and Hillcrest Veterinary Hospitals are open 24/7 and do treat cases of venom in the eyes and snakebite. Sherwood After Hours Veterinary Clinic has CLOSED DOWN.

Regards,
Nick Evans
072 809 5806

Let’s start off with what is by far the most common green snake: The Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus).
I have a love/hate relationship with this snake. I love it because its a very pretty snake, and a nice one to have cruising around the garden. What I hate though, is that I get calls for it every single day. Usually not one, but anywhere up to ten-fifteen calls. These calls aren’t from people who want to tell me how gorgeous this snake looks. It’s from people who are convinced that they’re Green Mambas or Boomslang! “There’s a Green Mamba in my yard, with black spots”, is a phrase I hear daily.

Spotted Bush Snakes are, as I said, the most commonly encountered snake in the Greater Durban Area. It is a snake that has adapted rather well to suburbia, unlike some other species. There’s plenty of hiding places for this thin snake, and there’s plenty of food too: geckos. The Tropical House Gecko is in every household around Durban, and so with thriving gecko numbers, the Bush Snakes are kept well fed.
So as these geckos come to our homes in search of geckos and a place to hide, they’re often encounters on walls, burglar guards, curtain rails, security gates, in post boxes etc etc. They’re also frequently seen on the eeves of roofs, and when they’ve been spotted, they’ll move into the roof. If this happens, don’t bother calling a snake-catcher please. With this fast-moving snake in a large open space, where movement is limited for a human, catching it in a ceiling is near impossible. The same applies if you see this snake outside. If its outside, please just let it be. It will go away by itself. They are phenomenal climbers.
If a Bush Snake enters your house, you can call a snake-catcher to confirm its identity, and from there, they can advise on how to deal with it. Many people successfully sweep it out with a broom. That’s quite easy, although be prepared for the Bush Snake to put on an aggressive show!

Identifying this snake is relatively easy. It’s a thin green  snake, nearing a meter in length, with a pale yellow belly and black spots/stripes going half-way down the body. The tail is plan green. That orange iris is also a noticeable and distinctive feature.

Please try to accept these snakes in and around your property, and try to appreciate them. They are completely harmless to adults, children and pets, and they make sure you don’t have an overpopulation of geckos. They’re a joy to see in the garden!

The next is certainly not the most common, but the most well-known, the Green Mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps)

The Green Mamba is not nearly as abundant as what people think. In fact, it generally occurs only on the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. It resides in pristine, coastal forests, which if you can imagine, are constantly in decline. Natural areas along the coast are constantly being developed, meaning these magnificent snakes have less and less areas to live in. So in the GDA, they’re generally seen from Umhlanga northwards, and from the Bluff (where they are rarely seen) southwards. They are far more commonly seen further north and south of Durban, where there is less development. So when trying to identify a green snake, consider where you live. If you’re a few kilometers away from the coast, west of Durban, it is extremely unlikely there’s a Green Mamba in your garden.

The Green Mamba, like the Black Mamba, grows to be a large snake, with adults occasionally exceeding two meters in length. They’re thick too, much thicker than a Bush Snake. In the few calls I’ve had for them, people generally describe them to be nearly as thick as their wrist. Juvenile Mambas are an even rarer sight. They are a beautiful, emerald-green color, with no spots or markings. Like the Black Mamba, they have a matt appearance. The harmless green snakes have yellow or white belly’s. Green Mamba’s generally have a green belly. You can look for the coffin-shaped head too if you want, but in my opinion, just about any snake can have a coffin-shaped head, so I wouldn’t waste my time if I were you! Although to me, they look like they’re smiling.

As I’m sure you know, Green Mambas are highly venomous. Fortunately though, because they tend to stick to the canopies of trees, and like the Black Mamba, they’re shy and retreating, they are not responsible for many bites. They’re not after us, they’re after nestling birds, bats and rodents.

The other venomous green snake in KZN, and the other infamous one at that, is the Boomslang (Dispholidus typus viridis).

Like the Green Mamba, Boomslang are not frequently-encountered snakes. They also tend to stick to the trees, and avoid detection. So they too are responsible for very, very few snakebites on people, and it usually handlers that are bitten. This certainly is not a snake you want to get bitten by, and just because its back-fanged, doesn’t mean that it can’t bite and inject venom easily. Boomslang have, drop for drop, the most potent venom of any South African snake. It’s a haemotoxic venom which will unleash hell upon you, if left untreated. The good thing about their venom, if one can say it like that, is that it’s slow-acting, usually taking hours to show symptoms. So there’s time to get to hospital. But like I said, this is usually only a snake that bites when handled. They hunt nestling birds, chameleons and sometimes rodents, not people.

Boomslang are actually easier to tell apart from Bush Snakes than people think. As is the case with Green Mambas, size is one feature to note. Juvenile Boomslang are not green. Their eyes are, though. Juvenile Boomslang are brown in colour, with a darker brown, broad band running down the length of their body. They have a pretty, yell0w-coloured throat, and the most gorgeous eyes! Their eyes are bright, emerald green, making them look like a work of art! In juveniles, it almost looks as if their heads are too big for their bodies. These colours fade as they grow, and when they’re around a meter in length, they’ll start turning green. If they’re a male that is. Generally, females are a light to olive brown colour, whereas males are green. This visual difference is unusual in snakes. In Durban, just about all of my Boomslang calls come from around Field’s Hill (Westmead side) and then in the Upper Highway Area. In these parts, the bright green males have black bands running down their body.
Apart from having large eyes, Boomslang have large heads too. They are far more rounded than that of the other green snakes.

The other three green snakes, like the Bush Snake, also tend to cause panic among people. Although they arguably cause more panic, seeing as, for the most part, they lack the black spots.

The Green Water Snake (Philothamnus hoplogaster)

This non-venomous, thin, green snake, which grows up to around 60cm in length, is plain green in colour, causing people to immediately label it as a Green Mamba. For a start, they’re much smaller, and they have a white belly. Yes, I know you don’t lift up snakes to check the colour of the belly! But usually one can see this without having to pick the snake up. There’s a popular misconception that this snake is only found in and around bodies of water, but they’ll often venture quite far from water. They’re not as commonly seen as Bush Snakes. They mostly feed on frogs.

