Tempest in a teapot

he berg adder is one of South Africa’s smaller adders, averaging between 30 and 40 cm in length. As its name suggests, it’s a high-altitude snake that occurs at elevations of up to

3 000 metres above sea level. It’s only found close to the sea in Betty’s Bay, Strandfontein and George in the Western Cape and St Francis in the Eastern Cape.

Populations are found in four places: the Cape Fold Mountains, the Drakensberg (in Mpumalanga and KZN) and in eastern Zimbabwe.

Hikers often encounter this cheeky little snake basking on footpaths or rocky ridges. It’s known to be bad-tempered and hisses and strikes readily, but is usually quick to seek shelter. This snake is locally abundant in some areas and sought after by reptile smugglers as it fetches a high price in Europe. It mostly feeds on small rodents, frogs and nesting birds.

The berg adder’s venom is unique in that it causes pain and swelling as one would expect from an adder, but it also contains neurotoxic properties like the venom of a black mamba. Patients often experience breathing problems about five to eight hours after a bite. Out of 14 recent case studies, all the patients had to be hospitalised and ventilated, sometimes for a week or even more.

One of the most noticeable side effects of a berg adder bite is droopy eyelids and dilated pupils. In one case, a young boy still had dilated pupils two years later! Another unique feature of berg adder venom is that it affects your senses. Some bite victims lose the ability to smell and taste for months or even years. Unfortunately there is no antivenom for a berg adder bite – doctors simply have to treat patients symptomatically.

Genetic research on the four major populations of berg adders shows that they have been geographically isolated for thousands of years. There is a great deal of variation within populations and scientists are in the process of splitting them up into different species. What a fascinating little creature!

If you bought a bargain Black Friday voucher last year from the Gondwana Collection for a holiday in Namibia, you might have been worried about its validity considering the travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 lockdown. Fear not, the accommodation group has extended the vouchers’ validity until 31 March 2021. We might not be travelling at the moment, but that won’t stop us dreaming about Namibia…

More info: bookings@gondwanacollection.com

– Kyra Tarr