In this generation, I realize a lot of people are still uneducated about snakes and that is why you fear them so much. Let me educate you.
1. Snakes don't attack for no reason: Snakes are actually very shy and timid creatures. They will never bite someone unprovoked. They would rather run and hide than face you. Most of the time, a snake only bites when it feels threatened, cornered, or stepped on. In fact, majority of snake bites are "dry bites" - meaning the snake bites but does not inject venom. It's just warning you to leave it alone.
2. Not all snakes are venomous: Out of over 3,000 species of snakes in the world, only about 600 are venomous, and only about 200 can kill a human. In Nigeria, most snakes you see around your house like the house snake, green bush snake, and sand snake are completely harmless. The dangerous ones we should watch out for are Cobra, Puff Adder, and Gaboon Viper.
- Common myths that are FALSE:
Myth A: Snakes come out from your toilet or soakaway. This is mostly false. A snake cannot survive inside a soakaway. The chemicals and gases inside will kill it. The only way a snake can enter your toilet through the water closet is if you have a BROKEN pipe connecting your toilet to the outside. If your pipes are intact, no snake can swim up.
Myth B: Bitter kola chases snakes away. It doesn't work. I repeat, it doesn't work. Snakes don't care about bitter kola.
Myth C: Planting certain plants or spraying fuel, salt, etc will chase snakes. That also doesn't work. No plant has been proven to repel snakes. What actually chases snakes away is a CLEAN ENVIRONMENT.
4. What really brings snakes to your house: Snakes come to look for two things: Food and Shelter. If your compound is bushy, if you have heaps of firewood, fallen leaves, or uncompleted buildings with holes, you are inviting them. Rats and lizards are their food. If you have rats in your house, snakes will come to hunt them.
How to prevent snakes: - Clear all bushes around your house - Don't leave heaps of wood, blocks, or trash near your house - Cut your grass low always - Fix all broken pipes, holes in the wall, and holes in your doors - Make sure your compound has no rats - that's their number one food
5. What to do if you see a snake: Please, if you are not trained, DON'T try to kill or catch a snake. They strike very fast and can fight back when they feel they will die. That's when most bites happen.
If you ever encounter a snake: - Stand still. Don't make sudden moves. - Don't shout or throw things at it. - Slowly move backwards. - In 90% of cases, it will slither away on its own.
And finally, some snake species are not found in Nigeria. Snakes are found everywhere in the world except Antarctica, but the most venomous snakes are mostly concentrated in Australia.
Snakes are not evil. They are part of our ecosystem - they control rats and pests for us. Don't kill them out of ignorance. Just learn to co-exist and keep your surroundings clean. If you need a pet snake, get a ball python.