Then, there’s the harmless Natal Green Snakes. Like the Green Water Snake, they aren’t nearly as common as Bush Snakes, but they’re around.

The more common of the two, particularly in coastal parts of Durban, is the Eastern Natal Green Snake (Philothamnus natalensis natalensis).

This non-venomous species tends to have a bright, yellow belly which is usually quite noticeable. They grow to a similar size as that of the Bush Snake, and feed mostly on geckos and frogs. You’ll see that the specimen in the first pic below, does have some faint, black markings on the body.

It’s cousin, the Western Natal Green Snake, is usually seen in the Upper Highway. They have a turquoise-blue appearance, which looks stunning! Their eyes tend to be much darker than the other green snakes eyes.

With spring here, you’re bound to see at least one of these green snakes in your property, and so I hope this article prepares you for that moment. Remember, don’t panic! Well try your best not to, as there is no need for that. Like any snake, they’ll hope that you leave them alone so that they can continue their search for food.

For snake identification & removals, you can contact me on 072 809 5806.

On our third and final full day in the Western Cape was spent in West Coast National Park. After two sensational days of ‘frogging’, we decided to spend this day searching for reptiles. After all, there weren’t many frogs to find in WCNP. But reptiles, there were plenty!

Along with my two Durbanite friends, Nick Schaller & Darren Van Eyssen, we met up with Trevor & Margaret Hardaker, and later in the day, Faansie Peacock. It was yet another hugely successful day  in the Cape for us!

Our first reptile of the day was Gronovi’s Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes gronovii). I really like this genus of lizards, Scelotes. They’re small, snake-like lizards (as you can see), with most of them having the tiniest of limbs. They’re fossorial reptiles, meaning that they spend most of their time underground. S.gronovii is listed as Near Threatened.

Our next find was a common species, but a ‘lifer’ for me. Occelated Gecko (Pachydactylus geitje). The Pachydactylus genus is another one which I’m fond of.  It consists of the cutest little geckos! We don’t have many species at all in KZN (a measly two species). In the Western and Northern Cape, there are dozens more. So finding one more for me was special. I’d love to make a trip to the Northern Cape to see the gecko diversity there!

One of our targets for the day was a Spotted Harlequin Snake (Homoroselaps lacteus). Everyone in our group had found them before, except me. Well, my friends and I had seen one with a group in Mpumalanga, but the Harlequins there look totally different to the Cape specimens. I believe they’re going to be split into different subspecies. Thankfully, Darren managed to find one for me. What a stunner of a snake! Those colours are exquisite! This small snake is mildly venomous, and if you read this post (https://faansiepeacock.com/faansie-versus-harlequin/ ), you’ll want to avoid letting one bite you. I must say, it wasn’t the most co-operative of models, but its looks made up for that frustration.

I have long wanted to see a Parabuthus scorpion. This genus of scorpion consist of the most venomous species in South Africa. To my knowledge, most if not all of these species have stings that can definitely be considered life-threatening. They have a very distinctive appearance. Small, dainty ‘pincers’, and a really thick tail! On the West Coast, one can find Parabuthus capensis, which is what we found.

Delalande’s beaked blind snake (Rhinotyphlops lalandei) . Yes, it is a snake, not a worm!

And then, the most exciting find of the trip (reptile-wise): Bloubergstrand Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes montispectus). This amazingly-coloured, legless skink, was only described as recently as 2003, and has only since been seen a handful of times. To be able to say “We’ve seen that” is a real honor! It’s currently listed as Near Threatened. What an awesome-looking animal!

Another great lizard find: Large-scaled Girdled Lizard (Cordylus macropholis). Yet another species listed as Near Threatened. Dragon-like, isn’t it?

Our third Scelotes species of the trip: Silvery Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes bipes). It looks identical to S.gronovii, but on their tiny limbs, but unlike gronovii, they have two minuscule digits rather than one. My macro lens came in handy when looking for the two digits!

Spotted Skaapsteker (Psammophylax rhombeautus). I’ve seen plenty of Spotted Skaapstekers here in KZN, but they look nothing like this! While our KZN specimens are pretty, they do not compare to the specimens from the Cape. The pattern and colour variation between the two is crazy! Skaapsteker’s have a mild venom. I personally have never had any effects shown from the venom.

Black Thread Snake (Leptotyphlops nigricans). Differentiating Thread Snake species apart, but where we were, this is the only species found there. ‘Lifer’ Thread Snake! And to think, these snakes, which are usually less than 15cm long, cause panic and fear among some people.

Karoo Girdled Lizard (Karusaurus polyzonus). Another dragon-like lizard! This lizard is the only species of its genus, despite its very similar appearance to other Girdled Lizards.

Angulate Tortoise (Chersina angulata). I was so chuffed to see this! I’ve only ever seen two species of tortoise in the wild. I’ve seen captive Angulate’s in Durban, but those are in rehab centers- they were escaped/unwanted pets. This species of tortoise is extremely common in the Cape. Unfortunately, people pick them up thinking they’d make a cute pet. This is illegal, firstly, and secondly, these animals often get sick and die from not receiving the correct care. Please, if you see a tortoise in the wild, leave it there! By all means, help it across a busy road, but don’t take it anywhere. For the animals sake.

Striped Pygmy Gecko (Goggia incognita). The last lizard we would see on our trip. Note the red mites on its legs. This species abundant near Langebaan.

Bird book author, Faansie, took us around the area in which he lives, looking for birds. We saw a few West Coast specials, but not just birds, snakes too! We saw a juvenile Puff Adder, notoriously common in the Cape, as well as a juvenile Mole Snake, which are supposed to be very common too. I was hoping to see an adult in my time there. These large snakes, in the Cape, are pitch, shiny black, as opposed to our KZN ones, which are a dull-brown colour. Mole Snakes do not have the best of attitudes, but they are extremely efficient for rodent control! I didn’t manage to photograph these two snakes, but I’m hoping to get another opportunity on my next Cape trip (whenever that may be).

