Deadly snakes such as the puff adder, the mamba (both black and green), and a handful of cobra varieties (some of which can spit venom with pinpoint accuracy up to 2 meters, usually aiming for the eyes) are all native to Botswana. There are also many varieties of scorpions to be aware of. Since our arrival in Botswana I have been wary of all of these creatures. In fact, paranoid might be a better word. I am sure that people gotten a good hearty laugh from watching me walk gingerly through areas of long grass, carefully scrutinizing the immediate vicinity around my legs for the inevitable puff adder or mamba lurking in the shadows. I am sure they would laugh even more heartily if they could watch me knock out my shoes in the morning, certain that one of these days a scorpion that had been lying in ambush for my big toe will come tumbling out. (Although, for those of you who remember the post concerning the spider in my motorcycle helmet I think it is only natural that I check my shoes.) In truth, after nearly four months in Africa neither Alysa or myself had seen anything more threatening than my helmet spider (which while incredibly creepy was completely harmless). It has been sort of anticlimatic actually. I have found myself occasionally forgetting to knock out my shoes and treading a little more confidently through grassy patches. Until today.
This morning Alysa and I were driving the Pajero through the bush to go to language lessons. I guess I should explain what I mean by driving through the bush. There is one paved road into and out of Mmopane. It is in good shape but it heads west for 4 km or so (the wrong direction if one is going to the airport or the FM offices) and through a stretch of nightmare traffic - it takes forever. Therefore, if we are going into town we normally drive the 4x4 trails southeast from Mmopane. It is half the distance with no traffic - if not a little rougher. Most of the time, all one sees is goats, cows, the occasional donkey, and low accacia scrub brush literally bristling with long, white, razorsharp thorns. However, this morning we were halfway along our favored route through the bush when Alysa suddenly pointed at the trail in front of us and squealed, "SNAKE, SNAKE, SNAKE!!!" And sure enough there was a large black snake with broad yellow stripes about 4 feet long slithering across the road in front of us. I sped up so we were close enough to get a good look at it before it disappeared into the accacia scrub. As I pulled to a stop at the spot where the snake had disappeared into the grass we were awed and somewhat terrified to see the snake coil itself, rear its head and forward body off the ground, and puff out the sides of its head in the characteristic cobra hood! We sat and watched it for a minute or two during which time the snake did not move at all. I put the truck in reverse and backed up slightly for a better view and the snake immediately reacted by expanding it's hood and rearing slightly higher. We were already late for language class and getting later by the minute, so we drove away cursing the fact that neither of us had brought our camera. Later research revealed that we had seen a Banded Snouted Cobra which is not a spitting variety but certainly plenty deadly if one gets bitten. It was an exhilerating experience to get to see something like that truly in the wild. Especially since we could view it from the complete safety of the truck. I guess I am back to gingerly picking my way through the long grass!
Someone else's picture of the Banded Snouted Cobra.
(picture it a little fatter and its head broadened by a hood)
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