Snakes on a plane... err... trail

[Vetseun]

Just keep some anti-venom at home then.

When I was living up in kasane ( Chobe) Botswana. My housemate and I used to be the local snake wranglers for all the locals and lodges. Kept anti venom in the fridge as the nearest hospital that could treat us was francistown a good 6 hrs drive.

 

The most common snakes we caught where puffies, Af rock pythons and a lot of Anchietas cobras ( formally angola cobra)

You ever been bitten?

[No Hare]

bosluis pappie

 

but what kind of tick is the question?

[rouxtjie]

That's something I've thought about - keeping anti-venom at home. So where do you buy it from, and how long does it keep in the fridge before it expires. Can you get for mamba, vipers, etc?

 

Only problem again is that cell signal is pretty much zero in the hills just outside Ballito. I'd need to carry a satellite phone or something...

Don't you guys have the infamous "mamba alley" there at holla?

[tombeej]

Don't you guys have the infamous "mamba alley" there at holla?

 

For sure . I posted about mamba gorge a little while back in this thread (see post #54)

 

But there's a worse section - the long descent on the black route back down from the escarpment.

[Marq001]

Maybe I was lucky thus far... but Sunday in Paarl mountain was my first (offroad) snake encounters as well. One small brown with darker brown markings, struggling uphill to suddenly find the freakin branch I'n about to ride over in 5-4-3... starts flicking out a tongue! Then going downhill at a pace (for me...) around a blind corner and one big black one slithering away "dat die stof so staan". Surprised my saddle is still white(ish). It was a really big SOB.

 

Two to many for me - I risked the cars and headed back via main road!

 

I won't kill them, but I seriously do not like them. Of all the creatures put on the earth, they really give me the heebees.

We found the same snake a bit earlier, and surmised a mongoose had killed them and was scared off by bikers while eating the one. actually odd to find 2 dead snakes 10 m apart in the same path. I believe it was a rhinkals (spitting cobra) then a bit later in the week we got this pic of the same snake taken a bit earlier which explained everything.

 

2 snakes to be carefull of when cycling in da bush "mamba" & "cobra" if startled the will attack you or your bike, this time the bike won.

 

I am so sh*t scared of snakes that I think I could possibly break world records for running away crying like a little girl.... the picture of that snake stuck in the rear wheel is probably my biggest fear! I have no idea what i would do.... If anyone if riding in the pta/east rand area and finds a Scott Spark with a snake stuck in the wheel lying the middle of nowhere, its mine.. youll probably find me up a tree or running at light speed very far away.

[Guest The Bushpig]

I was trailrunning in Groenkloof some time back and went right past a Mozambique Spitting cobra.

Heard a rustle and looked back to see him/her reared up about a meter behind me.

I screamed like a little girl . Never had such a fright in my life !

 

Now that is a cocky snake(in my limited experience). I followed a really spectacular specimen once while out hunting, at a distance(about 3-4m) which I thought was safe and wouldn't spook the snake. As soon as he became aware of me, I got a very brief warning flare of the hood, followed immediately by a full jet of venom which fortunately fell short and sprayed my neck, jacket and hands. I guess he was just having a bad morning and got a fright; always a possibility.

 

The burning question for me still is: Would I have been able to pee in my own eyes to flush that venom if it landed where it was supposed to?

[MuddyMike]

I am 99% sure its a Rinkhals (the hood is visble and the colouring is right). We have them on our property and I relocate them regulary if they come too close to the house. There actually quite common but nocturnal so if you see one in the day rest asured there are plenty more around. (Never seen a mouse or rat around our house) Actually came acros a decent size one on Saturday of about 1.5m and he quickly dissapeared into a hole. They can also spray venom so if you come across one, keep your sunnies on.

[Paul Ruinaard]

There was an someone on the old Spinman forum who had a pet Rinkhals that got too big and cocky, so he released it to the wild. Problem was he let it free at the bottom of the Main road hill uin Lonehill on the river towards Leeukop prison. I stopped riding there for about 3 months as he reckoned it was about 7 feel long.

[Manx18]

First attempt at posting a picture...could work...or not!

 

Picture taken at Meerendal a week or so ago. Believe it or not, the snake was aparently extracted and slithered away, looking no worse for wear!

[Guest The Bushpig]

I am 99% sure its a Rinkhals (the hood is visble and the colouring is right). We have them on our property and I relocate them regulary if they come too close to the house. There actually quite common but nocturnal so if you see one in the day rest asured there are plenty more around. (Never seen a mouse or rat around our house) Actually came acros a decent size one on Saturday of about 1.5m and he quickly dissapeared into a hole. They can also spray venom so if you come across one, keep your sunnies on.

[jcmeyerSS]

You ever been bitten?

Touch wood

NO

Not by anything that could kill me. Been stung and bite by all else. Had an af rock bite a hole in my school shoe once

Edited November 21, 2012 by jcmeyerSS

[jcmeyerSS]

 

 

That's something I've thought about - keeping anti-venom at home. So where do you buy it from, and how long does it keep in the fridge before it expires. Can you get for mamba, vipers, etc?

 

Only problem again is that cell signal is pretty much zero in the hills just outside Ballito. I'd need to carry a satellite phone or something...

Google is your friend.

They don't keep for more than a year. We did use some expired stuff to treat my mates GSP (German short haired pointer) from a cobra bite and it worked a treat but wouldn't suggest it on humans.

Isolated, no cell reception, endless bushveld. Sounds like a *** spot to live. Not. (haha lucky bastard) I'm off to open a new concession and build a lodge in CAR next year can't wait, so over jhb.

Bottom line is don't get bit. Read up on the snakes in your area and their activity, habitat and behaviour. This could limit the chance of an encounter. Prevention is better than cure.

[RockCoach]

 

Touch wood

NO

Not by anything that could kill me. Been stung and bite by all else. Had an af rock bite a hole in my school shoe once

 

What is that?

[Alouette3]

Had a beautiful Puffy stretched out on the gravel road at Tokai couple weeks back, luckily we missed him, seeing he was half the length of the road!

[jcmeyerSS]

 

 

What is that?

Sorry explained in previous post. African Rock Python

[Guest The Bushpig]

Google is your friend.

They don't keep for more than a year. We did use some expired stuff to treat my mates GSP (German short haired pointer) from a cobra bite and it worked a treat but wouldn't suggest it on humans.

Isolated, no cell reception, endless bushveld. Sounds like a *** spot to live. Not. (haha lucky bastard) I'm off to open a new concession and build a lodge in CAR next year can't wait, so over jhb.

Bottom line is don't get bit. Read up on the snakes in your area and their activity, habitat and behaviour. This could limit the chance of an encounter. Prevention is better than cure.

 

Amen and Yes Please.