Juvenile, Yet Venomous

A quiet Monday morning took an unexpected turn when our housekeeper mentioned a snake in the basement. I went down to check. Barely a foot long, it was a juvenile saw-scaled viper. Small, but fully equipped. Hatchlings of this species are born with functional solenoglyphous fangs and working venom glands, so size offers no reassurance.

It was stuck fast on a glue pad from a rat trap, exhausted by repeated attempts to escape. I worked slowly, carefully easing it free. Glue on its underside still prevented movement, so a small amount of coconut oil was applied to the affected areas. That did the trick. After a short rest, movement returned.

As it regained strength, stress showed itself in repeated wide gapes, a clear defensive display. I made a few quick frames, keeping my distance.

Snakes in the garden are part of everyday life here; living beside a reserve forest makes that inevitable. Finding one in the basement was different. Once it had recovered enough to move, I released it well away from the house, at the forest edge—into leaf litter and shade, away from built space.