If this 'Adder' snake bites, go to the hospital immediately!
This week on Snake Rescue Extra, snake expert Nick Evans looks at two of KwaZulu-Natal's most common 'Adder' snakes: the Rhombic Night Adder and the Puff Adder, as he dispels myths and distinguishes the key differences between the two species.
Referred to, by Nick Evans, as "the most common venomous species that I'm called out for" - the Rhombic Night Adder starts to become more active in August when the toads begin to wake up.
Although both snake bites are painful, bites from a Puff Adder can be fatal.
Pictured above, a Rhombic Night Adder eats a toad. Immediately below, a Puff Adder - while underneath that is the Rhombic Night Adde.
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"A Puff Adder bite is one of the bites I fear the most. I think I fear them more than a Black Mamba bite. A Puff Adder bite causes immense swelling, immense pain and causes necrosis (tissue damage). You can ho black and blue... I've seen a lot of photos of Puff Adder bites and they are gruesome," Nick explains.
Listen to the podcast below as Nick continues to describe the two snakes; from the size of their heads to their natural habitats and their hunting techniques.
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Nick's organisation, KwaZulu-Natal Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, is a chapter of The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation.
Contact Nick on 072 809 5806 for information about snake removals. Email him if you'd like to find out about his educational talks.
Listen to past episodes from Snake Rescue below.
IMAGE CREDIT: Nick Evans