MORE AFRICAN SNAKES

An angry African Rock Python is really no joke !! This one was estimated 4,5 m & 50 kg !!

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/1000, ISO 1400 

På mitt slange-eventyr i Sør Afrika & Swaziland i mars hadde min venn & guide Mike Perry med seg et betydelig kvantum motgift. De livreddende ampullene ble omsorgsfullt lagt i kjøleskap hver natt (når dette var mulig) og fulgte med ut i felten i kjølebag hver eneste dag. Motgift er i likhet med selve slangegiften ganske "kraftig kost" for den stakkars kroppen det injiseres i, og noen personer vil være,- eller vil ev. lett utvikle allergi mot motgift, og kan dermed like gjerne dø av motgiften som av selve slangebittet. Mike Perry som driver African Snakes & Venom i Johannesburg, lever av å produsere slangegift som råstoff til produksjon av motgift. Han er tilsammen blitt bitt av cobra 3ganger (!!), og har… dessverre for ham, utviklet allergi mot motgift. Siste gang han ble bitt var han like nær ved å dø av motgiften som av selve bittet. Amputasjon av fingre var nødvendig.

Vet du egentlig hvordan motgift fremstilles ?? Det visste ikke jeg før jeg oppdaterte meg på følgende : 

Motgift ble for første gang fremstilt i 1886 og metoden har i prinsippet siden vært uendret. Små kvantum slangegift injiseres i et stort pattedyr, primært hest. Over tid utvikler hesten gradvis immunitet mot giften og dosene i injiseringene økes. Når ønsket imunitet er oppnådd hos hesten blir blod regelmessig tappet og danner basis for fremstilling av motgift ved at serum separeres fra de røde blodlegmene. Personer som blir bitt av en "værsting", feks. en svart mamba, vil trenge injisert STORE mengder motgift, helt opp i 10 ampuller a 20 ml = 200 ml, ... omtrent like mye som en liten flaske cola !

Velbekomme !! 

English : Yes, of course, I do understand that snakes is a pretty narrow issue, and that after having documented cobras & black mambas, the rest may be "too much" for many people. Even though I have a huge material, this will be my last snake-blog from South Africa this time. 

I`m not trying to document as many species as possible, I`m just trying to make … 

some good photography !!  

Hope you`re still out there …… and that you like what you see.

You will find the green mamba in the humid coastal forests  at the south-eastern coast. Really hard to find !! …. and one of my dreams. Known to be just as poisonous as the black one, but more "relaxed". 

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/400, ISO 1600  

Green mamba

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/ 500, ISO 1100

A legend in the coastal bush : the gaboon adder !! The fact that this is a big snake, extremely poisonous, has huge fangs (up to 500 mm) and is capable of injecting lots go venom, makes it a very dangerous snake. 

Nikon D4, Nikkor 14-24 2,8, F/ 8,0, 1/320, ISO 2000, monopod & cable release 

Gaboon adder

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0, f/5,6, 1/400, ISO 1400

The boomslang is connected to forest habitats, it is a good climber and is often seen in trees. The female is grayish (this one) while the males often go greenish in color. Although the innocent "ET- look" the boomslang is extremely poisonous and bites will easily be fatal. 

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/800, ISO 2800   

Female boomslang

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/500, ISO 1400

Female boomslang

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/500, ISO 1400

To escape the boomslang will often drop itself from a tree to the ground to find it`s favorite hide.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0, f/8,0, 1/640, ISO 900

Boomslang fangs !! Normally poisonous snakes have two fangs, one on each side, but fangs are regularly shed and new ones grow out continuously. This one has two pairs of fangs. 

(the snake takes no harm of this treatment !!)

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0, micro, f/6,3, 1/1000, ISO 2200

The wine snake is a long, slender snake with patterns similar to branches and blends in completely in a tree or a bush !! Similar to the boomslang this snake is highly venomous and what makes it extremely dangerous is the fact that there is no anti venom available for this specimen !!!

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/640, ISO 2000   

The Angola green snake (previously known as Western green snake) is completely harmless, it can be lifted and will not bite.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro

All snakes shown up to here (pythons, green mamba, gaboon adder, boomslang, wine snake, forest cobra, Angola green snake etc) are all typical of the South African "lowveld", the thick coastal forests of the south east … with warm climate and high humidity.

Nikon Coolpix P7700

In the higher regions you will find the "high veld" with dryer climate and bigger amplitudes between day- and night temperatures. In the grassy, rocky landscape with scattered bush you will find puff adders, berg adders, Mozambique spitting cobras, rinkhals, shildnose snakes etc.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 14-24 2,8, f/6,3, 1/250, ISO 640

Puff adder is widespread in all Southern & eastern Africa and responsible for the highest number of recorded fatal bites.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/250, ISO 180

Puff adder

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0, f/6,3, 1/250, ISO 400

Berg adder, a smaller relative of the puff adder

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/320, ISO 1800

The brown house snake is widespread all over South Africa, more or less in all habitats and can often be found close to human settlements, hence the name.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/10,0, 1/320, ISO 1100

A brown house snake had attacked a common egg-eater which is even slightly bigger than the brown house snake. It is a constrictor and tries to start swallowing the egg-eater.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/800, ISO 2200

After serious attempts the brown house snake had to give up the bigger egg-eater.

Nikon D4, Nikkor 200 4,0 micro, f/6,3, 1/800, ISO 4000  

At forest bottom : the poisonous shield nose snake

Nikon D4, Nikor 200 4,0 micro, f/4,2, 1/500, ISO 1600