Subadult Mole Snake rescued near Plattekloof (2017-01-30)
I was called out to a construction site near Plattekloof today to retrieve this Mole Snake that had crawled into one of the water pipes.
The people on-site kept their eyes on the snake the whole time, and when I got there capturing it wasn't too difficult (although we did have to tilt the pipe to get it to slide out!).
Because construction sites can have sources of water and rubble / building materials lying around, they can offer ideal hiding places for snakes - as always the best way to keep snakes off of your property is to ensure that they can't find water, shelter, or food there.
--
Mole Snakes are found in a variety of habitats - even mountainous regions and deserts - but they're particularly common in sandy scrub-covered and grassveld regions.
They spend most of their time underground, pushing their way through soft sand in search of moles and other rodents.
Juvenile (young) mole snakes have a variety of patterns and colors that they lose completely once they reach adulthood.
Viviparous, Mole Snakes give live birth to anywhere between 25-50 babies in late summer.