Thought until recently to be locally extinct Rinkhals have been sighted in Somerset West, Gordon’s Bay with unconfirmed sightings in the Table Mnt National Park . The search is on for more information and sightings. Researcher Grant Smith with the City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Management Branch believes that it is possible that there may still be Rinkhals in the South Peninsula especially in proximity to our dams and wetlands. Why!because Rinkhals particularly enjoy toads and frogs. Don’t tell the ToadNUTS!! But do keep a lookout when walking in our mountains close to dams – you may be rewarded with a rare sight. Rinkhals also eat lizards, rodents, other snakes, birds and their eggs.
The Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus) is a unique snake as it shares traits with both adders and cobras. Like the adders it has keeled scales and it gives birth to live young. However, like the cobras it is front fanged and has the ability to spread a hood. In addition, the rinkhals is able to ‘spit’ venom from its fangs as a defence mechanism which, along with its hood, is why this snake is often mistakenly referred to as a type of spitting cobra.
Even those not exactly fascinated by snakes agree that the Rinkhals is charismatic. It is a relatively small snake averaging about a metre, although larger specimens up to 1.5 m have been recorded. It has striking markings which vary greatly throughout Southern Africa. The characteristic ring around its neck (hals in Afrikaans) gives it its name. It is one of the few snakes that shams death as a defence strategy. Lying with head twisted and tongue sticking out it sometimes attempts a theatrical pose to convince an aggressor that it is no longer fair game.
In the Western Cape this snake has been poorly documented and with no official records from the greater Cape Town area in over ten years the Rinkhals was thought to be locally extinct. Surprising for a particularly resilient species!!. In Gauteng, for example, marked by extensive urban sprawl they are still common. Thus, a project was initiated: firstly to determine if and where the Rinkhals occurs in the Western Cape and secondly to look at the reasons for its rarity.
The research has been a great success demonstrating that the Rinkhals is not locally extinct and may even be present in areas where it was not previously recorded. The research is by no means over as there may be many underlying and unknown factors resulting in the numbers of this interesting and valuable species declining. One of the aims of the project is to increase public awareness about the Rinkhals so that the general public can assist in its conservation.
NB! NB! We need to remind ourselves that snakes are generally scared of us and for more reasons than we have to be scared of them. If you have the privilege of encountering a Rinkhals just back away slowly. They can spit so give yourself about three metres distance from the snake. If possible take a photograph and email it to Grant, contact details below. Rinkhals will not chase you and if you give them space they will move off to safety.
Please report any Rinkhals sightings to Grant Smith on 084 328 1001. If he cannot get through on the day he will get hold of someone who can. You can email Grant at rinkhalsrelic@gmail.com if you have any further questions.
Edited version of text by Grant Smith
KimK Nov 2010
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Great site. Great article. Thanks Kim. With all the assistance I’m sure we’ll have the ever elusive photograph we’re looking for from the south!
I will be checking this site fairly regularly. If anyone has any comments or questions please feel free to ask.
I’ve been a snake catcher for many years on the Cape Peninsula and have never caught one of these. I sighted and caught one in the Cedarberg, yes, but not on the peninsula.
As an unofficial catch co-ordinate I have only heard of these guys being sighted in the Hermanus area and further north.
It’s great if the rinkhals is alive and well but can’t say I have heard of actual proof.
I heard from a reliable source that about 40 years back this species was often caught on the Tygerberg hills.
Hi Shaun
Thanks for the input. Although I cannot give out actual locations
you will be happy to hear that we have received confirmed records
(roadkill and photographs) from within the boundaries of the City of Cape Town.
Regards,
Grant
Hi Kim
Great news that there is still interest. In November last year we had 24 records from within the City of which 4 were confirmed, 16 were probable and the other 4 were possible.
I have received a few more confimed sightings bringing the total to around six within the
City and a bunch of other confirmations from within a few kilometres of the city boundary.
From the deep south we have so far, unfortunately, not a single photograph. However, that
being said I still strongly believe that we are in for a surprise or two as there is most certainly
hebitat and food supply. We have received quite a few records from the Table Mountain Range
of which approximately ten have been from the deep south – some of which have been excitingly accurate, down to being sprayed on the glasses with venom.
So we still cannot be sure, but with increased awareness it should only be a matter of time before we get the ellusive photograph we are after from the Table Mountain Range. Only about two years ago many people believed that the rinkhals was only to be found from Hermanus eastwards. We know this is now not to be the case for sure.
