From page 29
is the Rinkhals (Hemachatus
snakes.”
finding rinkhals during the
haemachatus), a elapid
If you are not up to catching
winter is quite normal, as they (poisonous) snake closely
snakes yourself, Perry is one
do come out to bask during a
The most common snake found around
winter day.
“The next thing to remember Johannesburg is the rinkhals, which is
is, because the sun is not as
closely related to the true cobras and which
intense as it is in the summer, can rear up and spit its venom
these snakes need to spend a
related to the true cobras and of many herpetologists in
much longer time basking,
a snake that can rear up like a Gauteng who carry out reptile
usually from 1000 to 1500
cobra and “spit” its venom at removals. “All reptiles are
hrs. This leads to them being
caught under the permit
its attacker.
exposed to the view of the
system that is in place in
Perry also reminds us that
plot owners, thus they are
Gauteng. The permit allows
rinkhals do not feature in
being seen more often. They
the capture and removal of
bites to people. “Dogs get
were there during summer
reptiles that have made their
bitten by rinkhals but that is
but they were just not so
appearance in domestic
because dogs will attack the
exposed because they
needed a short basking period snake when they find it in the gardens or commercial
businesses. These reptiles can
garden, and the rinkhals will
to get to an ideal operating
retaliate to defend itself from be kept, made available to
temperature, and then they
other member of
the attack by the dogs. If the
move into shade or underherpetological associations or
dogs did not attack the
growth.”
released back into the wild,
rinkhals
there
would
be
no
The most common snake that
20 km away from where it
dogs
getting
bitten
by
these
occurs around Johannesburg
29
www.sasmallholder.co.za
SNAKES
was caught and into the same
kind of habitat.”
Monitor lizards also turn up
in people's gardens, and
these are normally released,
again at the nearest river.
African Reptiles & Venom
also offer various courses in
snake awareness, snake
identification and dealing
with snakebites. For more
Continued on page 30