Snake files: Beware the stiletto snake

Forget about mambas and cobras for a minute: There’s a less vicious-looking snake that all South Africans should know about. Bibron’s stiletto snake seems harmless, but be warned: This little guy has a nasty bite.

It’s a smallish snake, averaging between 30 and 40 cm long, although specimens of more than 70 cm have been recorded.

Through most of its range, it is dark brown to blackish with a similar coloured belly, except in the northern parts of its range where its belly is white.