While on drive the other morning I stopped to check some tracks. As I got off my vehicle my tracker caught my attention and pointed to the ground directly under his feet. I came around the vehicle and to my great surprise in the middle of the road lay a very small, much camouflaged, juvenile Vine Snake. I was elated as winter is just coming to a close and as the bush heats up all forms of reptiles are making their appearance. My guests viewed him from a safe distance away as I explained to them what a jewel the sighting was, as we do not see many snakes of this variety so early in the season. Darting his orange tongue tipped with black in and out of his mouth to taste, bringing our scent into his Organ of Jacobson to process all the new information myself and my guests were presenting our new specimen, he quickly decided to slither off. Thankfully my guests had taken quite a few nice pictures, and explaining that the smaller versions of snakes, whether they be juvenile Black Mambas, Puff Adders, or Snouted Cobras, tend to be more aggressive and also bite quicker, pushing through more venom to protect themselves, we carried on to see what else the bush had in store for us that morning.
Thelotornis capensis, also known as a Vine Snake, Bird Snake, or Twig Snake is one of the most venomous snakes found in southern Africa. It is not quick to bite, quite like the Boomslang or Tree Snake, and has to be prodded, trod upon, or seriously upset to attack with its back-fanged mouth structure. Its haemotoxic venom is highly dangerous and is not noticed within the system until some days after the bite has occurred. The only remedy for a bite from this snake is continuous blood transfusions as haemotoxic venom makes one bleed excessively internally.
The eyes of a Twig Snake are especially equipped for it’s habitat of trees and shrubs, with keyhole shaped pupils added a binocular vision dimension that not many snakes have. Main prey includes lizards, chameleons, frogs, and occasionally birds. The strike to its prey usually comes from above and it often swallows its prey whole. Vine Snakes come in many different patterns and shades. The one witnessed by myself and my guests was almost uniformly grayish-white with tiny black speckles along its body. As they grow older orange markings within in black ones, occur on the head and the grayish-white pattern becomes more complex, making them appear as twigs or branches as they lay motionless in trees awaiting their prey.
Summer is definitely on its way after a cold and dreary winter. Welcome back to our reptiles, insects, and migrating birds!
By: Noelle DiLorenzo – Ranger Kapama River Lodge
