Day one of the Cape Reptile Institute snake handling course. -- Download the “Snake Removal Pro” app to have instant access to your nearest snake catcher’s contact details, read frequently asked questions, watch snake rescue videos, and more: http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro -- Your donations help us keep our community and wildlife safe! Even tiny amounts from enough of our fans would help us cover our fuel cost & time - simply click on one of the "Donate" buttons here: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muIELmMG4Ag

Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) - venomous and very dangerous. -- Most of the Cape Cobras I capture in the area are speckled yellow or speckled brown, but every now and then I see one of these dark brown (almost black) specimens. I was called out to a place near Atlantis to remove the animal from a building this morning. It was quite placid, but even so this is not a snake to take chances with - a juvenile or sub-adult Cape Cobra is just as dangerous as a fully-grown one. -- Also known as a "Koperkapel" or "Geelslang" in Afrikaans, the Cape Cobra is a common venomous snake in our area that can range in color from yellow through reddish brown to black. When threatened or cornered, it's quick to spread a hood and won't hesitate to bite. Cape Cobra venom is highly neurotoxic (the most potent of any African cobra), which means that it attacks the nervous system and causes respiratory collapse (the victim stops breathing), which in turn leads to suffocation. As in most cases, this snake was doing its best to try and get away from us humans. Even though it's essential to be respectful of the danger that a snake like a Cape Cobra poses, if you give them room to escape they will always try to get away and hide - there's no snake in South Africa that will aggressively chase you. -- Download the “Snake Removal Pro” app to have instant access to your nearest snake catcher’s contact details, read frequently asked questions, watch snake rescue videos, and more: http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro -- Your donations help us keep our community and wildlife safe! Even tiny amounts from enough of our fans would help us cover our fuel cost & time - simply click on one of the "Donate" buttons here: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Su06YtcbSI

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Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) - venomous and very dangerous. *Please click on the button below to "Share" this post!* -- We get far fewer callouts this time of year (snakes don't hibernate in South Africa, but they are less active during the winter months), so I'm always happy when someone calls me - especially when it's for something as beautiful as a Boomslang! The home owners saw this snake raiding a nearby bird's nest, then called me and kept an eye on it until I arrived. Although very hesitant to bite, one of the signs that a Boomslang is anxious is that it puffs up its neck - you can see this snake doing just that right before I put it in the bucket. -- Boomslang are known for their strikingly large eyes - the largest of any African snake. Females are light to olive brown with dirty white to brown bellies, whereas males may have a variety of colors but usually present dark green on top with yellow bellies and black markings in-between their belly scales. Shy and diurnal (active during the day), they spend most of their lives in trees and shrubs where they hunt eggs, birds, frogs, chameleons, and other tree-dwelling lizards. Their venom is haemotoxic, which means that it affects the clotting mechanism in blood and leads to severe internal and external bleeding, or even haemorrhage if untreated. Although potent, the venom is slow-acting and may take more than 24 hours to produce serious symptoms - an effective anti-venom is available in some locations. There are two common myths about the Boomslang: firstly, that they drop from trees onto people who walk by (they don’t), and secondly that because they’re rear-fanged they can only bite you on your little finger (they are rear-fanged, but can open their jaws 170 degrees and bite you almost anywhere on your body). -- Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/bsr-yt Like us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/bsr-fb Download our App: http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro Make a Donation: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/ Contact Us: +27 82 385 1589 -- Download our FREE “Snake Removal Pro” app to have instant access to your nearest snake catcher’s contact details, read frequently asked questions, watch snake rescue videos, and more: http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro You can help us keep our wildlife safe! Even small donations help immensely: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydmGoWWnYbw