First of all we need to understand that a snake will never approach humans. If you are sitting or lying absolutely still for a long time, the snake might not consider you a danger and therefore risk to trespass close by, but even this is unlikely.

So, most likely, it is the other way around that you approach the snake. In this case we need to differenciate between venomous snakes and constrictor snakes (eg. python).

Constrictor Snakes
Even the biggest python is extremely unlikely to see you as food, so just walk passed with a little distance and you will be fine.

Venomous snakes
Venomous snakes dislike the presence of humans and will leave as long as they have a chance. Usually you won't even realize the snake because it will have already disappeared before you arrive. Snakes have a very sensitive sense for vibrations in the ground and can tell your steps from far. Hence, they will be gone before you get there.

If you happen to catch the snake unaware, just stop where you are and make sure you leave the snake room to escape. Of course it depends on how far away you are from the snake, but if you are out of reach for the snake, you can simply walk away. If you happen to be very close, just don't do any abrupt movement. The snake could mistake a sudden movement for an attack and will defend itself. If you move back slowly, you will be fine. Don't worry, the snake won't follow you, it has absolutely no reason to do so.

There are however 2 exceptions:

The spitting cobra
The spitting cobra can spit venom into your eyes from up to 2 meters distance with remarkable accuracy. This happens so fast, you will hardly see anything happening. If untreated, the venom can make you loose your eye-sight.

The puffadder
The puffadder relies on it's camouflage and will not escape. When it senses your approach, it will freeze and hope you don't see it. Again, this snake will not bite you unless it feels threatened, but this is more likely to happen because you havn't even realized it is there. Most snake bites reported are actually from the puffadder because of this reason and this makes the puffadder the most dangerous snake in Africa. People very often step on it or reach for something that is right next to it in which case the snake will - of course - bite.
But like all other snakes, as long they don't feel threatened, they won't bite. I was sitting with a whole group of friends on a staircase to a jetty and we were just chatting away for at least half an hour when one of my friends pointed out in a very strange way that he will now slowly get up and look for a better place to sit because he just realized that he had been sitting 20 cm away from a 1,5 meter puffadder!! He had mistaken it for a rock. He carefully got up and that was it. The snake didn't move a millimeter. It didn't feel threatened and hence it remained where it was.
You can imagine what would have happened if he would have jumped up suddenly or touched it accidentally before realizing it's presence.

In general it is wise to walk on footpaths where you can see what you are stepping on. I know, especially when on a bush-walk, there are plenty of fantastic things to see, but please keep an eye on where you place your foot as you walk along.

In a Camp / Lodge: Should I report a snake to staff or management?

In most cases the staff will do everything to kill the snake. Many Africans have a strange urge to kill any snake they come across. Personally I suggest you get your camera rather than a member of staff. If you feel very threatened by the presence of the snake, do speak to the management but kindly ask them not to kill the snake and watch them remove it. First of all you will get to see this beautiful creature even more and secondly you can be sure they don't kill it.

Oh, and one last thing: The only snake which is so poisonous that it's bite will kill you instantly, is the Hollywood-snake. It has been seen on TV many times, but never in reality. With all other snakes you have plenty of time to get an antivenom.

Carsten:

Thank you SOO much for posting this. In retrospect I think the reason I have had so many encounters is because I sit quiet on the veranda filming. Perhaps I need to get up and walk around more often. I will be more careful of this on this trip.

The thing that scares me the most is that most of the lodges and camps do not store antivenin. I have been told that because of lack of constant refrigeration (antivenin needs to be kept at a constant cool temperature), the fact that it outdates fairly quickly and the cost it just isn't kept. Now we also hear that antivenin is in short supply in Africa. If one is bitten by a black mamba you have only a short period of time (30 minutes
to one hour) before antivenin is started. Thus even if Flying Doctors were called immediately getting the antivenin in time is questionable.

I hear where you are coming from in whether to notify staff or not, but I have conflicts about this. I would feel terrible if staff got bitten trying to get rid of the snake (either by moving it or killing it) but I would likewise feel terrible if I didn't report it and some little kid got bitten. I think in my case it is better to let staff (who know far better than I) make the decision of what to do. I know in one case they have a snake tongs and presume they are expert enough to handle them properly.

I have also been reassured that even if a snake were under the tent floor, as sometimes happens, they could not bend their hands back enough to bite through the tent. Thus it is probably safe to continue to walk in bare feet in the tent right?

Thanks for sharing the interesting story of your friends sitting next to the puff adder and not even realizing it. They had great presence of mind in doing exactly what they did.

jan,
despite i have never ever come across a snake that closely (at least i don't know of it ) i would always ask the stuff to remove it and NOT kill it and furthermore i would watch them to make sure they feel observed and NOT kill it!
if a scorpion crawls our tent flap or ceiling i get myself an empty glass, put it on top of the creature, shake the canvas until it drops into the glass and then throw it out the tent. i'll do that myself in order to make sure its done propperly and also in order not to lose it means allowing it to fall down. in that regard i would not trust my husband as long as i do this myself i'll have an eye on the proceedings till the very completion and would search for it in case i lost it! kai might lie to me if he has lost it and say it's gone just to make sure he has got his peace again
we always shake boots before we slip in. the same with our clothes..... and never walk the tent or its "veranda". outside barefooted! it's just too risky. at least slip into flipflops to make sure you don't get stung or bitten!

Good reading-

Snakes which are cold blooded (like most humans..... ahahaha) sense us warm blooded large animals as well and thus do not also bite due to our size.

If I can quote on the Sitting Cobra - yes it really hurts and stings but you have enough time to continously wash your eyes out (keeping your eyes alwasys open) with running cold clean water. Make sure no water drains into your mouth and make sure your hands or body parts have NO cuts, open mosquito bites or wounds or th poison will drain in and you are back to square one. Us humans do not need a lot of poison in our system to say Ciao to this world.
Never rub the eyes and then seak medical attention.
Prevention - wear glasses!

Snake bites - totally depends where the snake has bitten you. If it is on you main body part (abdomen, neck, head or upper thigh) and it is one of the venumous snakes; unless you have anti venum (correctly stated stored in a fridge with a correct expiry date) then there is not much you can do.

Thinking of it - I have lived in Kenya for a long time and personally know only 3 people who have passed away from snake bites. If I need to think of how many in car exidents or illnesses... snake bites is very rare indeed.

Carsten - you may remember my friend Brian from South Africa? His younger brother tried to beat the world record to live in a glass room with some 60 poisonous snakes for 3 months to prove that they are not as dangerous as the famous Hollywood snakes. He was allowed out one hour a day and made it nearly for 3 months to beat the record. Unfortunately he got bitten twice by the same Black Mamba (must have been a moody snake) and the doctors decided it was a no go after the second bite in 2 weeks as the anti venum would not have worked anymore.

i have heard of a south african who deals with snakes for more than 50 years. he got himself a resistancy to the venom by injecting himself extremly small doses of venom for years. that made him resistent to any venom! so we learn it's just a matter of how often you are bitten and you will survive - if you are lucky

Original von Nico
If I can quote on the Sitting Cobra - yes it really hurts and stings but ...

A Sitting Cobra?? Never heard of such a snake, haaaaahaahaaaaha What does it normally sit on, I mean, which part of the body??