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Snake Sightings

Have you seen a snake in the Western Cape? Need help with an identification? Share your snake sightings here!


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  • http://www.how2surf.co/ grantsmith

    Getting the ball rolling with a Cape cobra

  • Vard

    L – Aurora House Snake captured in the surrounding area and released back onto Rondebosch Common (June 2012).
    R – A decent sized Mole Snake found on Rondebosch Common (June 2012).

    • http://www.how2surf.co/ grantsmith

      Well done on releasing these snakes successfully Vard. The aurora has an interesting colouration. Was the dorsal stripe present; can’t make it out in the photograph.

      • Vard

        Yeah, the photo is not the best. It did have the normal orange/yellow dorsal stripe. It had quite a few battle scars too, including missing the tip of its tail.

  • Vard

    A Puff Adder (70cm long male) rescued from a Newlands garden on 12 October and released later in TMNP above Newlands Forest.

  • Maggie

    Look at this beauty! Possibly Asian Cobra. I found it on the green belt near my house yesterday at 7.30am, she was lying in the grass, in the open field, enjoying the sun. Her head was completely up but didn’t have the camera on me at the time. I went back twice and took some photos but she was lying down then… Any idea what type of snake it is????

    • http://www.how2surf.co/ grantsmith

      Welcome Maggie! Well this is certainly not a snake I would have expected to see here. I’m not too familiar with the asiatic cobras but I’m inclined to go with Naja siamensis, the Indo-Chinese spitting cobra.

      If you see it again, please call me straight away as this snake shouldn’t be moving around like this as they are certainly not found here!

      • najanivea

        it’s a rubber snake you morons

        • Maggie

          plastic snakes don’t move their heads up and down

          • http://www.how2surf.co/ grantsmith

            Honest mistake Maggie. Gary, please refrain from slander on this site. Not everyone has experience with snakes.

          • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

            There has been some feedback regarding this sighting; questions on why the post was not deleted. However, I don’t believe that instances such as these should swept under the carpet, snake mis-identification is common, experience is our greatest teacher.

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  • http://www.how2surf.co/ grantsmith

    Juvenile mole snake, Psuedaspis cana
    Don’t you just love the colouration and patterning of these youngsters?

  • Mark de Wet

    I recently rescued this gorgeous boomslang from an electric fence, unfortunatly the internal injuries were just to severe and it was dead two hours later!

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Hi Mark. Thank for sharing this! What a beautiful snake with an exceptional photograph to boot! It’s a real pity that you weren’t able to save this snake. I have heard of the damage that electric fences can do but I’ve never witnessed it first hand.

      Was the snake ‘stuck’ on the fence when you captured it?

  • Mark de Wet

    It was stuck, even after the power was turned off, I think its muscles were so tensed up that it couldnt move the section between where the wires made contact with the snake. I am assuming that the organs and muscles in this section were fried beyond repair.

  • [email protected]

    Someone was trying to sell this little guy to a petshop in Somerset West, they conviscated it and called the nature reserve. Must be a very young puffy, I know this is not evident in the photo (no size reference, sorry) but its by far the smallest that I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few!

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Look at that little guy! It’s beautiful!! Somerset West really is puffie heaven. What would you estimate the length at?

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  • luke

    beautiful little slug eater

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Great! Any pics?

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  • http://www.facebook.com/pmarqua Pierre Marqua

    Blocked off traffic to let this little fella cross the road 2 days ago. Turn off to Suikerbossie at the top of the hill before llandudno. Baby Puff Adder

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Awesome! Well done Pierre!! This little guy looks way out of his comfort zone ;/ Stocky little fella isn’t he? Good thing you were there and conscientious enough to take action.

      • http://www.facebook.com/pmarqua Pierre Marqua

        Suikerbossie has had its fair share of puffies this season, the chefs did the relocations though.. South Coast boys, go figure.

        • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

          The chefs? Should be plenty more to come, especially around autumn time…

          • http://www.facebook.com/pmarqua Pierre Marqua

            oh happy dayz.

  • Mark de Wet

    Check out the mole inside this snake!

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Yum!! Looks like a happy snake.

  • Joana

    Puff Adder! Probably just after lunch…looked a bit lazy and fat to me!

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Nice big male puffy!! Not sure if it had actually eaten, possibly on the hunt. This snake doesn’t look like it has had any shortage of food though, its a fatty!!

      • Joana

        How do you see if its male or female?

        • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

          Not easy in most snakes but in the adders, especially this species, its in the length of the tail taken from the cloaca. Short and stubby = female. Long and tapered = male

  • luke

    Boomslang seen while mountain biking in tokai, photos is poor quality due to the guys speed

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      It’s a boomslang alright. An a fairly decent sized one at that. The name is misleading; they are experts climbers but are regular seen on the ground as well. Where did this one shoot off to?

      • luke

        It disappeared very rapidly into the forest off the jeep track and went under a log for safety

  • luke

    beautiful little slug eater

  • luke

    Brown water snake, caught while toading earlier in the year. Got to some education with the younger kids helping with the toading

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      I love these placid little snakes. How did the children take to it? Were they afraid?

      • luke

        actually no, they were rather excited and very curious, all of them were wanting to touch it or hold it and after a few minutes I noticed the snake was getting a little stressed so I ended the lesson and let it go.

        • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

          Excellent stuff. Finding a snake is always an excellent opportunity to educate.

  • luke

    i know they are not snakes, but still awesome to see two reptiles both endemic to the fynbos region enjoying each others company

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Not sure if enjoy is the right word – compete maybe. You’ve got two different species there

  • Cassy

    This stunning cobra crossed my path today. Beautiful animal.

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      What a stunner!! We got a mole snake today that was very close in colour. Thanks for sharing!

