Rinkhals vs. Mozambique Spitting Cobra: Key Differences Explained!

[@RG-5834]

A fantastic, educational video. Thanks Mike, you guys are doing a wonderful job with these amazing animals.

[@henningvisser1108]

Thank you Mike for an informative presentation. We used to live on a smallholding in Witbank, Mpumalanga. Both the Rinkhals and Spitting cobras are plentiful in the area, (among other species). I occasionally found them around the house and once caught a Spitting cobra (and a Red lipped snake) inside the house. I do not profess to be a snake handler but I managed to catch them through sheer common sense and deposit them some distance from the house. I was bitten by a Stiletto snake once but that is a story for another day.

[@mikeperry-africanreptilesv2600]

@@henningvisser1108 you must tell us about your stiletto snake bite please

[@henningvisser1108]

@@mikeperry-africanreptilesv2600 With pleasure Mike. Sorry for the long narrative. It was my younger son's birthday and we went out to a steakhouse for a treat. Back home, (it was already dark), the wife's aunt had arrived for a visit because my in laws were staying with us. I changed into more casual attire and offered to park her vehicle under the lean to where my pick up normally was parked. Mistake no1, I did not carry a torch ; mistake no2, I was barefoot. As I climbed into the truck, I stepped onto something slippery and gave a short "Hey". The wife was in the kitchen and I asked for a torch. The revelation: I stepped onto a snake and it got me on the right foot ankle. I grabbed a piece of flat bar from the garage and tapped the snake on the head so as to immobilize it but not destroying it. Next I asked my wife to bring me an empty glass bottle with a screw lid into which the snake went. It was about 30cm long and pitch black At that point there was no pain nor discomfort so I swapped the two vehicles, and then the pain started. My whole leg was on fire as if I was standing in a drum filled with boiling water. So, snake in the bottle, we rushed to the ER which was about 15 minutes out from the house. The doctor told the nurse to wrap my leg tight, starting from the ankle moving up with a crepe bandage while he left with the bottle to consult a chart with pictures of most known snakes and identified the culprit as a Stiletto. As there is no anti venom for this guy, he proceeded to pump a copious amount of penicillin into my thigh. He also told me to bite on my teeth as no pain killer would have any effect. I was admitted for an overnight stay and eventually, after about five hours of agony the pain started to subside slightly. Never slept that night and was discharged at about ten the next morning after all vitals were checked. The leg remained stiff for about two weeks and a black scab had formed on the bite wound, approx 30mm dia. It fell off after about a month. I recovered fully with zero tissue damage. Guess I was treated in good time. I shall not wish this fate on my worst enemy, well maybe........... The biggest mistake is to NOT grab it behind the head as it has the ability to twist it's jaw in such a way that it can push a tooth though it's cheek and that's when people get pierced on the finger. Hope others will benefit from my experience.

[@zipt5]

I am from Witbank, and see rinkhals at least once a year. I will be showing my 8 year old son this video, awareness is key.

[@Pjay0001]

The hypersensitivity to venom is something I learned from Dingo Dinkelman. Unfortunately, that is exactly what killed him. May his soul rest in peace and his teachings live on through others. Your video was great, and I will be sharing it.

[@mikeperry-africanreptilesv2600]

@@Pjay0001 I appreciate you sharing this video.

[@thefisherman1982]

Thanks Mike! Extremely useful information!

[@EvanConnock-k8o]

Must say Mike, hugely informative... others have discussed this snake but your description tops them all... thank you!

[@clivesimpson-wells5952]

Great video thanks

[@nigelbews3335]

That rinkals is very menacing, especially with the excessive hissing!

[@tweeroute]

Excellent, very informative, cheers!

[@susanerinfret2605]

Really interresting video, thank you 😊

[@joemyers8289]

Shame you weren't in Australia Mike, some good classes on Snakes and venom are not really available hence watching and always learning something.

[@chukpic]

Great video

[@HeinGeldenhuys-f1y]

Good to "discover" your channel and subscribe to it! I met you yeaaars ago with the Transvaal Herpetological Association (name ?). Regular meets at Pta zoo and Tvl museum. 1984/5. Be safe! Hein

[@JirehDigitalMedia]

Great video. Pitty the audio quality is so bad.

[@rupertmcnaughtdavis3649]

Very interesting. I have lived in the Helderberg area for 64 years and never seen a rinkhals although they have been recorded here.

[@MmaneWanders]

Grew up on a farm west of Joburg, the Rinkhals was a regular visitor in the chicken coop and the most feared because of the spitting.

[@bwmcelya]

Thanks for making the video. Very interesting. Closeup of the snake with its hood out is quite attractive. That spitting business is bad manners though (smile).

[@SB-wh9kf]

Can you please explain the manufacturing of anti venom and the physiological processes during anti venom treatment.

[@BevonANIMALlovers]

Baie dankie ook Mike

[@talitasmit9337]

❤

[@vliegvlerk]

Hi Mike would like to come and see you. I dont like these creatures. But would come on you course.

[@kurtfrancis6638]

Not much info Mike about the Rinkals venom and effect on the human body.

[@mikeperry-africanreptilesv2600]

@@kurtfrancis6638 the venom of the Rinkhals is mainly cytotoxic with a weaker neurotoxic compound. Bites cause painful progressive swelling and there could be paralysis of the breathing muscles especially in children or small dogs.

[@willdemeyer6397]

Snouties are tough snakes

[@southafricanwithaphone4657]

You are truly the king of venomous snakes in sa mate but that rinkhals,if he wanted he could have had you multiple times.but im not as eduacated and doesnt have nearly the experience you have.so i can be wrong, completely.

[@toneroc-999]

Great video but his accent makes it hard to understand !!!

[@mikeperry-africanreptilesv2600]

Sorry if my accent is a bit difficult to understand.

[@SB-wh9kf]

Accent is no problem. The most relevant audience - South Africans - can easily follow. Thank you for sharing.

[@derekallen4568]

He doesn't have an accent. You do!😅

[@cindys9491]

Are you able to use CC

[@PhansiKhongoloza]

What!!!! The South African English, first language (home language) speaker's accent is the most pure and easy to understand of all English dialects. I've worked in 8 counties with British, Canadian, Kiwi, Aussie and American colleagues. With our workforce mainly from the Indian subcontinent, Philippines and Arabs. The workforce would often comment on how I was the only one they could understand.

[@Starsky1413]

Down my road. Lives close to Diepsloot. Doesn’t have fences Hahahaha

[@robertroe1956]

Great video, thanks