Veld Facts

Now you sssee me…

I t doesn’t take much to figure out how the vine snake (also called the twig snake) got its name. Its superbly camouflaged, grey-andblack mottled body resembles a slender twig, allowing the snake to disappear effortlessly into the branches of a tree or bush. Vine snakes are almost exclusively arboreal and often impossible to spot in their natural habitat. However, they sometimes descend to the ground if they need to move from one tree to the next – and that’s when most sightings occur. Do they pose a threat to humans? Yes, their venom is hemotoxic and attacks the blood-clotting system. There’s no antivenin for this snake; should someone be bitten, he or she might require a blood transfusion. But don’t stress: Vine snakes are placid and seldom strike; they do so only when threatened. I’ve heard stories about farmers of years gone by, who would give these snakes to their kids to play with. In general, a vine snake moves slowly among the branches, but should prey be detected, it will move closer in short bursts and strike with a lunge. They eat chameleons, frogs (the Bushveld rain frog is a favourite), other snakes and lizards. They don’t often hunt birds, but they won’t pass up an easy meal like an egg or a chick. Vine snakes are part of a group known as back-fanged snakes, referring to the fact that their fangs are situated further back in the mouth than other snakes. This has tricked many people into believing that they can only deliver a dangerous bite if they get hold of an appendage like a finger or something similar. In reality, most back-fanged snakes can bite anywhere on a person’s body.