The Boomslang (African Tree Snake). One of South Africa's Deadly Dozen Snakes.
This is the most venomous snake in South Africa. NOTE - NOT MOST DANGEROUS.
It is the most venomous as it has the most potent of all South African snake venom. You need less Boomslang Venom to kill a man than from any other South African snake.
However there are a few factors that make this snake NOT the most DANGEROUS - that title belongs to the Black Mamba.
- The Boomslang by nature is far more docile and less likely to bite.
- It mainly lives in trees and would rather flee if approached.
- The Venom, although more potent than say for example a Black Mamba, it is slow working. So although you need less Boomslang Venom to kill a man, it takes a number of days to kill a man.
- The Boomslang yields less venom than Mambas, Cobras or Adders.
- The Boomslang is a back-fanged snake with less effective fangs than the front fanged Mambas, Cobras and Adders
This Photo was taken during a Snake Show in Pretoria