Regrettably, I only managed to photograph one bird, a bird which was a delight to see! A Chestnut-banded Plover. What a cute little animal! This was one of 28 bird lifers for me.

And so that concludes this 3 part series of blog posts. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them, and most of all, I hope you learnt a thing or two.

We owe a massive thanks to our brilliant hosts/guides: Cliff & Suretha Dorse, Trevor & Margaret Hardaker, and Faansie & Ronel Peacock. It was the most hectic but most productive trip I’ve ever been on! I cannot wait to return to the Cape!

The morning started off with a quest for the Montane Marsh Frog (Poyntonia paludicola), a species listed as Near Threatened. At the same site, we’d hoped to find a DeVilliers’ Moss Frog (Arthroleptella villiersi). Well, we found both of them in quick succession. The Marsh Frogs were surprisingly easy, as they slid across the edges of puddles. We picked up a handful. The Moss Frog was a bit more difficult, but we managed to track a calling individual down. Our second Moss Frog species for the trip!

To top the morning off, we had cracking views of a vocal Victorin’s Warbler!

Later in the morning, we met up with Trevor & Margaret Hardaker (http://www.hardaker.co.za/), who are well known for their birding exploits, for lunch. After grabbing something to eat, we headed out to look for another species of Moss Frog , the Riviersonderend Moss Frog (Arthroleptella atermina).

The Riviersonderend Moss Frog was only described as a species last year! Crazy! It is one of the smallest frogs in South Africa, rarely exceeding 2cm in length. Trevor and Margaret had tried to find it before, without success. So we knew this would be a tough frog to get.

We soon arrived at the site, after driving through farmlands, where we saw dozens of Blue Cranes, our national bird. Cliff had marched ahead of all of us, trying to find the site where he had found one before. It wasn’t long before he called me, only me. “Nick, you’re going to want to lift up this rock”, he said. Ok, clearly this was something he knew I hadn’t found before. I lifted the rock, and there was this super cute little Olive Ground Snake! Ah! Lifer!

I had gotten two Olive Ground Snakes (Lycodonomorphus inornatus), previously known as Olive House Snakes, in the past on call-outs before. But they had already been caught by the time I had arrived, so I couldn’t have counted them as a species I’ve found. I was desperate to find one, and when I saw this under there, I was so relieved. I was the only one in the group to not have found one before!

After the excitement of finding the Olive, we then started hearing the Moss Frogs. They were calling above a waterfall, and further down, along the drainage line below it. Half the team climbed up the waterfall, while the other half, including me, searched below.

The bush along the drainage line was really dense. Finding a frog, less than 2cm long, in this, was going to be a real challenge. Talk about finding a needle in a hay stack…

I tracked a crawling individual down. I got on my hands and knees, in the mud, and tried stalking it. I got to a point where I was literally positioned above it. I scanned the ground below me, and when it called again, I started moving the vegetation aside, in a hurry, hoping to flush it out. All I did though, was scare it into silence. I waited, and waited. While waiting, I heard Darren shout, “We found one!”. He and Nick Schaller managed to find one in some grass growing above the waterfall. I didn’t want to give up on my one just yet, but after fifteen minutes of silence, I decided it was time to call it quits, and I went to have a look at the only one found that day. It was, as expected, tiny!

On the way back home, we stopped off to see the famous African Penguins of the Cape! What little characters!

Later that evening, we went out in search of the Western Leopard Toad (Sclerophrys pantherina).

The Leopard Toad was one of my main targets for the trip. It is an Endangered species, mostly occuring in the suburbs of Cape Town. They’re only active for a short period of time, usually in August, when the rains fall. Sadly, during this time, when they move to and from breeding sites, they’re frequently run over by cars. There are signs along the roads where these toads breed, warning drivers to please look out for them. Sadly, I’ve heard that people either ignore these signs, or they actually aim to hit the toads, for fun (sadistic fun). Conservation-minded folk in these parts are trying their best to save this species from extinction, thankfully! Here is a link to a website, which you may find interesting: https://www.leopardtoad.co.za/

It just happened to be pouring on this night, when we planned to search for them. The conditions were perfect!

We drove on a road that runs straight through a breeding site, and we were not left disappointed. We found about a dozen or so Leopard Toads! The first one that we saw had us all excited, as was the second, and third. Then, we were like “here’s another one”. Not that we were bored of seeing them, but we were seeing so many, all quite close together. Us Durbanites couldn’t believe the size of them. They were even bigger than our Guttural Toads, except way, way prettier. They are such impressive frogs! To our dismay, we saw one that had been run over, a massive female. That was really disappointing, but we were fortunately distracted by the other dozen we saw. We also heard plenty of Cape Rain Frogs calling, although to my frustration, we couldn’t find any. Still, we got our target, which was the main thing!

And that concluded yet another extremely successful day in the Cape for us! We could not be more content than we were. The Cape’s frogs did not disappoint us!

We still had one and a half days left, which we were going to use to focus on reptiles, as we headed up the West Coast. Stay tuned for part 3, to see what we found there 🙂

I had only been to Cape Town once before, when I was four years old, but I don’t count that really. I can’t remember much from that. So I considered this as my first trip there. I have rarely traveled outside of my home province, KwaZulu-Natal, so this was very exciting!

We spent two nights with Cliff & Suretha Dorse (http://biodiversityfocused.co.za/). We had me this inspirational couple a year ago, when they came to KZN. We showed them a few of the frogs and reptiles this province had to offer while they were here. They’d said we were always welcome at their house, so we accepted that offer. As guests, they far exceeded our expectations. Cliff & Suretha are super passionate about wildlife and conservation, and they were so enthusiastic about taking us around, showing us what their province had to offer. We weren’t left disappointed!

Our first day was arguably the best of our four days spent in the Cape. We were joined by Luke Kemp, who works for the African Snakebite Institute. Cliff took us all out to a mountain range in search of the Hawequa Flat Gecko (Afroedura hawequensis). This gecko is listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened, mostly due to their restricted distribution. They live in rock crevices in large boulders/cliff faces. Among many ‘herpers’ (herpetology is not an STD, it’s the study of reptiles- so herper is a term used for people who search for reptiles/frogs in South Africa), it is a highly sought after gecko to see.

