I had just started my evening meal there was a knock at my door. A nurse from the hospital at our mission was at the door. She was holding a very grubby polythene bag. Originally white it was well smeared with blood and mud. From the outside it looked as if it might contain offal, or worse.
“Mr Brian”, she said, “The doctor says can you tell us what is this as soon as possible?”. I looked in the bag. There was a dead snake, which judging from the lack of dried blood had been killed recently. It emerged a patient had just arrived having been bitten by the snake, and his supporters had brought the snake along for identification. Although we would have had no access to anti-venine, it would help the doctor if he new more about the toxin.
Leaving my food I went directly to my science lab, where I had the book ‘Snakes of Zimbabwe’, and tools to examine the snake thoroughly.
Usually when people kill a snake they beat it about the head, so it is often difficult to count the scales between mouth and eye or between the eyes. But the pattern and shape of the scales around the head is usually the best way to be certain of the species of the snake. But with this snake laid out along the bench I could look closely and make all the relevant counts. Olive brown with 25 mid-body scale rows, cloacal entire, paired subcaudals, -upper labials 6, the third entering the eye. Yes this is the one.
Here it is ‘Mozambique Spitting Cobra’, (I hate spitting cobras.) Let’s read right through the description to be sure. The last line: “This snake sometimes ‘plays possum’ - shamming death when molested.”
For the patient recovered quickly after having been treated for shock.
The doctor gave me a beer before I finished my meal.