An Overview of my Photo Editing Process (20190815)
I use Adobe Lightroom Mobile for most of my photo editing - in this video I provide a brief overview of what my process looks like. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX6N6RAgs_A
Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) - venomous and very dangerous.
*Please click on the button below to "Share" this post!*
--
We get far fewer callouts this time of year (snakes don't hibernate in South Africa, but they are less active during the winter months), so I'm always happy when someone calls me - especially when it's for something as beautiful as a Boomslang!
The home owners saw this snake raiding a nearby bird's nest, then called me and kept an eye on it until I arrived.
Although very hesitant to bite, one of the signs that a Boomslang is anxious is that it puffs up its neck - you can see this snake doing just that right before I put it in the bucket.
--
Boomslang are known for their strikingly large eyes - the largest of any African snake. Females are light to olive brown with dirty white to brown bellies, whereas males may have a variety of colors but usually present dark green on top with yellow bellies and black markings in-between their belly scales.
Shy and diurnal (active during the day), they spend most of their lives in trees and shrubs where they hunt eggs, birds, frogs, chameleons, and other tree-dwelling lizards.
Their venom is haemotoxic, which means that it affects the clotting mechanism in blood and leads to severe internal and external bleeding, or even haemorrhage if untreated. Although potent, the venom is slow-acting and may take more than 24 hours to produce serious symptoms - an effective anti-venom is available in some locations.
There are two common myths about the Boomslang: firstly, that they drop from trees onto people who walk by (they don’t), and secondly that because they’re rear-fanged they can only bite you on your little finger (they are rear-fanged, but can open their jaws 170 degrees and bite you almost anywhere on your body).
--
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/bsr-yt
Like us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/bsr-fb
Download our App: http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro
Make a Donation: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/
Contact Us: +27 82 385 1589
--
Download our FREE “Snake Removal Pro” app to have instant access to your nearest snake catcher’s contact details, read frequently asked questions, watch snake rescue videos, and more:
http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro
You can help us keep our wildlife safe! Even small donations help immensely:
http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y20HnvorMgs
Flowerpot Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) - harmless.
--
These small, harmless snakes are South Africa's only introduced snake species (originally from Australasia). It's often transported in pot plants, hence the common name.
Flowerpot Snakes can be up to 17cm in length, and they prefer humic soil in and around cities.
It's interesting to note that this is an all-female (parthenogenetic) species, in which unfertilized ova develop directly into new individuals - females are able to produce viable eggs without having to mate.
They can be easily found beneath rocks and other forms of shelter within cities such as Durban and Cape Town, and they feed on termintes, ants, and their larvae as well as other small invertebrates.
Oviparous, they lay 2-6 minute eggs (measuring just 6mm in length). The hatchlings are just over 4cm long - possibly the smallest snake in the world at that stage.
--
Download the “Snake Removal Pro” app to have instant access to your nearest snake catcher’s contact details, read frequently asked questions, watch snake rescue videos, and more:
http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro
--
Your donations help us keep our community and wildlife safe!
Even tiny amounts from enough of our fans would help us cover our fuel cost & time - simply click on one of the "Donate" buttons here: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrqFTvDw03c
A short video of me doing a photo session with a dangerously venomous Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) that I captured near Lambert's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa.
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44g6YEgK9wE
This video is part of an interview that local radio station One FM 94.0 did with Willem Van Zyl, one of the founders of Homebot.
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbUipve8x3I
Not all of the snakes we deal with at Blouberg Snake Rescue (http://facebook.com/BloubergSnakeRescue) are wild ones. This is my pet Gray-Banded Kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna), called "Noodle".
I got him from a breeder three weeks ago, and I've been a little worried because Noodle hasn't wanted to eat at all since then.
However, today he took food from me for the first time - it seems like he just had to get used to his new surroundings first!
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzal2Y8j5E
Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) - venomous and very dangerous.
--
I collected this Puff Adder from a place in Noordhoek yesterday.
Puff Adder venom is cytotoxic (tissue destroying), and they are one of the most widespread snakes in the country. When disturbed they coil into a defensive "S"-shape and hiss loudly, hence their name.
They are responsible for a large number of bites because they have a lightning-fast strike, and unlike most other snakes they won't move off if approached. Rather, they'll lie still and depend on their camouflage for protection, then bite if something steps too close to them.
--
Download the “Snake Removal Pro” app to have instant access to your nearest snake catcher’s contact details, read frequently asked questions, watch snake rescue videos, and more:
http://bit.ly/snakeremovalpro
--
Your donations help us keep our community and wildlife safe!
Even tiny amounts from enough of our fans would help us cover our fuel cost & time - simply click on one of the "Donate" buttons here: http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkwm202kerc
Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) - venomous and very dangerous.
*Please click on the button below to "Share" this post!*
--
A Parklands resident was taking their garbage bin outside this morning when they noticed what they thought was a banana peel lying under the bin.
When the "banana peel" moved they realized that it was in fact a snake, then called me to come relocate it for them.
--
You can help us keep our wildlife safe! Even small donations help immensely:
http://www.bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/donate
--
Also known as a "Koperkapel" or "Geelslang" in Afrikaans, the Cape Cobra is a common venomous snake in our area that can range in color from yellow through reddish brown to black.
When threatened or cornered, it's quick to spread a hood and won't hesitate to bite. Cape Cobra venom is highly neurotoxic (the most potent of any African cobra), which means that it attacks the nervous system and causes respiratory collapse (the victim stops breathing), which in turn leads to suffocation.
As in most cases, this snake was doing its best to try and get away from us humans. Even though it's essential to be respectful of the danger that a snake like a Cape Cobra poses, if you give them room to escape they will always try to get away and hide - there's no snake in South Africa that will aggressively chase you.
--
Read more about this species here: https://bloubergsnakerescue.co.za/snake-profiles/naja-nivea-cape-cobra/
Find your nearest snake catcher's contact details here: https://snakeremoval.co.za/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm3a_hgMWZU