The first ‘herp’ of the trip was a totally unexpected one. The first rock crevice that Cliff looked into, he spotted a Ghost Frog! A Cape Ghost Frog (Heleophryne purcelli). It was one of the most exquisite looking frogs I have ever seen! It came as a real surprise, as one would expect to find this species on rocks in a flowing stream. Our first frog of the trip- what a stunner!

We found a couple of lizards, all of which were ‘lifers’ (a first time seeing) for me. Bird-wise, we were treated to sightings of Cape specials, such as the Cape Rockjumper, Cape Siskin, and Orange-breasted Sunbird. This mountain was producing!

Finally, we got our target. Luke discovered a Hawequa Flat Gecko hiding in a crevice. With us all keen to photograph it and get a good look at it, Luke brilliantly managed to fish it out of there, which was no easy task. When he had it out, I was taken back by its colours. I had never seen a lizard as colourful as this, it was so unique. It was quite big for a gecko too, and this was apparently not even a large adult. It had a really large, broad tail, which was most unusual. It is an extraordinary animal, one which few people get to see.

On our way back down the mountain, we stopped at certain spots to see what else we could turn up. Cliff pointed out a small grassland that he knew was home to Cape Grass Lizards (Chamaesaura anguina), a legless lizard growing to over half-a-meter long. I had only found the Large-scaled Grass Lizard, here in KZN, so I was keen to see another species in this genus. The five of us formed a line, and walked through the grass. It didn’t take long before one popped its head out of the long grass in front of us, and Luke quickly dived on it. Got it! Another unusual lizard!
On our descent down the mountain, another cool critter we found was a Mountain Rain Frog (Breviceps montanus). All Rain Frogs are just so cool, with their round little bodies, and grumpy face.

We were already content with what the day had produced, but Cliff had other ‘goodies’ to show us. He took us to a site he knew of for the Critically Endangered Rose’s Mountain Toadlet (Capensibufo rosei).
This tiny little toad is remarkably only found at two sites around Cape Town. That’s quite scary don’t you think? It’s no wonder its listed as Critically Endangered. Interestingly, bizarrely, this species does not call- it’s voiceless. To my knowledge, it’s the only frog like that in South Africa. Strangely, it’s also only active in the day, whereas most frogs are usually most active at night.

We approached a large puddle in a grassland, and we were left stunned. Around this puddle were dozens of Toadlet’s! The ground was crawling with them! They’d congregated around a small puddle to breed. The puddle was filled with strings of eggs, which looked like like chains. This is what they do. They come to these puddles for two to three days in a year to breed, and that’s it. You might be lucky to find an adult frog by chance a week after the breeding, but other than that, they’re underground. I don’t know of a frog that is as inactive as this one!
I wish I got a pic of one on my hand or finger, to give you an idea of their size. They were minuscule, about 2cm long.
Our timing was luckily perfect to witness this spectacular event!

After a braai, we headed out to target Cape Dwarf Chameleons, Flat Caco and Cape Sand Frog. We went to what I believe is the only reserve around Cape Town, that has hippos! Only a small pod, but there was a big male who had a bad reputation of being a tad grumpy. But when we arrived, the coast seem clear. We’re from KZN, we’re used to hippos!

Before entering the reserve, in a small patch of scrub land, we found our Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum). But not just one, dozens! I think we saw at least thirty. They were one of the best looking chameleons I had ever seen, with the most striking colours!

We wondered around a pan looking for the Flat Caco’s (Cacosternum platys). There were plenty calling, but these tiny frogs are tricky to find! We eventually found two or three, much to our relief. The Cape Sand Frogs (Tomopterna delalandii) were also calling in parts, and were also proving difficult to find. Thankfully, Nick Schaller stumbled across one sitting on a mole hill. Frog targets done and dusted!

On our way out, Cliff uncovered a Cape Legless Skink (Acontias meleagris) in a mole hill. Yet another for the trip. It was around 30cm long+-, and rather unusual-looking.

While we were photographing our lifer skink. We were in a clearing, but to our right, was pretty dense bush. If there was a hippo there, we couldn’t see it.
Clicking away, our photography session was ended in an instant. We suddenly heard this loud grunting sound in the bushes- HIPPO! Needless to say, we vacated the area without much hesitation. That got the adrenaline going! We never saw the hippo, but it seemed he could see us.

That brought to an end a hectic, jam-packed day! After all that we had seen on day one, we were happy with our trip. We could have gone home at this point! But there was still plenty to see.

Stay tuned for part two 🙂

Some friends and I have completed a few long missions, in search of these special little reptiles. We have travelled far and wide, and we have managed to find and photograph all of them. Our reason for doing so: because it’s our passion, and it’s our version of fun!

So here is a quick photographic guide to the chameleon species of KwaZulu-Natal. I am just posting one photo per species, but there are some colour variations to these species. I am also posting a vague distribution, just to give you a rough idea where these species each occur. Distribution and locality is the best and most obvious way of differentiating them apart.

Thanks to Darren Van Eyssen, Dylan Leonard and Nick Schaller for the company!

Starting off to the species closest to home, for me.

KwaZulu Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion melanocephalum)

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Distribution: Mainly found in the Greater Durban Area, but it’s range does spread a bit further beyond this.

Midland’s Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion thamnobates)

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Distribution: As it’s name suggests, throughout the KZN Midlands.

Emerald Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion spp). This chameleon is yet to be fully described as a species.

Conservation status: Unknown

Distribution: Southern Drakensberg

Drakensberg Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion dracomontanum)

Conservation status: Near Threatened

Distribution: Drakensberg Mountain Ranger

Moving northwards…

Umlalazi Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion caeruleogula)

Conservation Status: Endangered

Distribution: Occurs in three forests in the southern Zululand area.

Qudeni Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion nemorale)

Conservation status: Near Threatened

Distribution: Endemic to two forests in Zululand

Setaro’s Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion setaroi)

Conservation Status: Endangered

Distribution: Throughout the Maputaland coastline.

Ngome Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion ngomense)

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Distribution: Restricted to a single forest in north-western Zululand

And then the big green one everyone knows, the Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis)!

