Common Slug Eater (Duberria lutrix)
Another one of South Africa's completely harmless snakes. It never bites (I don't think it can bite).
The way that they defend themselves, is by letting out a most fowl smelling musk when picked up.
They are small snakes, growing to a maximum length of 43cm.
They give birth to live young and as it's name imply's, it eats slugs.
I have had the good fortune of finding them whilst on three different hikes that I was on in three different parts of the country. All of them that I found were active in the day time.
- On the very top of the Drakensberg Mountains. Crossing a path.
- On the Fanie Botha Hiking Trail in Mpumalunga Province. In a low tree.
- On the Amatola Hiking Trail in the Eastern Cape Province. Crossing a path.