Please don't...

...step on the Puffadder!


On my way home yesterday, up the path and past the hedge, I was startled by a low growling noise. A bit like the low warning vibrating noise a cat would make - but with a little hissing thrown in for good measure. Amazingly, that freaky sound was coming from a rather large puffadder, right next to my feet and under the hedge! He was curled up, head poised to strike, waving in my direction.

Well, being one who always carries a camera, he got his photo taken - but not from too close.. :-) I then ran home to call our local snake expert, who only got the message and turned up an hour later. By then Mr Puff was long gone.

Funny thing though, there was a Cape Robin sitting right next to him when I arrived. I don't know if it had a death-wish, or was just keeping an eye on the beast, but it only flew off when I took a closer look under the bush.

We live quite "rurally". We often see snakes of one type or another. Common garden snakes, egg-eaters, the occasional boomslang and now and then a puffadder. This was one of the bigger ones I've seen, and I'm kinda glad he got away.. :-) Everything's got a right to live.