Conservation Status: Not Threatened

Distribution: Throughout most of the eastern half of South Africa.

Last week, I was lucky enough to be a part of a research team who were headed for Ndumo Game Reserve, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

One of the researchers, Cormac, was looking for terrapins, while Camille, another researcher, was looking for hippos (yes, two completely different animals!). The other member of our team was Shane McPhearson, an ornithological guru, who is well-known for his research on raptors. I was invited to tag along to help, but I think mainly to try and find the team some cool snakes!

So, we had a South African, an Irishman, an American, and a Kiwi. As Cormac said, we were like the UN in one car!

Most people think that by going off into the bush, you’ll find a lot of snakes. I wish! It’s never easy to find snakes, especially in most parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as the terrain isn’t exactly very rocky, there’s not that much to lift up (snakes like hiding under things). Also, snakes usually sense you coming long before you’re able to spot them, or they just sit still, relying on their camouflage to remain undetected. It works!

So don’t think that walking in the bush is dangerous because you’re likely to step on a snake. It’s not. Snakebites can happen, but very rarely. Walking around town is way more dangerous. There’s these highly aggressive and dangerous creatures called humans. They may try to steal from you, or worse!

Anyways, back to the trip!

Ndumo Game Reserve is a magical place. The scenery and landscape varies vastly, with a mixture of thickets and woodland savannahs. Some of the iconic features of the reserve are the large bodies of water, especially the Niyamithi Pan, a hit with visitors as it attracts a wide variety of bird life.

It’s not a reserve to go to for big game. They have three of the ‘Big 5’, but they are not often seen, and it is not packed with smaller game, although you do get nice sightings of giraffe, antelope and warthogs.

The main attraction is its remarkable birdlife, of which there has been a whopping 430 species recorded in the reserve!

Ndumo is also one of the most frog species-rich areas in the country, with over 40 species being recorded there. Sadly, they’re not something you’re likely to see much of while driving around in the day. I was really hoping to see some of them though.

The area was hit hard by the severe drought that we were cursed with. It had been bone dry, with most of the water bodies drying up, almost entirely. Thankfully, the rains have fallen in and around the area, and it has made the world of difference! I arrived to a very green Ndumo, with rivers pumping and the Niyamithi pan filling!

Following the day of our arrival, we assisted the Camille with his work. Along the way, we were trying to tick off as many bird species as we could. Birding has become a new hobby of mine, which I am thoroughly enjoying! Shane’s knowledge and ID skills came in most handy!

While trying to spot birds, Shane spotted a Rock Monitor dash of the road! I jumped out the car, and bolted towards the lizard, who was just going down a hole. I grabbed hold of his tail in the nick (no puns intended) of time! If I was a second slower I would have lost him. I’m no lightning bolt, the main reason why I was able to catch him is because it was a cool, overcast day. He hadn’t been able to bask and warm up. Thankfully!

After a short struggle, I had him out, so we could all get a good look at him. I catch very, very few of these monitors, because in Durban, we only get the Nile/Water Monitor. So this was a special moment! He was very relaxed, although I’m pretty sure he was just pretending to be dead so that we would leave him alone. He did eject a rather unpleasant smelling substance…

Rock Monitors are like mini Komodo Dragons (they are related). They wonder around the bush, eating anything smaller than them. They’re well-built, stocky reptiles, with immense power. And with their dog-like bite and sharp claws, they make for a formidable predator. The same can be said for the Nile Monitor.

After admiring the beauty of this lizard, and getting our photos, we set him free again. Great way to start the day! But it soon got better than that…

We were now buzzing from our encounter with the monitor lizard! The four of us were now talking about other reptiles that we wanted to see. All of us had one main goal in common: to see a large Rock Python!

As luck would have it, we turned a corner, and I could just hear the words of amazement come out of Shane and Camille in the front, before they opened their doors. When I heard that, I immediately jumped out the car without seeing what they were on about. Then I saw it…PYTHON! A big one, lying on the road! Woohoo!

I approached it, with my excitement levels going through the roof! For a second, I thought it was dead, as it lay completely motionless. Before I burst into tears, I realised that it wasn’t dead, it was just hoping we would ignore it by freezing. Sorry snake, you were too beautiful to be ignored!

From being motionless, it then started being the opposite, and started doing what pythons tend to do if harassed by a human: strike! These large snakes lunge at a threat, with their mouths opened wide, exposing its many needle-like teeth. They don’t have venom, but if that mouth got a hold of you, you’d be in a lot of pain, and bleeding a lot! Fortunately, their lunge is rather slow.

I was in complete awe of this magnificent animal, but also a bit giddy with excitement and joy, we all felt that way. What an absolute privilege, encountering a snake of this size. Certainly not something one sees every day!

We took about a hundred photos each, and before leaving it alone, we measured it. A whopping 3,77m long! They are known to get to the 5m mark, but we were more than happy with this beast! We then watched this massive snake go down into its den, which was a small hole in the ground, made by a small mammal.

A memorable encounter, which we will never forget. It had us talking about it the whole day!

In the following days, we bumped into two Mozambique Spitting Cobras. Camille and Shane almost stepped on one, just a little guy. I find the smaller Mozams are much cheekier than the adults! Short man syndrome? I don’t know. But his grumpy attitude made for a nice photo opportunity.

The second one wasn’t the best sighting, it was an adult, of around a meter in length. It was on the road at night time, and moved off as we got out the car. I put my sunglasses on, in case it spat at me. But I didn’t even click that it was night time, so those sunglasses were pretty useless….and the snake moved off.

Over the week that we were there, we had seen so many Nile Monitors! More than I had ever seen in my life! Ndumo is famous for its healthy population of crocodiles, of which we saw many. We didn’t see any massive ones, but one or two were an impressive enough size. We also found a few Serrated Hinge Terrapins, which made Cormac a very happy scientist!

By the time the final day had arrived, we were very happy with our productive trip. But Ndumo had one last surprise for us….

At around 7am on an overcast and cool Friday, we saw a large branch-like object stretched across the road. We quickly realised what it was- SNAKE!

