[imagesource: Nick Evans]
It’s not often that you hear about needing to watch your step.
But during this summer season, you would be wise to be wary and watch your step. Why? You might ask.
Well, it so happens to be snake season.
It’s common for these cold-blooded reptiles to make more public appearances as the temperature begins to rise, per the Western Cape Health Department.
So since they’re suckers for warm, summery weather, our serpentine peers are set to become more active from now, October to April.
For that reason, we suggest that you keep a special lookout while you’re out and about with dear friends, family, and loved ones.
Most bites occur outdoors, specifically at popular hiking trails like Lions Head and a range of picnic spots:
Springtime on the trails.
@LionsHeadCPT can you ask your pets to behave. pic.twitter.com/pcB8Z1KR9x
— vuurtoring (@vuurtoring) October 4, 2021
Our country is rife with mostly harmless snakes slithering about, however, their ability to bite should not be taken lightly.
In Cape Town, the most common venomous snakes to look out for are the Cape Cobra, Puff Adder, and Boomslang:
The Mole Snake should also be taken seriously, as despite them not being venomous, they can deliver a painful bite that may require stitches, according to Blouberg Snake Rescue:
According to Cape Town ETC, death by snakebite is a rare phenomenon in South Africa, with only about 12 people per year dying from venom poisoning:
“Cape Cobras have a predominantly neurotoxic venom that causes gradual paralysis, Puff Adders have a cytotoxic venom that causes tissue damage and the Boomslang has a haemotoxic venom that causes bleeding issues.” wrote Cape Town Etc.
“With any snakebite incident, it’s best to get to a hospital ASAP. The amount of time it takes before symptoms present itself can differ based on the person’s age, and the snake species amongst other factors.”
Snakes aren’t aggressive creatures and they only bite when they are provoked, afraid, feeling unsafe or forced to act in self-defence.
In case you find yourself enjoying a picnic or going on a trek and a snake decides to ruin the festivities, Blouberg’s Snake Rescue highly recommend that you follow these life-saving tips.
- Always remain calm as panicking increases the victim’s heart rate, which allows the venom to spread faster in the body.
- Limit any form of activity that could also increase your heart rate.
- Don’t run, walk or pace up and down.
- It’s advisable to let someone else drive you to the nearest hospital.
If you are going to let your adventurous side soar this season please take a few precautions.
You can keep the free https://www.snakebiteapp.co.za/ app on your phone, which provides contact details for nearby hospitals as well as a summary of snakebite first aid instructions so you can act on the spot.
My soccer coach used to tell us that each player must keep their head on a swivel so we would be aware of our position on the pitch, and that advice can totally be used off the field.
[source: capetownetc]
