Photos by Carissa Marks
On June 7 we all piled into the van bus and headed to Ralf Kalwa’s house to meet snake and reptile experts, Daniel and William. Daniel introduced us to a variety of snakes in all shapes and sizes including a boomslang, a cobra and a black mamba. It was a great experience to be able to meet and speak with these snake experts and learn about the work that they do for snake conservation and also for people in South African communities. Some of the services that Daniel and his partners provide include educating homeowners and communities about snakes and the threats they may or may not pose to humans, how to keep snakes away from homes, how to react in the presence of a snake and more.
Below I’ve posted some facts we learned and some videos of Daniel Louw discussing different types of snakes.
Black Mamba Facts:
The black mamba’s venom is a neurotoxin
Because of their sizes, attitudes and neurotoxic venom black mambas are considered to be the most dangerous snakes in the world
The inside of a black mambas mouth is inky black
Boomslang Facts:
The boomslang is the most venomous snake in South Africa
It’s also one of the most inoffensive snakes, meaning they’re shy and they won’t attack without good reason
The boomslang's fangs are on the back of its mouth while the fangs of other snakes are typically in the front of the mouth
They have rough, textured scales which improve their camouflage capabilities