Just because the snake in your garden is green, does not make it a Green Mamba. And if it is dark or black, it is not necessarily a Black Mamba.
Knowing the snakes that share your living space will go a long way to not only keeping yourself safe but also knowing when to just let it continue slithering about its business. Or you could call in a professional to remove it.
Renowned Durban snake catcher Nick Evans says he was called out for 159 mambas last year, and this year’s number is already over 150.
“I receive so many calls but a lot of the time the snake has already disappeared by the time I get there. Some people only call me the day after they saw the snake.”
Most of his mamba call-outs are on hot days, especially if it is going to rain.
“I don’t go out to every call I get, and I try convince people to just let the snakes go as they are harmless.”
Green Mambas
Of all the calls he gets from people saying they have a Green Mamba on their property, only about 5% actually end up being this snake. Most often, people confuse a Green Mamba and Spotted Bush Snake, which is by far the most common snake he encounters when getting called out.
“Depending on the area, I also have an idea of whether the Green Mamba I have been called out for is actually going to be a mamba as these snakes are generally coastal, although some are found in inland areas – Silverglen in Chatsworth being one of them.”
In addition to the Spotted Bush Snake, people also mistake the Natal Green Snake and Green Water Snake for a Green Mamba. So this is how you tell them apart, Evans explains.
- A Green Mamba is solid green, both top and bottom
- A Spotted Bush snake is also green, but has spots halfway up its body
- The Green Water Snake is thinner than a mamba and has a white belly
- The Natal Green Snake, Green Water Snake, and the Spotted Bush snake are all thinner than mambas and are usually white or yellow underneath
“They are non-venomous and mostly eat geckos and frogs.”
When inspecting the snake, however, Evans says you should never get closer than five metres to it. If you are able to photograph it and send this to a snake expert then they will help you identify it.
Black Mambas
Of all the call-outs he attends for Black Mambas, only about 30% of them are this snake. Yet this snake is the easiest to spot because of its size. Baby mambas, which are 50cm to 60cm in length when they hatch, will usually hide so are not often seen. But because they are small and scared, they will tend to open their mouths if they are spotted. And that is how you can also tell if a snake is a mamba – their mouths are black inside.
“Black Mambas are usually over two metres long, and we very rarely find them smaller than that, unless we see the babies,” Evans says.
The Herald Snake is the one most commonly mistaken for a Black Mamba, but this snake is usually shorter than one metre.
“This snake is very defensive so if it gets scared it will flatten its head and hiss, and this is why people confuse it for a Black Mamba.”
The Herald Snake and the Brown House Snake are often thought to be Black Mambas as they can be a very dark brown that looks black. But the Brown House Snake usually only grows to just over one metre in length, he explains.
“If you can get close enough to look at the Brown House Snake you may notice half of its body has stripes, like a cream colour, but often you cannot see it.”
The Herald Snake, which eats frogs, has mild venom that is harmless to humans, but the Brown House Snake, which eats rats and lizards, is not venomous.
Snakes to be wary of
Evans says the snake people need to know about is the Stiletto Snake, which is seen the most in Durban summers. It is about 30cm to 40cm long so people confuse it for a large worm or baby snake and then pick it up. This is when it bites.
“The venom will not kill you but it is painful and can cause tissue damage.”
So if most of these snakes are harmless to humans, why do so many people kill them or ask for them to be removed?
“Some people just cannot stand the sight of any snake so will call for it to be removed,” Evans says, adding: “But the only snakes you need to be careful of are the Green and Black mambas, the Stiletto Snake, and the Mozambique Spitting Cobra, which is often found in areas like Queensburgh, Westville, and Reservoir Hills.
“The Mozambique Spitting Cobra has orange and black under its neck, and you can see this even when they are moving. When it is scared though and stands up, then you can see these colours clearly.
“The average size of this snake is about 1.5m.”
The danger of killing snakes
Evans tries to convince people to just let any snakes they see go, but some of them just won’t and would rather kill them.
“Killing snakes is dangerous. We see very few mamba bites in Durban, usually less than five a year, but the reason for the bites is often because people were trying to kill them. A lot of the time the people bitten were hitting the snake.
“All animals are just doing the job they were created to do. The Black Mamba eats rats and small dassies. They are actually good for ridding Durban of its rats.”
The Green Mamba eats birds and, occasionally, rats.
Evans advises that if you do encounter a snake not to kill it or try catch it.
“Either just let it be or get in a professional to remove it.”
Very often, the snake only dry bites you, which is a bite that does not release any venom.
“This is usually a warning to stay away. Venomous bites usually occur when the snake is in pain, like when people are hitting it.”
He adds: “People must keep their pets away from snakes if they can, although dogs usually find the snake first. In many cases, dogs kill mambas and cobras and then die themselves.”
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