New species of semi-aquatic cobra described from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A new species of semi-aquatic cobra, Naja nana sp. nov. has been described from Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The new species, know as the dwarf water cobra is locally abundant and is thought to be endemic to the region. According to the researchers – Marcel Collet and Jean-François Trape […]

Herping in a war zone: searching for the Palestine Viper

The West Bank doesn’t rank high on most people’s lists of wildlife destinations but if you can get in (more on that later), it’s certainly an interesting place and home to one of my favourite snakes, the Palestine viper (Daboia palaestinae). This beautiful, heavy-bodied snake is responsible for a large proportion of snake bites in […]

Chasing Ghosts: searching for the Malayan tiger

“Wake up! And be quiet” hissed our guide. “Tiger!” I quietly climbed barefoot off the makeshift wooden platform I had been sleeping on and grabbed my torch. Unseen insects hummed and droned as I cast a feeble light over the undergrowth. Nick, our guide, whispered to me that he had seen the eyes of a […]

What kit to take for a jungle expedition?

The first time I went on a jungle expedition I packed way too much stuff. I also spent days stressing over what clothes, shoes, socks and underwear to take, so hopefully this list will help you with your kit choices. What you take will be partly determined by how remote and how long you are […]

Man Eating Snakes

There is no doubt that there are several snake species which are large enough to eat a human but how often does it occur? The internet abounds with false stories which make it difficult to separate fact from fiction. Out of the world’s largest snake species, four tend to crop up in the news more […]

Searching for reptiles in Bali

Bali has a rich diversity of reptiles and amphibians so I teamed up with Bali Reptile Rescue to look for species I have never seen before. Bali Reptile Rescue as its name suggests removes problematic snakes from people’s properties and relocates them to safer areas. I met up with Agus Putra in Ubud and from […]

Relocating Black Mambas in Swaziland

The following true story is re-blogged with permission from Thea Litschka-Koen from the Swaziland Antivenom Foundation. It’s early February, the weather is unbearably hot and humid. I am absolutely exhausted after a long day at Simunye Club; and call-outs to remove problematic snakes have been endless. It’s only 18:00, but I have already rescued 6 […]

Snakebite in Swaziland: Q&A with Thea Litschka-Koen

Snakebite is a neglected ‘disease’ of circumstance, that primarily affects some of the world’s poorest people. Bites are common in rural areas of tropical and sub-tropical developing countries and often affect agricultural workers and children. Antivenoms are essential in the treatment of dangerous snake bites, yet they are expensive and require refrigeration, making them difficult […]