  • Vard

    A Mole Snake from Tokai (caught 26 Nov and released the next day). About 140cm, although part of its tail was missing. This was a really docile snake (which seems to be the exception among Mole Snakes this season so far).

  • Vard

    This Mole Snake was from Grassy Park, and quite a grumpy snake too – lots of hissing and striking. Also about 140cm – a really nice one this!

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Mole snakes galore this season.

  • Tania

    Hi,can someone please confirm what kind of snake this is? My guess was an olive snake, but not sure?

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Hi Tania. Welcome! I am trying to sort out the kinks on the new gallery I’ve installed so that the details you entered will be displayed. One can comment by liking the image through facebook.

      The image is of a mole snake. Was it ok?

      • Tania

        Hi Grant, Thanks for the speedy response. Unfortunately he wasn’t ok, he was completely still and his tongue was partly out on the left side. He didn’t look like he was hit by a car, so not sure what couldn’ve happened to him. Lots of hawks and other big birds of prey around that area.

        • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

          Perhaps the pied crows got to it. Pity but they are prey too. Beautiful snake. Thanks for sharing

          • Tania

            He definately was a beauty! He was found on the farm road as we were leaving Darling. We see quite alot of snakes on the R27 some DOR or ones trying to cross. We always very careful when driving that stretch of road.

          • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

            Oh yes, that road is notorious for dead snakes, especially mole snakes. I’m sure you’ll see more, then at least you can post them here :)

  • lukebax

    small puffie caught and release

  • Vard

    Cape Cobra being released…. well, photographed first and then released. :-)

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Roughly 1.6 m I think we had it at? Hoping to find this snake again happy in its new home.

  • Vard

    Another Mole Snake. This one has a much lighter (adult) colouration than most of the others found so far this season.

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      It’s a real beauty!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/gavin.earle Gavin Earle

    can anyone ID the Houtbay roadkill snake above?

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Hi Gavin, it’s a crossed/ cross marked whip snake, Psammophis crucifer

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Apologies Gavin, I had originally posted the identification in the comments section of the gallery itself but there were some issues. The gallery has now been updated and you should be able to post and share comments with every individual image in the gallery.

      Keep well, Grant

  • Vard

    An Olive House Snake (Lycodonomorphus inornatus), removed from the inside of a wall behind a bathtub in a house in Retreat, so a few “renovations” were involved (which were fortunately scheduled to happen anyway). Released in Tokai NP.

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Getting into the home improvement business are we Vard?

  • Vard

    A Flowerpot Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus)

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Now that’s not a snake that you see everyday…

  • Vard

    A Mole Snake from Newlands on a property next to the mountain near Kirstenbosch. It provided a perfect opportunity to educate, and it proved successful! :-)

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Excellent stuff. Beautiful snake!

  • http://www.facebook.com/roger.frazer Roger Ian Frazer

    Today when I got home from work I saw a snake on the front lawn, it looked like a cobra and it raised its head and spread its neck. IT had a black head, until where the spreading stops and then it was grey. It was about 300 to 400 mm long. I have seen young cobras before but never this colour before. I live in Vioolsdrift on the Namibian border. The snake disapeared before I could take a picture of it. Is it a cape cobra or what else could it be.

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Hi Roger. Apologies for the delayed reply.The only other cobra in your area is the black spitting cobra but as the name suggests these are all black. Juvenile cape cobras often have a thick black throat band on the neck like in the image below. It is not always as prominent as this but perhaps this is what you saw?

      • http://www.facebook.com/roger.frazer Roger Ian Frazer

        Thanks for the reply Grant, the body colour was more like the grey in the background and the head was much darker than the one in the photo. I did keep snakes as pets in the early 1970′s when I lived in Natal, kept house snakes, red lipped heralds, night adders, brown water snakes and such like. I always try to move the snakes I see up here away from where they are seen to safer places where the workers do not kill them and also try to educate them into not killing them, which sometimes helps. I see they talk about a Namibian cobra that is greyish in colour. Am i wrong?

        • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

          I think I’ve found your snake! Although I’ve yet to see this myself – in “Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa” by Bill Branch, he states that juvenile black spitting cobras are grey with black head and neck. As the size you describe is juvenile length and that the species is within range it is likely to be that. If the head and neck was totally black then it could not be a Cape cobra. These are the only two true cobras that occur in your area so that must be it. Solved! :)

          • Roger Frazer

            Thanks Grant, I will see if I can see it or another one that is the same and post a photo.

  • http://www.facebook.com/stephanie.muller.50746444 Stephanie Muller

    On 4 May 13at 2.30pm we were walking along the Pipe track above Camps Bay about 2 kms from Kloof Neck – my husband in front and me behind him, when he suddenly yelled out ”snake!” and backpedalled. It was a Cape Cobra standing in the path and rearing its head as my husband came to about 2m from him. We turned around and started running, and when I looked back whilst running, it was chasing us down the path! We ran probably about 10 m and it was definitely coming down the path behind us very fast. It then vanished. Is this mock-charge natural behaviour? Are they not shy? Stephanie

    • http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/ grantsmith

      Hi Stephanie. Great weather last weekend for a walk, for you and the Cape cobras! :)

      Snakes sometimes seem like they are chasing people but are really doing the same thing that you are – fleeing for their lives! Once encountered it would have been just as startled as you and your husband were. It then head off in the direction it was previously going as quickly as it could looking for somewhere to escape, which it finally did.

      What I’ve found is that if you had run at a 90 degree angle to the path (not possible here I know) then you would probably find that the snake would have kept heading in the same direction. It was not thinking about coming after you but to get to safety as quickly as possible. Why would it? Taking on two much larger animals is a sure way to get yourself killed even if you do get a bite in. Not much point in that :)

      Thanks for the account, wish I was there!

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