What snake is this? [C. hotamboeia]

[follewagen]

Hi, i have just caught a red-liiped herald snake in my pantry.
Any suggestions what i should do with it?
I mean it no harm but i have a 3 & 8 yr old children in the house

[EkSkynHeilig]

where in pretoria are you? I can maybe fetch it from you, and relocate it in a safer area? PM me with your info.

DON'T HARM THE SNAKE IN ANY WAY PLEASE....

[Serpy]

Take it to an open piece of veld away from any road, preferable near a little river so that it can catch its staple diet and let it go there.

[froot]

Welcome Follewagen, a redlip is not a threat to your family at all. Although they have venom glands their venom is considered harmless to humans, at worst, causing a headache.
As the others say just release it at the nearest natural area where there is water.

[rabolongo]

I fetched the snake from Follewagen this morning. It is very small and abit skinny. Gave it a small lizard and a pinky, it ate the pinky!

Will feed him for a while and release him next to a stream close by

[Bushviper]

Are you sure about the identification? I have never seen a red lip eat a pink. Any chance that you could post a picture of it?

[Serpy]

I've had red lips that eat pinks, so its not impossible in my view BV

[Bushviper]

I have heard of this but never seen it myself. That is why I would like to see a picture as this is not really the norm.

It would also be unusual for a wild caught animal captured in June to eat within hours of capture.

[Pythonodipsas]

J. Scott Keogh et al., wrote an article on Herald snake ecology. They conducted a gut content study from 73 specimens. The specimens were sourced from several intitutions and they concluded that the snakes eat 97% amphibians, the remaining 3% of prey items were a lizard and a gecko. There is a single, questionable record from 1933 by Loveridge, where the mouse (Leggaga bella) was found in its gut contents.

Source:
J. Scott Keogh, William R. Branch and Richard Shine. Feeding ecology, reproduction and sexual dimorphism in the colubrid snake Croataphopeltis hotamboeia in southern Africa. African Journal of Herpetology 49(2) 2000.

[Serpy]

I agree BV, very wierd.

[rabolongo]

it is definatly a red lip. will try and post a pic, camera is busted but will get someone to take a pic.

A friend had a red lip that was taking mice, as i said it had a small lizzard in with it but it took the pink. as why it ate, good question, the guy looked skinny to me so i popped in some food..... Must add that he is really relaxed and was very active last night.

[gaboon69]

If its a redlip that eats mice then I'll eat my shorts.
I've heard some of these rumours but you never see these mysterious heralds.
Post a pic of it eating a pink,and I will post a pic of my shorts in my mouth.
NO PHOTOSHOP to some of you clever guys,hehe.
NO FORCE FEEDING either!

[BushSnake]

Rabolongo, if it doesn't take another pinky, force feed it one. I just have to see Gaboon69 with his shorts in his mouth!

Can't speak from experience, but isn't it possible for urban animals to adapt their diets to their rapidly changing environment? Toads and frogs are becoming a lot scarcer in cities, whereas mice populations are probably on the increase. After all, the grey louries weren't suppose to occur in Gauteng, and they definitely weren't suppose to eat prickly pears and paw-paws. They do now because that is what is available to them.

[phish]

I have heard of KZN "redlips" (specifically the south coast ones) eating mice ... never seen it for myself though. Then again i had never seen night adders eating pinks until someone posted a pick of it on this forum!

[Mongoose]

Yeah NatalBlack *Goose bows in honorary of him* got his night adders to eat pinks!