James Ashe Antivenom Trust

Last night, my neighbour suddenly came running to say a snake was raiding one of his guinea fowl nests. He had gone out in the dark to take an egg for his supper and had “put in his hand and touched something soft.” Quickly shining his torch he discovered that it was a snake.  Perhaps he should have shone the torch first, and then he would have seen where he was putting his hand.  However, in this case he was lucky!

The snake turned out to be a beautiful red Egg-Eater who had just managed to swallow one of the hard-shelled eggs into her throat by the time I got there. Our local egg eaters usually are grey but we get the occasional red ones and we are always glad to see any of them.

The helpless snake regurgitated the egg when I picked her up. The egg didn’t break, as guinea fowl eggs have strong shells. My neighbour was able to rinse it off and add the egg to his meal!

I am not sure it pays to be diligent.

At dusk yesterday, I went with a crowd of little children to their house not far away.  The children told me that a snake had gone in after chickens roosting inside the house. Unfortunately, having farm animals and livestock in the house is still a common practice in Kenya, as in much of Africa.

The house was a relatively new coral block building with corrugated iron roof, but there was no floor on the inside. There were even more children crowded at the front door and a small oil-lamp flickered in the bedroom the snake had entered.

There was one chicken on the bed, another in the far corner and a fierce black mother hen guarded a clutch of chicks in the corner under the bed. It was these chicks the snake had been after.

From the children’s description the snake must have been a cobra but it had sensibly retreated from the growing number of little human beings in the limited space. A thorough search of the entire house showed that the snake had made a clean getaway.

I did remember to spray my feet with insecticide when I got home but obviously didn’t do a good job of it because I am now nursing a neat nest of jigger eggs in the sole of my foot.

For more information about how to avoid being bitten by a snake, see our page “Simple Steps.”  You will discover there the role of livestock in the frequency of snakebite occurrence as well as how to avoid being bitten by a snake, and what to do as First Aid if you do receive a bite from a snake.

A young python got into our animal house and helped itself to one rabbit and 3 guinea pigs - a huge meal for a mere seven foot python - we shall improve our defences!

But it is a reminder that people should not keep livestock in their dwellings - a very common occurrence in rural areas of developing countries.

Too often we get calls to remove cobras or puff adders that have come in to get eggs or chicks from hens allowed to roost indoors. Another attraction for snakes is the apparent security and comfort of cool, dark corners to snooze and digest their meals. A friend of ours thought a burglar had come into her room but it was a large python which had eaten a goat and decided that under her bed was a good place to sleep it off!

Engaged recently in a conversation about phobias, I could not quickly think what to suggest to an acquaintance whose horror was the sound of people chewing; that was a real social stopper! Later, I wish I had asked if she had ever listened to the sound of a grazing cow or horse. That, to me has always been a soothing noise, made even better by the lovely smell of fresh cut grass.

Are you phobic about snakes, other species of animals or, indeed, anything?

Panicky, unwarranted fear of snakes is a commonplace: “Oh, I can’t even watch them on television without having nightmares.” A snake phobia can be general, or it can be an unwarranted fear of specific aspects of snakes, their movement, a particular colour or pattern and so on. Only a little general knowledge of snakes, plus the wish to overcome your fear of them, is all that you need to conquer your snake phobia.

To be reasonably frightened of snakes is not a bad thing. A good jolt of adrenaline at an unexpected encounter can cause you to leap out of harm’s way. Irrational panic, however, can lead to dangerously illogical actions.

To make sure that your fear is reasonable, warranted and manageable, learn whatever you can about snakes that are commonly found in your area or, if you are traveling, in the places you intend to visit.

Learn to recognise the local snakes and to distinguish which are harmless and which are venomous. Become familiar with the snakes’ habits, whether they are diurnal or nocturnal, what is their main source of food and where you are most likely to find them.

Knowing where snakes live, hunt and sleep can help you avoid an unexpected and unwelcome meeting with any snake. Being able to recognize the different species and to discern the venomous ones will prepare you to evaluate the risk of danger in a rational way. More importantly, it will equip you with the confidence you need, so that you will not panic during any chance encounter with members of the local snake species.

A new resident in Watamu came to Bio-Ken Snake Farm especially seeking help to overcome the debilitating hysteria she felt about snakes. We showed her our live specimens and told her which were harmless and which presented a threat. It was good that she spent some time with us, and made a serious effort to learn about snakes.

The lady encountered a snake in her garden only two weeks after her visit with us. She astonished herself by standing her ground, identifying it and remembering that it was not a dangerous species. She able to watch calmly as it vanished rapidly off into a flowerbed. She was immensely proud of herself and we were delighted to hear of her success in taming her phobia!

For more information about snakes that might be common in your part of the world, visit SnakeTracks, the Southeastern Hot Herp Society, or contact us at Bio-Ken Snake Farm.

I had a call to remove a Puff Adder from a field being cleared for planting.

Removal of snakes from houses/gardens is a free service from Bio-Ken Snake Farm which saves the snakes from a death sentence.

If the snake is of a kind not yet in our collection, we will keep it. Otherwise, we will release it in suitable habitat away from humans. If the snake is nonvenomous, we try to persuade the householder to leave it in place.

Puff Adders, though, are serious beasts. They are ambushers by profession, so well camouflaged that one can tread on them because they are so hard to spot.

A Puff Adder’s bite would be a ‘defensive’ bite - he is not planning to eat us! - and he may not inject any venom (called a “dry bite”). If you do receive venom then you need rapid and proper treatment, in which case you should make a full recovery. Your cure starts right after the bite itself, but I will write about that some other time.

Back to the Puff Adder I was to remove. The ground had been cleared of most of its bush cover; the sand was hot in the sun. Every few yards I could see holes in the ground.

I collected the snake from a small remaining patch of grass and drying weeds and was walking back to my car when I was called to the other end of the field where another Puff Adder had been found, the same medium size as the first one.

There were these interesting holes everywhere. “Rats” I was told when I asked what made them. Lots of excellent snake food and here I was, taking away two of their major predators!

No predators = more rats = huge percentage of crop loss (maize, in this case) = large acreage required = more land loses protective plant cover and is depleted by nutrient-greedy crop = it goes on and on like that old story ” for want of a nail the shoe was lost…….until the whole kingdom is lost”.

The Puff Adders had moved in because the harmless, nonvenomous snake population had been wiped out by over-anxious humans. The rats were taking over, and the Puff Adders saw easy pickings!

The moral here is: Leave at least the many harmless snakes in place to control pest populations; it is easily the cheapest eco-friendly option!