I jumped out and ran straight for it. This is an instinctive reaction for me, I can’t help it! I could see it was a Forest Cobra. Admittedly, it wasn’t the prettiest of Forest Cobras, but it was big! It looked like quite an old specimen too.

Thankfully, like in the case of the Rock Monitor, the cobra was a bit sluggish as the sun wasn’t out, meaning it had little energy. I grabbed it by the tail as it was going into the bush. I was over the moon! I hadn’t caught a Forest Cobra in almost two years, because they unfortunately do not occur in Durban (we just get the spitting ones!). I was ecstatic to be getting my hands on one again!

Forest Cobras are my favourite species of the cobra family. They grow to be the longest cobras in Africa, reaching lengths of 3m+. They’re powerful too, and excellent climbers. They’re also very intelligent and aware of their surroundings. To me, they’re just like Black Mambas. They’re not quite as nervous as the mambas, but they’re similar in behaviour, and both intelligent, unlike many politicians. The Forest Cobra truly is an awe-inspiring snake.

This individual rose up high, spreading its hood- an intimidating display! Again, this made for nice photos! We soon let it go, to be back on its way.

What a fantastic way to end a trip! Another memorable encounter, with another memorable snake! That was probably the highlight for me. I just love Forest Cobras!

And so, that was the end of our trip. I had such a fantastic time, and I’m glad it was such a productive trip for all of us. We didn’t have much luck with frogs, but amongst the amazing reptile and hippo sightings, we ended with a tally of 110 bird species, with many being new for me (Greater Honeyguide, Cuckoo Hawk, Black Heron to name a few, and we also saw Pink-throated Twinspot and a great sighting of a Palm-nut Vulture!).

I’d love to return to Ndumo soon, or anywhere in Northern KZN. It’s my favourite part of the world (not that I’ve been out of SA). If you haven’t been there before, it’s well worth a visit! Let’s just hope that they get more, much-needed rain.

A huge big thank you to Camille, Cormac, and Shane, for taking me with, and providing me with a much-need laughter (and a lot of it!)

We’re so lucky, here in KZN, to live in such a diverse province. Beaches, forests, grasslands, savannahs, mountains, we’ve got it all! And the wildlife in it is truly special. I love it!

The Black Mamba is the most notorious and feared snake in Africa. People think of it as this evil, aggressive, psychotic killer, which will either stare you down, eye to eye, or just chase you. Is that really the case? No, not at all.

Before I started working with them, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew they weren’t exactly how people described them, but I still felt very uneasy about working with them. They made me nervous!

After school, I went straight into working at Dangerous Creatures reptile park at Ushaka Marine World. Here, under the guidance of Carl Schloms, I learnt a whole lot about mambas.

I watched Carl catch the mambas on several occasions. After explaining how to go about it, and giving me some tips, he then let me catch the single Black Mamba which was on display. To be quite honest, I don’t remember the experience all that well! I just remember my hands trembling, but I was very happy and proud once I had it! That triggered my love, and what I guess you could call an ‘addiction’, to these awesome snakes.
(Please note, the snakes were never restrained for fun or even for training. They were only handled for medical treatment or just simple veterinary check-ups).

I set up KwaZulu-Natal Amphibian & Reptile Conservation as a chapter of The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization, at the beginning of 2015. I wanted to turn my passion into a career. So I started doing snake removals in the Greater Durban Area.
My mum used to get called for them when I was at school, by her friends or student’s parents who knew of my love for snakes. So she would drive me around after school to remove snakes from people’s homes! We were never called for a mamba.
So when I was starting out in 2015, while I was trying to get my name out there, I relied on referrals. People who had been doing snake removals for some time, but who were momentarily unavailable, would refer calls to me. I got quite busy, catching Mozambique Spitting Cobras, Night Adders, but never a mamba.

One day, in March, my friend Chris Lourens called me, to ask if I was available for a mamba call in Queensburgh. “YES PLEASE CHRIS!”, I shouted, jumping up and down with excitement. My mum thought I had gone insane! I hopped in my car and rushed off to the property.

After a long time of clearing out the storeroom and ripping off roof tiles, trying to find it, I eventually did. It curled up into a corner trying to hide. I successfully removed it, and I was beaming with pride! My first mamba, “WOOHHOO!!”

A few days later, I removed one out of an old car for the Kloof & Highway SPCA. It had crawled into the dashboard of the car, and wasn’t willing to come out! I tried getting that snake out of there for well over an hour. It wouldn’t come out, and at one point, it got stuck while trying to move between a small space. I struggled to free it, and onlookers thought it was time to kill it. “We will not let this snake die!”, I commanded. Eventually, I got it loose, and pulled it out. Despite being in the process of shedding, it was a beauty!

From then on, I have had many, many mamba calls! I have been on some real exciting adventures! I have been into deepest darkest Africa (e.g Umbumbulu township at night time) to fancy office parks.Mambas aren’t too fussy on where they want to live! They do favour valley areas.

On these escapades, I have learnt a great deal about mamba behaviour.

I always used to hear that, if you corner a mamba, that’s when it will definitely attack. Not true, from my experience. Of course, no animal likes to be cornered. But Black Mambas don’t seem to attack if cornered. I have had them cornered many times before, as they often seek refuge in dark rooms, whether it’s a tool shed, or a hut in a township. Not once has a cornered mamba come at me. I’ll walk carefully, and slowly towards them. When they feel cornered, they stare at me, exposing their black mouth. It’s an intimidating sight, that’s for sure! But they seem to just wait for you to come closer, and get ready to defend themselves, but all they really want is for me to back-off. In my case, I don’t have a choice. If I back off and leave the snake in a room, it will be killed. But a member of the public should never approach this snake, cornered or not!

Black Mambas are just like you and me, and like any other animal, they sense fear. I’d say the only thing I don’t enjoy about removing Black Mambas, is seeing the fear in their eyes. You can see that they are genuinely terrified of humans. Think about it, we’re much bigger than them. When they see us big, ugly, smelly humans approach, they want to just get away, not attack! They know that we’re dangerous, and attacking us could be fatal for them. So trust me when I say that they are a lot more scared of us than we are of them.

