Adorable with Attitude

[Mehelya]

Well, just when I was getting ready to pack away the tongs, and sticks for the cooler seasons, mother nature throws a curve ball! Got a call at lunch time, asking if I want a snake. Being absolutely bonkers about anything reptilian, I got ready to rush off and collect a "small snake". With my friend still on the phone, and sticks and tongs flying all over the place, I was given a blow... My friend asked me not to stress, and that he'd drop the snake off for me later, probably after work. So, waiting in anticipation, and hoping for a snake that is still alive, I got a cardboard box with a small chap that looks like he hasn't been on this horrible planet for very long. Here are some pics of the chap in a quarantine enclosure. It's a bit chilly at the moment, but he'll be released in a safer environment as soon as there's a warm spell again.







The first one that hasn't gone KZN crazy on me yet... All our big boys tend to go a bit nutzo when you even just look at them. this one, which I am assuming is a male, is approximately 30cm long, and can already stand tall, and spit with relative accuracy. And on that note, just remember, just because they are smaller, doesn't mean they can do less damage.

[Fooble]

IS it a KZN specimen?

[Mehelya]

Yes, Fooble. It is a KZN specimen. Caught at a store depot for a concrete/sand company just outside town. I can pm you the approximate gps co-ordinates if you'd like.

[Rodwraylva]

Can we keep him! wow has a little resemblance of N. mossambica, the black throat and the coloration, do note, I have only seen WC Rinkhalsies which where plain black, hugely fat and very wide head! Lovely snakey

[Fooble]

Thanks, was just interested in generally locality as can't pick up anything from your profile as to locality.

[Mehelya]

Thanks Rod, Also thought of N. mossambica, with they grey coloring. If I wasn't sitting in the middle of african bush, I would've also suggested a young O. Hannah lookalike, but that would be purely superficial and based on grey head, and yellow on the throat...

Fooble, no worries, I live in Natal, somewhere where the reptile surveys have gone undone for many, many years, and will probably die here... Probably at the hands/fangs of one of our KZN crazy hemachs. Will try and get a more decent pic without the glass doors in-between me and it, for better lighting etc.

Thanks guys, still one of my all-time favorite elapids, even though they are sort of psychotic clowns on adrenaline. And being so small, makes it even more entertaining to handle.

[mmwc]

Nice little guy

[Mehelya]

Cleaning enclosures, and checking on everyone tonight, and he was in a real poser mood, and this was the best shot I got of the little beastly.



When I was looking at the photo more closely, I noticed the scales are bright yellow edged on the head side of the scale. Only noticed this when he semi-hooded... I then went back to his enclosure, and noticed that most of the scales on the neck and upper body region are tinted with the yellow, but mostly hidden under the overlapping scale before... Does anyone know if this is a common thing in Rinkhals? I dug up old pics of another banded male I had, and noticed the same thing on him, but not so noticeable as this one... Can't really see it too well on the photo, due to size restrictions, but it is noticeable on the semi-hood. None of the books I have, have shots of the back of the hood, so can't tell that way... Any ideas?

[atropos]

Any idea of this snakes estimate age? @ Rodwraylva, you mentioned you've only seen plain black rinkhals from the WC. Where about and have you got any photographs?

[Mehelya]

atropos, I am only assuming here, but I guess he was born 2010 or early 2011. He was about 30-35cm long snout to tail-tip.