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I live in Sedgefield on the Garden Route. I had what looked like a Green Mamba on my front stoep this afternoon. It was a light lime green colour, very thin. When I approached the glass sliding door it side-winded at a rapid rate off the stoep.

To say I am absolutely petrified of snakes is putting it mildly. I am so terrified that one will climb through the window. The bedroom windows are 58cm off the ground & are surrounded by outer Spanish burglar bars. Is it possible for them to climb through a window? Also there is a tree right outside the kitchen window that is much higher off the ground. Will a snake be able to enter via this route?

I am barracaded inside the house with all doors & windows firmly shut & it's very hot!

The simple answer is yes they can. We put netting on the windows of the house in the bush, but they can and do get into homes. As to what type of snake....I'm clueless. All snakes are very very scary in my opinion

Hey Jennavee-- Welcome to the boards Might have been a boomslang and for sure theyre all tricky not to mention pretty fast. My one corner room has a permanently open small window with a small square of tent grade mozzie netting fixed to the wooden frame for all the bobbejaan spiders that live outside that window . A similar setup would probably work fine for you I would have thought.
Also bear in mind that theyre much more scared of us than we are of them. Theyve got mostly pretty average to poor eyesight.Just freeeze and you will 99.999% be fine.

Hi Jennavee.

I agree snakes can most definitely climb through open windows.

The possibility of the snake seen being a Green Mamba is very remote, they may be as far south as possibly the Transkei at most.

Green snakes in your area could be a Boomslang very pisonous, or a Spotted Bush Snake not very poisonous. Judging from your description my gues is that you had a Natal Green snake - quite harmless.

Snakes do more good than harm and will normally give way to humans, best is to leave them alone and should you find it inside your house find someone who can remove it and set it free in the bush. If not, do as the BIBLE says.

It's very scary to hear that they can climb through windows!

Are they active at night?

Also, do snakes move around or do they stay in one bush or tree for a while? There is a bush right outside the bedroom window! I have lived in this area on & off for 10 years & this is the first time I have seen a snake, though I believe there are plenty of puffadders around. Happy days!

Snakes do move around.
Some are only moving a bit more than others.

As gmlsmit said it is highly likely that it was only one of the green bushsnakes - totally harmless. There isn't a snake (except perhaps the black mamba) that will attack humans. If they are not cornered or stepped upon there is little chance that you are bitten. The adders are a bit different as they cannot get away fast, so they lie still and it is only then when you step on them, or step very near to them, that they strike out. So please be more careful of the puffadders that you think are there than the "green mambas".

Hi JennaVee!

We live in Amanzimtoti on the KZN South Coast. Needless to say, we are surrounded by bush and the resultant creepy crawlies too.

I think I might have had a similar fear of snakes when we moved here, due to lack of knowledge on the subject. I then decided to buy a good snake book (by Johan Marais)

It is true that they are a lot more scared of you than you of them. To put your mind at rest, Green Mambas aren't normally found as far south as Sedgefield. And they rarely venture to the ground. They are shy snakes and keep to themselves.

One moved into our garden about four years ago and it is an absolute delight to see him. Normally the birds give his position away - so they have become our "early warning" system...

Sorry! I forgot to add, Green Mambas are also considerably thicker and longer than the other harmless green snakes such as the Natal Green Snake and the Spotted Bush Snake.

Jennavee, looking at the distribution maps of the harmless green snakes, I’m not so sure that they will be found in Sedgefield …although not entirely impossible. The Spotted Bush Snake and Green Water Snake seems to go down to about PE.
It will definitely not be a Green Mamba…to far out of range.
I think the best bet is male Boomslang. They are venomous but they are shy snakes and seldom bite.

As with lee lewis, Johan Marais’ book also helped me a lot to deal with my fear of snakes….

Thank you all for your very useful contributions!

I think the culprit was a Boomslang! I'm now trying to work out ways of fixing some kind of netting over the window opening, so that I can have the windows open again. Will also cut down the bush that stands outside the bedroom window.

I don't know about reading that book though because even just looking at pics of snakes on the internet or in a book, gives me the absolute heebs. To me a snake is a snake, regardless of how harmless or shy it is. Am also not mad on lizards, gheckos & even tortoise heads which resemble snakes far too much.

Not only do we have to contend with trying to keep ourselves safe & secure from intruders, I now have to find ways of keeping snakes out!

No chance of a Green Mamba that far down.

Male Boomslang check the big eyes.



Here is something in regards to boomslang and being in the cape and houses.

Although this is a black and yellow male they are usually green.

Thanks Fooble. I think it was more than likely a male boomslang. Even just looking at the pic, gives me the heebs!
Jennavee

Oh dear Jennavee, welcome

I so understand your fear. I was completely phobic about snakes until I joined the forum. Then I got curious. Once I realised and accepted their fear and avoidance, it became much easier for me.