Remember, I have to remove these snakes from properties, or else they face execution. Few people want to co-exist with a mamba, especially if it’s in one’s house, understandably so.

Admittedly, there is nothing more that I love than a mamba call (well, maybe my fiancee’)! So as much as the snakes don’t like it, I can’t say that I don’t either. Whenever my phone rings, I always answer hoping that someone tells me there’s a mamba in their property. When they do see that, my excitement levels go through the roof! I’m totally pumped up, full of adrenaline and excitement. It’s the highlight of my day, it’s like my happy pill!

People often ask, “Aren’t you scared?”. Well, in the moment, not really. Yes, I do fear being bitten. But when I’m close to one, reaching for one, or restraining one, I’m fully focused. As my fiancee’ recently told someone, she could shout at me saying, “I don’t want to marry you”, and it won’t phase me, I won’t hear it. I’ve always told people that a gun-fight could go off, and I won’t flinch. All my attention and focus is on the sharp-end of the Black Mamba, my eyes rarely leaving it’s head. If you’re not one-hundred percent concentrating while working with a Black Mamba, you’re going to end up in hospital, or worse. There is absolutely no room for complacency or distractions.

One could expect complacency with working with an animal continuously. I try my best to avoid that, and hope I always do. A bite from a Black Mamba can, as we all know, put you in the grave. They have a potent, fast-acting, neurotoxic venom. Fortunately, there is antivenom available, and most people who are bitten survive (unless maybe hours away from hospital).I don’t think that I will ever not go into that zone that my mind goes into, which is a good thing!

Black Mamba’s are deceptively strong animals. People who help me measure them are always astounded at the strength of the animal! It’s pretty much pure muscle. I have to hold that snake firmly! Holding it behind the head like I do, is most definitely not at all comfortable for the snake, but I’m NOT squeezing to hard and breaking its spine. Restraining it behind the head like that is by far the safest way to catch a mamba (please don’t try!). It’s the safest way for me, and for the snake. Otherwise, it could be thrashing around, hitting it’s head against things. I recently tried removing one without restraining the head. The mamba swung around and almost tagged my friend and I, and that was the last time I tried that.

The most enjoyable part of the job, is releasing these snakes back into the wild. Not only is this just such a pleasure, it’s also so interesting, and a great opportunity to learn more about these animals. I often invite interested friends to tag along to enjoy the experience.

Before letting the snake go off into the bush, I do try to get some photos. It’s not always possible, but I try. I love photography, and I need photos for my educational work.I do push my luck a little I guess, but experience has finally taught me when to skip photo opportunities (only recently)!

When I do try, I will first try and stick the mamba in a small tree. Sometimes they sit in the tree nicely, but they mostly just shoot down into the grass and disappear.

If there’s no tree, I tip the bucket over, and as the snake moves out, I grab hold of the tail. I try holding it back, while trying to get some photos with my other hand holding the camera. You would think that, with me grabbing it’s tail, it would come flying back at me. Uh-uh, that’s not what happens. Despite me doing that, all the mamba wants to do is get away. At first, they have no interest in risking an attack. They just try to pull away and slip off into the bush. I love it when they do this, especially if people are around, as they can see the myth being dispelled. However, if you keep holding on, it will quickly get tired of you and let you know. Don’t ever try it.

While releasing mambas, I have also learnt that each one is different. Like us, they’re individuals, they all have different personalities. Some are a lot more defensive, and wild. Others are fairly calm, and don’t get too irritated. It’s fascinating.

Seeing a Black Mamba going off into the bush is a magic sight. They’re so graceful and majestic, yet so powerful and impressive. They are so fast on the ground, and climb really well. It can leave you speechless, awe-struck.

The mamba doesn’t say thank you for saving its life and letting it go free. That’s not how animals work. They still see humans as a danger, no matter your actions. I don’t care, I don’t expect a thank you from a snake (I do from people). I guess what I consider a thank you from them is if they don’t bite me. But watching it go off is the biggest reward. Knowing that that snake could have been killed, but instead, it’s back where it belongs, keeping dassie and rodent populations in check. Just how nature intended!

I hope that you have gained some insight into what I do, why I do it, and what Black Mambas are really like. They’re not what they’re often made out to be. It’s an animal that deserves a tremendous amount of respect, so that’s all you need to do. I don’t encourage anyone to catch a Black Mamba, or to ever approach one. I’m not advocating that you can go close, I’m just trying to say that you don’t need to live in fear of them, or dread seeing one in the bush. Just leave it alone, and watch this remarkable animal go about it’s day (unless maybe it’s in your lounge, then call me!)

So, to summarise, working with Black Mambas, for me, is nothing but a privilege. I am so grateful and honoured that I get to work with them regularly. They are amazing animals which are worth saving and conserving!

P.S, I love Green Mambas too, they’re just more scarce than the Black Mamba. I rarely get calls for them unfortunately.

~Nick Evans

Email: [email protected]

Snake removals in the Greater Durban Area: 072 809 5806

To see some videos of some of my Black Mamba rescue exploits, take a look at this YouTube video on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd35cpizvbc

To view some of my Black Mamba photos, check out my mamba album on Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/131238423@N02/albums/72157671402083685

In short, ‘frogging’ basically means to go in search of frogs (I doubt it’s in the dictionary). To the normal city slicker, that just sounds weird, and to them it makes you a bit of a nutter. But it’s actually an incredibly interesting and amazing experience!

When I first met Joelle, my fiancée, one of the first topics that came up were, “What do you like doing?”. My answer: “I like to go looking for frogs” (I thought it might not be too cool to start off with ‘frogging’). You could see the surprise in her face after that, and she had a good giggle. I wasn’t sure if that it was a good thing or not at the time, but it turned out to be okay.

Nowadays, Joelle and I spend many of our spring and summer nights out in search of these unique animals. It can become a very addictive hobby, but that’s never a bad thing. One cannot ever spend too much time in nature.

So, a normal night of frogging entails going walking out into a wetland,  along a stream, or around a pond or dam. Wherever there’s water, in the right season, there will be frogs. You will not get bored, nor will you leave disappointed!

