Common egg-eater
Herald snake
Cape cobra
Puff adder
Mole snake
Brown House Snake
These are the types of snakes most commonly found in the Goldfields:
- Rinkhals – Venomous and spits accurately up to 3 m. Quick to feign death with the body turned upside down and the mouth hanging open. Venom largely cytotoxic.
- Common egg-eater – Harmless, nocturnal snake. When agitated it will coil and uncoil, striking out viciously.
- Herald snake (Rooilippie) – Mildly venomous, nocturnal snake. Feeds on toads. Poses no threat to humans or domestic animals.
- Cape cobra – Venomous. Venom is potently neurotoxic and may rapidly affect breathing. May stand its ground when threatened, forming a hood and may be quick to strike.
- Puff adder – Venomous. A heavy bodied snake that relies on camouflage and is reluctant to move. Venom is potently cytotoxic and will cause severe pain, swelling, blistering and, in many cases, severe tissue damage.
- Mole snake – Active during the daytime. Has no venom and constricts prey. Has sharp teeth and adults can inflict a serious bite, which might even require stitches.
- Brown house snake – Active at night. A harmless constrictor that has no venom. Frequents human dwellings, where it feeds on rodents and lizards.
For more information on these snakes as well as other species, spiders and scorpions, download the African Snakebite Institute (ASI) Snakes App.
