Coast KZN

Sunningdale  resident and snake man, Jason Arnold, says the community can expect to see a lot more snakes in the area as spring months bring the warmer weather and rainfall; ideal for snake breeding season. The Mozambique Spitting Cobra is among the most common dangerous snakes that start to increase in numbers locally at this time of year, said Arnold. These highly venomous snakes can be found in any area that’s surrounded by natural bush or a river system.

“They only become active in two main parts of the year, one of those being now, between September and November. Then they go into a state of dormancy and become active again  in April, although a little bit less so than now. This is the peak time of the year for them,” he said.

He recently caught a seven-year old female Mozambique Spitting Cobra in the Reservoir Hills area.

“I caught it quite late, in Reservoir Hills on a Sunday evening. The next day it was cold and rainy and I wanted to wait for it to warm up a bit. If I am taking a snake to a completely new area where it has no idea where it is, it’s cruel to do it in the rain, when the snake would usually be sleeping,” he said.

He releases snakes in areas where he knows the species already occurs.

“You don’t want to introduce a new species to an area. I put them in areas where I know they are going to find food, where the habitat is right for them. I try to put them in areas that are as far away from residential homes as possible – this is becoming increasingly difficult because of all the development,” he said.

If a snake is spotted in a garden it is best to leave the snake alone, said Arnold.

“If people spot snakes in the garden, they can phone me and describe it. I’ll ask a series of questions and I’ll know exactly what it is and I can tell them if it’s harmless or dangerous,” said Arnold.

Contact Arnold on 082 745 6375.