Some colubrids from Africa

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
424
It sure is a Rhamphiophis rostratus (Rufous Beaked Snake)! And yeah they are the reason that I got into African colubrids. My first were a pair of Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus (Red-Spotted Beaked Snakes) and they are still my absolute favorite as far as any colubrids are concerned. Their movements are very bird-like, everything is quick and jerky and they can go from stopped to full speed faster than any Coluber or Masticophis snake I have ever seen. And best of all they have NEVER tried to bite! As a matter of fact none of my Africans have attempted to bite other than the Spalerosophis, which is just common place with them. I used to mess with alot of Asian colubrids and they were all for the most part pretty nasty snakes and their care was much more involved as you can imagine. I have other African colubrids that wouldn't sit still for pics, lol, but I will get to them eventually! Also some interesting evolutionary traits with some of the Psammophiines, some have evolved a way to beat the heat of the Savannah/desert areas of their range by secreting an oil-like subsytance and rubbing themselves covering their bodies with it. Psammophis also have some pretty potent and complex toxin for a colubrids.
 

BigJ999

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
188
Well you confirming what ive read then :D Most aren't aggressive at all even the highly venomous Boommslang I like these snakes they just have a interesting look to them :D The twig snake just looks so cool though and boy are they beautiful :D So how toxic are they ive read that they have killed people and that their venom like the Boomslangs is one of the few African Colubrids with highly potent venom. Although ive read a few others are highly venomous as well
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
424
Yeah the only colubrids to date to have caused deaths are the Dispholidus, Thelotornis, Rhabdophis tigrinis and Rhabdophis subminiatus. Thought their toxins are all slightly different but this is an overview of Thelotornis sp bites taken from a Biomedical Research database.
Local effects are usually swelling which may extend to adjacent areas of the affected extremity.
Haemostatic effects effects include bleeding from superficial wounds, even those which had already healed; gingival bleeding, epistaxis, haematemesis, bleeding per rectum, haematuria, intracranial bleeding.
Renal effects include acute kidney failure (secondary to DIC).Death from Anaemia, kidney failure. Case fatality rate 1/1 Intracranial bleeding (and bleeding into the pericardium, pleura, retroperitoneum, stomach and both kidneys) (FitzSimons and Smith 1958).1/1 Intracranial bleeding (and bleeding from virtually all mucous membranes) (Mebs et al. 1978). Type of haemostatic defect:probably similar to Dispholidus typus envenoming (Minton 1990b).
Treatment (symptomatic)
1.Blood transfusions,
2.Clotting factor and platelet replacement,
3.Dialysis.
Treatment (specific)
Antivenom: no antivenom available, no known paraspecific neutralization.
So in all pretty insidious way to die. Though they are by nature reluctant to bite even in stressed situations, any handling of these colubrids puts you in pretty grave danger. Not only that but most individuals report feeling sick, nauseated and headache after envenomation then those effects will die down and you may feel fine for a short period of time until your Kidneys and Liver basically start to liquify and you bleed out of every hole in your body. The world has lost 2 very notable and famous Herpetologists Karl Schmidt and Robert Mertens to the Boomslang and Savannah Twig Snake due to poor understanding of Colubrid toxin. And it wasn't until their deaths was colubrid toxin seen as dangerous so it is best to be cautious when dealing with understudied, rear fanged snakes in general.
 
Last edited:

BigJ999

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
188
Slow acting toxins then :( That's sad that no anti-venom available and the fact their venom is so powerful is really unfortunate :( Sad that those guys died in such a awful way :( Their venom is powerfully hemorrhagic from what ive heard and the Boomslangs in particular is highly hemorrhagic so its toxin is a hemotoxin then. Gotta say despite being deadly they are very attractive snakes :) The fact they would rather not bite is good though :)
 
Top