Summer snakes

[nicolaasdekker]

Thanks,

Was worried there for a second, because Howissin's Poort is apparently also called Scoops and I've been there 3 times with my kids. Not that I imagine that any wilderness area is safe, but I'd imagine that a cape cobra settling in the area would be a bit of a hazard.

[Wes]

Climbing at Silvermine Lower yesterday, my boet came across this beauty. Thicker then your wrist and between 1.5 and 2m in length. He we in a crack near the top of wet dreams.

Anyone have any ideas what type of snake it is?

Snake at Silvermine Lower

534649_10150778192472489_661507488_11965691_1612576925_n.jpg (157.66 KiB) Viewed 10434 times

[justin]

Wow!

No idea what snake it is, but I made the image a little lighter.

[mullet]

Cool sighting. I'm no expert so I could be wrong, but that thing has got boomslang written all over it.

[Leebo]

Definitely boomslang. Possibly male from the yellow colouring on the under-belly. Looks like a good size!

I think we also saw this guy the other weekend. Was it hiding in a crack on the 19 at the end of lower crag?

[mokganjetsi]

these images on capesnakerescue.co.za of a boomslang looks about right

http://capesnakerescue.co.za/about/boomslang/

scary thought if that boytji made one of the better routes at lower silvermine his home. would not want to be bitten by him!

[paulgoddard]

Wes, a standing ovation to your boet for having the balls to hang around long enough to take a pic. Is he mad ?
Would have shat myself !!!

[shorti]

Relax ladies, they don't bite sommer net for no reason Even if they do, you can consider yourself extremely unlucky if he manages to pump you full of venom. If you saw its head it would remove all doubt. The big eyes will be a dead give away, but I agree, not many snakes that big with that pattern on the belly.

PS. For those who don't know, don't stick your finger down its throat, their venom is super bad. You'll bleed through every orifice and probably die. Luckily they are not aggressive and have tiny teeth at the back of their mouths. They have to basically chew a bit to get the venom into your system.

[Wes]

Lee: Correct, it was spotted near the top of wet dreams at Silvermine Lower. Although I think it was off to the side of the route.

To second what shorti said, they are pretty relaxed and unlikely to bite without being provoked.

Edit: snort to shorti

[mokganjetsi]

To second what snort said

i think you're confusing shorti & snort. but they do look alike

[NatureBoi]

You might recall Summer snakes http://www.climb.co.za/forum/viewtopic. ... 7&start=30

This is the story of winter snakes:

After warming up on the easiest route at Pump House , Lower Silvermine, I decided to climb a grade harder on the route at the far right of the crag, about 2m left of the anchors there is a climbers friend which I declined to use as I want to do a cleaner ascent. I had a really good hold with my left hand and was padding around the lip feeling for a hold so that I could clip the chains. Suddenly I heard rustling and a hiss, so I screeched and leant back slightly to see the head of an alive climbers friend, Mr Boomslang. I say friend as he has been spotted on numerous occasions by various parties over the past few months.
He was about 1m meter from me and we checked each other out for about 2 minutes before he decide to retreat. There was much enthusiasm in our party, but a little sad that we did not get a picture. I down climbed and we decided to stick to the left of the crag.
30 minutes had passed whilst the stronger climbers were working the sequence of a hard 21 and beginners were playing on a 19 in the corner where we had set up a top rope. A visiting traveler from Denmark whom was with his Aunt, was on the route when he too heard rustling and saw movement in the bush in the photo's.
Out pops the head of our brazen friend, flexing his authority on his crag. He disappeared into a nice hand jam rail.
Suffice to say that that was the end of climbing for the now neurotic beginners and we all got the RP of 21- we all climbed way too fast to get pumped!

[atropos]

Definitely boomslang. Possibly male from the yellow colouring on the under-belly.

It's a male alright

[Geoffrey]

Relax ladies, they don't bite sommer net for no reason Even if they do, you can consider yourself extremely unlucky if he manages to pump you full of venom. If you saw its head it would remove all doubt. The big eyes will be a dead give away, but I agree, not many snakes that big with that pattern on the belly.

PS. For those who don't know, don't stick your finger down its throat, their venom is super bad. You'll bleed through every orifice and probably die. Luckily they are not aggressive and have tiny teeth at the back of their mouths. They have to basically chew a bit to get the venom into your system.

Now I was under the same impression until recently when a conservation friend of mine enlightened me ... they can open their jaws 170 degrees and can bite you on your chest, don't push your luck!

Stay safe
Geoff

[micky]

no photo but almost ran into a baby cobra on the path into badkloof coming from the hotel side. It was about 20 meters past where the springs fence ends ...

[Not]

When we were there last weekend some people walking on the otherside of the river from Waterworld came across a 1.5m cobra. Badkloof seems to be cobra-riffic this year...

[atropos]

Relax ladies, they don't bite sommer net for no reason Even if they do, you can consider yourself extremely unlucky if he manages to pump you full of venom. If you saw its head it would remove all doubt. The big eyes will be a dead give away, but I agree, not many snakes that big with that pattern on the belly.

