The Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus) This one has a beautiful Banded Coloration.
One of the Deadly Dozen Snakes of South Africa
One of three snakes of South Africa that can spit (or rather spray) their venom.
The most common Dangerous snake in the city of Johannesburg.
In a single year we at SnakeCity, remove more than 50 from people's gardens and sometimes from inside their homes.
They belong to the same family as Cobras and Mambas and have a similar type of venom.
They look like cobras as they also spread a Hood as part of their threat display but differ from true cobras by having live babies and keeled scales as apposed to cobras that lay eggs and have smooth scales.
When they spit their venom, they rear up and spread a hood. From this position they throw their heads forward and in process spit their venom upwards, sometimes they do it so violently that they slap their necks and head into the ground in front of them. The venom causes great pain if it goes into your eyes. The snake can then make it's escape.