One story which fuels my drive is of a gentleman living on a large property close to a mountain range in one of the study areas where we had received a couple of reports. I was looking for directions and decided to give him a flyer about the research I was doing. He had a look at the pictures and assured me that he knew the snakes in the area and had never seen anything that looked like it in his fifteen years living in there. Puff adders and cobras yes, but not the rinkhals depicted on the flyer.
A few months later I received a phone call from the same gentleman, “Grant, I think we have one of the snakes from your flyer on our property, in fact it looks exactly like it!” he said. I rushed over to his property and was gifted with my first sighting of a live Cape rinkhals.
The point of the story is that I think many of us assume the norm and what we know to be true is often merely what we have been told is true and therefore any variations from this truth may not even be noted in our concious minds – especially if it is something that we are not familiar with. I think in this case most people aren’t aware that the rinkhals historically occurred in the cape, or does and should occur here, and as with the gentleman from the story any sightings of the snake in the past may have either been brushed off or simply not taken notice of.
There are two sightings from the deep south which I am particularly interested in, one however is from a few years back and will be tricky to confirm, the other however is from a lady who is passionately convinced that she has seen a rinkhals in her garden for a number of years now. If fact she has identified it from her snake field guide a number of times but the people in her area have always brushed the sighting off telling her that rinkhals don’t occur in the area so it cannot be.
Only time will tell but the story of this lady in the deep south could vey well be like the story of the other gentleman. But, only time will tell and we need hard evidence which is where exposure like from your website is very useful. Spring is approaching…could this be the season?
Kind regards,
Grant
Season is virtually upon us. Callouts for problem snakes are starting to come in as the weather slowly changes towards spring.
Table Mountain National Park is a special place and hosts many endemic species adapted to specific conditions within this wonder of nature. Sankes are always there but encounters are relatively rare. Especially so it seems for the snake which forms the subject of the article above.
When walking anywhere on the mountain pay special attention to areas of fresh water pools, vleis and dams. The rinkhals has a healthy appetite for frogs and is more likely to be encountered where they occur in abundance.
The rinkhals is also known to have the ability of raising its body temperature much quicker than snakes such as the Cape cobra so don’t dismiss the chance of seeing this species on cool overcast days or in the twilight hours. Recent studies done by Dr Tony Phelps indicate the the Cape cobra needs relatively warm temperatures in the high 20’s to reach active body temperature.
This being said, the rinkhals may actively forage both night and day so it is also not wise to dismiss a sighting in high temepratures, althogh both snakes may take refuge from the heat by hiding in the shade of suitable cover.
If you’re hiking and keen to help, keep an eye out, and if you’re one of the lucky few to catch a rare glimpse of a rinkhals please take a photo. But, do so safely – any snake should always be given the space and respect that it deserves. Never try to capture or corner the snake. Allow it an escape route and it will cetainly use it to flee from what it perceives as a life and death encounter.
Further queries can either be posted here or emailed to me directly. Details in the article above.
Happy hiking!
Great news! A member of the public sent a photograph through to me this morning of a snake he spotted on Table Mountain this weekend. We have positively identified it as a rinkhals. This is the first official confirmation we have from the Table Mountain range. Needless to say…i’m ecstatic!
After much scrutiny we have determined that the snake is actually an unusual colour morph of a juvenile cape cobra.
This has been in consultation with experts who initially agreed that it was a rinkhals. We had to be certain so we explored every possible angle. The result disappointing, but at least it’s accurate.
Within the last few weeks we have had several rinkhals snakes sitings around our house. The last week one right by my front entrance and on Saturday right in the house under our bed. Two months ago we also had one in the house. This snake nearly bit me I was fortunate to know that something was amis when I heard a hissing sound under my bed. Luckily I was not bitten or spit in the eyes. My face was very close to the snake and my right hand was right next to it. I was away for a few days and plugged in the cell phone to recharge the batterywhich is under my bed. My question is what is the reason for these snakes coming into our house. I sometimes look after my grandchildren which are respectively 3 and 1 years old. This seems to be becoming a problem and I would like to know how to prevent these snakes coming into our home.
Rhylinda please get hold of Grant at the contact details above. He is a rinkhals expert and will be both interested and able to help you.
KimK