Snake & Scorpion Treatment
African Rock Python
Pyton sebae
Geographical Locale
Found in Africa – south of the Sahara; from East Africa through Mozambique, Zimbabwe and into eastern South Africa.
Appearance
· Generally brown with lighter brown and olive green markings.
· Belly is creamy white.
· One of the world’s largest snakes; reaching lengths 6 metres or more.
· Upper and lower jaw bones are not attached so they are able to open these incredibly wide.
· No breastbone so can expand their ribs allowing them to swallow food sources much larger than themselves.
· Pythons are ‘constrictors’ which means they hold their prey with their teeth and crush them with their body; moulding them into a shape suitable for swallowing whole.
Venom
Non-venomous.
Lifecycle
· Oviparous; females lay up to 100 eggs.
· Incubation period is between 2 and 3 months.
· Hatchlings between 50 and 60cms in length.
· Hatchlings have same colour – although more vibrant – as adults.
· Females extremely aggressive when guarding their eggs.
Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
Geographical Locale
Black mambas are found in the southern part of Africa.
Appearance
· Two enlarged venom fangs fixed to the front of the mouth.
· Solid teeth in both jaws.
· Adult Black mambas reach an average of 2.5 meters and a maximum of 4.5 meters in length.
· These snakes are actually a grey to olive colour with lighter scales round their head.
· They take their name from the black colouring inside their mouths.
· Thin and extremely agile.
· Capable of reaching speeds of 20 km/h.
Venom
Extremely poisonous. Largely neurotoxic – poisonous to nerve tissue - but also cardiotoxic – causes heart muscles to stop functioning.
Lifecycle
· Mating takes place in late spring or early summer. (Oct to Dec in Africa).
· After mating the male returns to its own nest.
· Female lays between 10 and 20 Eggs.
· Young Black mambas are self-sufficient from birth and capable of catching prey as big as a rat.
Habits
· Black mambas tend to live in scrubland but can sometimes be found in bushes and small trees.
· They will continue to occupy the same nest for many years if left undisturbed.
· Diet consists mainly of birds and rodents and they actively hunt during the day or night.
· Black mambas are extremely aggressive and will attack without provocation.
Capable of rearing up to a third of its length in the air.
Boomslangs
Dispholidus typus
Geographical Locale
Boomslangs are tree dwelling snakes native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Appearance
· Solid teeth in both jaws with venom fangs in rear part of upper jaw.
· Average length is 1.2 metres but can exceed 1.8 meters.
· Has a short, blunt nose & large prominent eyes with a pear shaped pupil.
· Boomslangs have keeled scales.
· Females usually retain a brown colour.
· Males colouring is highly variable ranging from black to bright green.
· Belly is light green.
· Often confused with the Green mamba (Dendroaspis augusticeps)
Venom
Primarily a haemotoxin – it disables the blood clotting process causes internal and external bleeding.
The Bite
· Puncture marks at wound site.
· Actual bite not very painful.
· Likely to bleed copiously as blood clotting mechanism becomes affected.
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