Puff Adders again.......

Wanted to share the most recent email announcement regarding the snakes here.  Please pay special attention to the instructions........

"In the last few days I have captured two Puff adders (Bitis arietans). One large specimen from the pipeline camp and one from the beach valve station at Sereia beach. I have also had numerous reports  of Puff adders that have been run over on the roads. During the breeding season male puff adders become very active searching for a suitable mate thus increasing the chances of an encounter. Please be extra vigilant in your day to day activities.

Puff Adders are not fast moving snakes and rely on their camouflage to escape detection from both predators and prey. As a result they will not always move away if approached which makes them particularly dangerous.

Puff Adder venom is primarily cytotoxic, causing pain, swelling and superficial to deep tissue damage at the site of the bite. The swelling is very painful and can progress from an extremity

right up onto the trunk of the body."  

Snakebite prevention:

DO NOT TOUCH A SEEMINGLY DEAD SNAKE, SOME SPECIES FEIGN DEATH.  really?
   AVOID WALKING THROUGH LONG GRASS AND STICK TO PATHWAYS.
WEAR CLOSED SHOES WHEN WALKING AT NIGHT AND USE A FLASH LIGHT IN AREAS THAT ARE NOT WELL LIT.
DO NOT PLACE YOUR HANDS OR FEET INTO PLACES YOU CAN’T SEE. IN PARTICULAR OBJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN LYING ON THE GROUND. THIS POINT IS ESPECIALLY RELEVANT TO OUT ON THE SITE AND IN THE WAREHOUSES.  yup
IF YOU MEET A SNAKE AT CLOSE QUARTERS STAY CALM AND BACK AWAY SLOWLY.  SNAKES DO NOT CHASE PEOPLE.   whew!
BE ALERT AND OBSERVANT. GENERAL SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN REDUCING YOU RISK OF SNAKEBITE.
REPORT ALL SNAKE SIGHTING TO WILDLIFE ADVISOR (Cobra 1) (Gotta love their call sign)

 

Don't think I need to add any lessons learned today......  I am taking all the prevention tips as my learning........