Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans rescued only three green mambas in 2023, while he usually rescues more than 100 black mambas a year in the city.
This was revealed by Evans when he shared details of his third green mamba rescue at the end of 2023.
“A beautiful, 1.5m green mamba was recently removed from a garden in Amanzimtoti,” Evans said.
“The mamba had been hanging around the bird feeder for about two weeks and had caught at least one bird. Clever snake!”
Evans thanked KT Reptile Removal & Relocation Services – KZN for the referral.
“Only the third green mamba I rescued in 2023. So it was a nice way to end the year,” Evans said.
“I usually rescue over 100 black mambas a year in Durban (I haven’t counted 2023’s total yet).”
Evans explained that green mambas are generally restricted to coastal forest areas, although there are a few exceptions in Durban.
“They’re far more scarce than black mambas, as you can tell from my stats above. Their distribution is way smaller, plus, they’re seen less often than the black mambas, as they mostly stick to the trees, rarely ‘bothering’ people.”
Evans said that other snake removers catch far more green mambas than he does, in areas such as uMhlanga, all the way along the North Coast, and then around the Bluff, all along the South Coast.
He said black mambas are more widespread, not just in Durban, but across South Africa.
“In Durban, they have plenty of natural habitats, but plenty of man-made habitats too, in the form of messy storerooms, cluttered yards, dumping areas (trash and garden refuse), wood piles, the list is endless. Such places are breeding grounds for rats – mamba food. Durban also has an abundance of dassies, and feral cats producing many kittens – also mamba food (mambas eat newborn feral kittens),” Evans explained.
South Coast snake catcher Sarel van der Merwe said he rescued too many green mambas in 2023.
Counting the number of rescues he shared on his Facebook page, Van der Merwe rescued around 20 green mambas, with November accounting for seven.
Some of the green mambas were rescued from trees, including two which were mating.
On Wednesday, Van der Merwe rescued a green mamba from an old woman’s car in Umbango, Port Shepstone.
He said the car was covered with a canvas which he pulled away, opened the bonnet and there the snake was.
Last year, the Crocworld Conservation Centre shared four green snakes of the South Coast, including the green mamba.
“Green mamba – The iris is olive green; lacks a loreal scale; has single temporal scales; one upper labial scale touches the eye; the only one of the four species which grows longer than 1.3m; adults often have the odd yellow scale on the body; highly venomous.”
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