PS. For those who don't know, don't stick your finger down its throat, their venom is super bad. You'll bleed through every orifice and probably die. Luckily they are not aggressive and have tiny teeth at the back of their mouths. They have to basically chew a bit to get the venom into your system.

Now I was under the same impression until recently when a conservation friend of mine enlightened me ... they can open their jaws 170 degrees and can bite you on your chest, don't push your luck!

Stay safe
Geoff

It is a fallacy that a boomslang cannot use their fangs properly and that they need to chew for envenomation to occur. What often happens is that they'll give a dry-bite (no venom injected). Remember that venom is costly in resources for a snake; using it up on you could also mean missing a meal.

Don't push it though, you're less likely to receive a dry-bite if the snake is agitated in any way - so don't go around prodding them with sticks or the sort to see what they'll do. The more stressed the snake the more the chance of a higher dose of venom if it does tag you.

The venom of the boomslang is drop for drop the most potent of any South African snake, the onset of symptoms is relatively slow, 24-48 hours, and the antivenin is only kept in Johannesburg.

Luckily they rarely bite if you leave them alone. Most victims have been people that work with them directly.

[Wes]

Not necessarily a South African snake, but I though it would be appropriate for a climbing audience.

[justin]

haha... all you would need to do is re-thread it (making sure that the tail is long enough

[pierre.joubert]

.

[justin]

Friendly reminder Summer is coming (hope I don't jinx it!)
The tortoise's in my garden are starting to roam around, by blood temperature... that means the snakes are also probably not far behind!

[onehand]

Are PUFF adders not BROWN ish and BERG adders GREY ish and shorter ( only 900mm)?
met both of them on the Venster path already. Also saw some Tahr prints half way down few weeks back.
"None so blind as they that do not see" ??
Aundre

[Brussel]

onehand; spot on Berg adders are short normally less than 50 cm and are very grey puffies are much bigger and yellow

I saw a tahr two weeks back on on Kloof Corner

[justin]

I saw a tahr two weeks back on on Kloof Corner

Me too, he was quite chilled and looked a little lonely

[Brussel]

seriously must be the same tahr and I swear it was in EXACTLY the same place too

[Wes]

I've often seen them on Devils Peak Minor on the knife edge side. And also came across one earlier in the year, on diagonal.

[Stefan Smeda]

source : http://www.rockandice.com/video-gallery ... ign=buffer

[henkg]

The following Poison Information comes from the Poison Information Centre Website
+27 21 938-6084 (office hours)
+27 21 931-6129 (24 hours)

Initial Pre-hospital management of snakebite First Aid

Before leaving on a hike, climbing, mountain biking or camping trip, find out where the nearest medical facility is and note the telephone number.

• In the case of a snake bite, get the patient to a medical facility as soon as possible. Phone ahead to notify them of the arrival of a snake bite victim. Note that, in most cases, you have a couple of hours before serious lifethreatening symptoms manifest themselves.

• Immobilise the patient if possible. If alone, keep calm and do not walk too fast or run as this speeds up the distribution of the venom.

• Do not suck the bite site. Do not apply a tourniquet.

• ONLY in suspected neurotoxic bites (mamba, Cape Cobra), is it recommended that you apply a wide crepe bandage firmly above the bite site (as tightly as for a
sprained ankle) to slow the spread of venom to vital organs like the heart and lungs.

• The life threatening neurotoxic effects of Mamba and Cape Cobra bites (such as difficulty in breathing) develop within 30 min to 4 hours. If you are more than 2 hrs
away from medical assistance, respiratory support (e.g. mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) may be necessary.

• The life threatening effects of a cytotoxic snake bite (e.g. puff adder) develop late (6-24 hours).

• Comforting and reassuring the patient is a very important part of the first aid treatment.

• Try to get a good description of the snake.

• NOTE: Antivenom should only be administered by the trained medical staff in a medical facility.

Tygerberg Poison Information Centre (Tel: 021 931 6129)
Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences,
Stellenbosch University
http://www.sun.ac.za/poisoncentre

I know you are not supposed to hike alone, but what would the advice be if you hike alone and are say 2h away from a telephone? Lie back and make good with your Maker?

[tygereye]

Either lie still and wait to die, or try to save yourself:
Stay calm.
Apply a firm bandage with what you have on you (sock/T-shirt).
Walk towards help/reception as quickly as possible without getting your heart rate up.

[justin]

BUMP

It's that time again (certainly here in Montagu). Mostly seeing Cobras right now.
Take care.

See also: http://www.capenature.co.za/snake-protection-summer/

[mattb595]

Was going up the stairs on the corner where the beacon is to climb at fountain and spotted a long brown snake couldn't see the head unfortunately but I'm pretty sure it was just a mole snake but it very well could have been a cobra so just keep a look out when walking on that contour path towards the cable car.