Snakes! (Linda Don't Read This!)

          There are two potentially very dangerous snakes in the area where I am. One is the puff adder, a snake with cytotoxic venom that attacks the surrounding cells causing severe swelling, hemorrhage, and even necrosis. The other, more dangerous snake is the cape cobra. This snake has a neurotoxic venom that affects the nervous system and respiratory system.

         Both snakes have occasionally been sighted around the reserve where I am staying, and it is important to know how to treat both types of bites and what to do, just in case. The puff adder in particular likes to lay in the middle of paths at night, waiting for prey to walk by. They generally don’t make much noise as you approach, and I’ve heard several stories of people walking right next to them, nearly stepping on them, without noticing.

         The good thing is, the puff adder doesn’t automatically send you to the hospital, and the cape cobra can be choosey with its venom and not every bite injects the potentially deadly substance.

          Anyway, the reason I’m writing about snakes is because I saw my first puff adder just the other day. It was crossing a path near the farmhouse when one of the volunteers heading to the laundry room nearly stepped on it. I saw a small crowd of people looking at something and went to see what all the fuss was about. It was quite a large one too, about as thick as my forearm.

         Tim, the general manager, was alerted of the existence of the snake so that it could be quickly dealt with. He has had much experience with removing the two types of dangerous snakes on the reserve, and has snake hooks and tongs to pick them up with. He got the snake out of the grass and plopped it into a plastic tub, so that it could be driven a few kilometers away and released. Apparently he actually prefers dealing with cape cobras, because they are longer and easier to pick up. The puff adders are short and thick, and can be difficult to pick up.

So, I can now saw I’ve been just a few feet away from one of the deadliest snakes in Africa! How cool is that! (The main reason it’s the deadliest is due to improper care and their frequency near human habitation, they’re really not that super deadly). I hope the pictures do it justice.