Here in South Africa, we’re very lucky to have some really pretty and amazing frog species, and there’s around 120 +- of them! For those of us who live in KwaZulu-Natal, we could say that we are the most fortunate. We have the highest diversity of frogs in the country, which occur in some breathtakingly beautiful areas. Start taking advantage of this privilege!

“What do I need to go frogging?”

• Gum boots, but if you happen to go in a tricky-to-navigate area, and really don’t want to get wet or muddy, get yourself a pair of waders. But getting water-filled boots, and ‘sloshing’ around in them is part of the experience.
• A torch: Headlamps are nice, especially if you are wanting to photograph frogs. However, you may receive a good intake of protein during the night, as insects may swarm around your light, and you’ll end up NOT going hungry that night. So sometimes hand-held torches are best. It isn’t always like that though, in fact it rarely is that bad. Don’t let it put you off!
• A camera: Learning to identify frogs, like with any group of animals, can be tricky. So taking photos, whether it be with your cell phone or camera, helps in this regard. It allows you to go back home, look up your books, or search the internet or post on Facebook, and will eventually help you in identifying the frog you saw. But this isn’t a necessity.

• Enthusiasm, patience, an open mind, and a desire to learn: Don’t go expecting to walk away clean, seeing every frog species that occurs in the area. That’s not how this works! Some species are quite easy to spot, others can be frustratingly difficult. It can be calling right by your feet, and you still won’t spot it! But enjoy the challenge. Also, to improve your experience, go with an open mind. Don’t just go wanting to see frogs, and nothing else. There’s so much more to see!

As I have just mentioned, there’s so much more to see than just the frogs. I have been lucky enough to see animals such as owls, mongoose, snakes, chameleons, interesting-looking insects, fascinating spiders and more! So, even if you don’t see many frogs, you’ll be captivated by the other wildlife which is attracted to bodies of water. Walking during the day, and walking at night, are completely different. Night time is like another world, where all the species which hide away during the day, become active. Sometimes, animals are easier to spot while they sleep rather than when they’re active during the day, like chameleons. It’s an exciting time!

You can have some pretty spectacular sightings of these animals while out frogging too. I have watched snakes, crabs, spiders and a Giant Water Bug catching and eating frogs. I’ve seen spiders with babies on the backs, and a spider which caught a small fish.

It is the frogs, however, which is what you did come to see in the first place.There’s so many different-looking species to admire!  From the bizarre-looking Platanna’s in the water, to the  colourful Reed Frogs in the reeds (of course), or the gorgeous Tree Frogs perched high above the water, you will be captivated!

You get to learn more about their behaviour too. I’ve watched male frogs fighting for a calling spot, which is hilarious to watch! They wrestle and try to kick each other off the prized-perch, it’s really entertaining.

They also make different sounds when fighting. Try to learn the calls, by observing a particular species calling if possible. The other alternative is buying the field guide or app to the frogs of SA, both come with the calls.

Of course, there’s also a good chance of you seeing frogs mating, producing the next generation of mosquito-eaters. Not something you see during your normal day.

Frog calls, ringing through your ears, is a surreal experience. It’s nature’s very own music. It can be soothing and calming, but if a lot of Painted Reed Frogs are chirping away, with their high-pitched, short whistles, you may get a headache if I’m honest.

The dangers of frogging…

Frogging, like with any outdoor activity, has it’s dangers. We do live in Africa after all!

Crime is obviously your number one concern. Instead of being wary of snakes or spiders (if you fear them), be more wary of nasty humans! But I must say, I have never heard of anyone being mugged while out frogging. Always be safe rather than sorry though. So always go in a small group. A large group of you (more than ten or so) can cause damage to the habitats that you unavoidably trample through. A group of four or five is ideal.

I’m fortunate enough to say that I have never had a bad experience with humans, while out frogging (*touch wood!). I have only had one unexpected human sighting, which wasn’t life-threatening, well, to me anyway.

I had come across what looked like a body bag, next to a wetland just north of Durban. For some reason, I cannot explain why, but I gave this red cover a good kick, out of curiosity. A low-pitched groan echoed from it, and a man popped out from underneath the cover! I got the fright of my life! I shouted to my friends, who came and surrounded him. We all had bright torches in his face, and we all had some form of weapon (carry something with you, like pepper spray, to be safe). Turned out to be a poor homeless man trying to get some sleep. He could have chosen a better spot…

In some parts of the country, like Zululand for example, there is another potential threat, or two. Hippos, and crocodiles! Going walking around pans where these animals occur isn’t wise, and it’s asking for trouble. Stick to places where you know they don’t occur.

Another experience of mine worth mentioning…

I was in Hluhluwe, exploring a flooded pan on a small game farm. We went there regularly, and often went frogging. We had only seen one croc there before, but it was a small one and had since left the area. On this occasion, there had never been so much water in the dams, which overflowed and formed a pan. I was wading almost waste-high, when suddenly, a crocodiles head popped up two to three meters from me. I froze for a second, and started moving back slowly, and then as I got to more shallow parts, my speed picked up! When getting a better look at the head, from land, the crocodile was actually rather small. But still…it was a real eye-opener!

Sadly, amphibians are the fastest-disappearing group of vertebrates in the world. That’s a scary fact. There are different reasons for that, which can be discussed on another day, but they’re all human-induced causes of course.

Frogs are truly unique animals, in their life-cycles and nature. They serve a very important purpose in our environment too, as predators and as a food source for many different animals.

Now that spring is here, try and make time to go frogging with some friends. Appreciate and admire all the life you see on this special adventure. It’s a great way to socialise, much better than being in a pub or night club. You’ll enjoy yourself, especially if you go with a positive frame of mind. You could have a good laugh or two, as sometimes, a member of your party may sink in the mud or fall in the water! Joelle and I have experienced this predicament on a few occasions, and you just have to laugh it off.  Well, as long as no one gets hurt, and no valuables are damaged, then it can be funny…

Not many better ways to spend a night than out in the bush, frogging!

Please note: When out frogging, please treat the habitat and animals with respect. Please also note that capturing and keeping a frog as a pet will be a death-sentence for the poor frog. There is no market value to them either. Let’s leave the frogs where they belong 🙂

All photos by Nick Evans

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