Antivenom Shortage
The South African Vaccine Producers, produces two antivenoms for snakebite – a monovalent antivenom and a polyvalent antivenom.
The South African Vaccine Producers, produces two antivenoms for snakebite – a monovalent antivenom and a polyvalent antivenom.
Animal Planet or Nat Geo put together a documentary in which it was stated that juvenile snakes are more dangerous than adults because they are still dumb and do not know how to control their venom. What research this was based on (if any) is not known.
South Africa has a rich diversity of spider species, with more than 2000 species. This is directly related to our diverse habitats and landscape in southern Africa. Jumping Spiders are the most specious group followed by Ground Spiders and Crab Spiders. Identification of spiders is tricky, and many new species are described each year (Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014).
The Stiletto Snake or Sypikslang (Atractaspis bibronii), is a small, highly venomous snake, that accounts for numerous snakebites during the summer months in Southern Africa. Previously known as a Mole Adder or Moladder, these dark snakes are often confused with harmless-looking snakes, and people tend to pick them up with their hands – the consequences of such a mistake can be very painful.
We have over 4,000 delegates a year attend our snake awareness, first aid for snakebite and venomous snake handling courses. These courses are offered to corporate clients throughout Africa whose staff need to deal with snake encounters on site.
In many of our snake species there is a great deal of colour variation, making identification quite difficult. The Boomslang, Cape Cobra and Mole Snake come to mind.
Identifying snakes can be rather difficult as they vary in colour. The Cape Cobra varies dramatically in colour, often from the same area. Juveniles are brownish yellow with a darker broad throat band but sometimes an orange brown colour while adults vary from near black to dark brown, medium brown, light brown, yellow or a golden orange colour and most of these variations may have darker or lighter speckles. Certain colours may be dominant in some areas (golden yellow individuals from the Kalahari) but that may also vary.
I have built up a large image bank of reptile and amphibian photographs over the past 45 years – arguably the largest collection in Africa.
In some reptiles, except in snakes, the temperature at which eggs are incubated determines the sex of the young.
Snakes don’t have hands, and so they use their mouth and teeth to catch prey, and to defend themselves.