PICS: Three herald snakes removed in Westville
|Published
Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans captured three herald snakes from a storage container in Westville recently.
“Heralds are extremely common, but to get three on a call is a special treat,” Evans said on Monday.
He said in recent weeks he has been receiving calls and attending to requests for herald removals.
Evans said the snakes are probably looking for one last toad meal and hideout before winter. He said with no toads moving about in winter, the species does not bother moving around.
“One of the three had an obvious meal in it,” Evans said.
He explained that heralds can be identified by their grey/olive brown bodies, which have white speckles, and a black colouration at the back of the head.
Evans said some, not all, have a red/orange lip. This can be seen in one of the heralds he photographed. The non-venomous snakes will also flatten their heads out and curl back into a defensive posture, he said. This was also photographed.
“They will strike repeatedly and are great at intimidating those who are nervous about snakes. It’s a good scare tactic, but that's all it is really. Their weak venom is of no concern to people or pets,” Evans explained.
Evans concluded by thanking Snakes for Africa for the referral.
In January, Evans was called out to the Malvern area to capture three herald snakes before 9am on a Tuesday morning.
The first was sadly dead, presumably killed by a cat. The second was hiding under some recently cut foliage, and the third was hiding in a drain.
At the time, Evans said the second and third heralds had full stomachs while the one in the drain must have swallowed an enormous toad.
He said the nocturnal snakes eat frogs, particularly toads.
Evans said heralds are often confused for black mambas.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News