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Home Animals Watch Chameleon Fight Back at Striking Snake

Watch Chameleon Fight Back at Striking Snake

A determined chameleon was not about to let a boomslang get the better of him, in a sighting witnessed by Ettienne Hamman and Annemarie Hamman at the Pilanesberg National Park.

Heather Djunga
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A surprise after a day of ‘spectacular sightings’

Ettienne and Annemarie had enjoyed a full day of spectacular sightings on this particular day. This included witnessing a male leopard, a rare sight in the park. However, on their journey back to camp, one more surprise awaited them.

The sighting might have gone unnoticed had they not kept their sights on the road.

Deadly snake appears on the sand road

There, in front of their vehicle was a snake! At this moment, they weren’t quite sure which species of snake it was. However, this snake appeared to be in a mission and slithered across the sand road with lightening speed.

It soon became clear what he was after!

“It moved with a sense of eagerness. Suddenly it raised its head, a juvenile boomslang. That’s when we realized what was transpiring right before our eyes. On the opposite end of the road was a chameleon, locked in a staring contest with the snake.”

Snake eyes chameleon

The chameleon did not attempt to run away. In the face of impending danger, it stood dead still, hoping to blend in with its surroundings.

However, this snake was not fooled by the chameleon’s camouflage. It swiftly closed in on the chameleon.

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While this might not have been a lion closing in on an antelope, this unusual display of predator and prey was breathtaking to behold.

“The chameleon immediately went into defense mode and reared. Anticipating a strike from the snake. The chameleon bravely stood its ground in the face of death.”

The chameleon now in its grip, the snake wrestled with the creature, which put up a determined fight. The snake’s moves were electric and it moved with determined energy as it carried the chameleon into the road.

Undoubtedly, it succeeded in inflicting a number of deadly strikes and blows; injecting the chameleon with venom.

Boomslangs are highly venomous snakes that actively pursue their prey. They deliver hemotoxic venom through their bite, then patiently wait for the venom to take effect before swallowing their prey whole.

Chameleon breaks free and stands to its feet

The chameleon appeared to free itself from the snake’s grasp. It then stood up in the sand road, no longer in camouflage mode.

Says the spectators: “The snake then moved off into some grass and, from a distance, observed its prey. Clearly, the venom was taking effect as the chameleon began swaying from side to side.”

A little while later, it returned for a final inspection of the chameleon, before returning to the cover of the thick grass on the roadside and watching on.

Snake and chameleon disappear following breathtaking encounter

The viewers say the chameleon eventually made its way across the road, and once it entered the thick shrubs on the roadside, disappeared from sight. “Who knows if the boomslang was ever able to claim his hard-earned prize or not. Surely for us, this was a moment never to be forgotten.”

The riveting encounter was a reminder to the Hammans that in the bushveld, as in life, ‘the show is not over until the fat lady sings’. This means that even in the last moment of the day, as the sun sets and one must start heading back to camp, something spectacular can still happen! Such a ‘spectacular’ sighting might be missed if one doesn’t keep one’s eyes on the road.

Watch the sighting:

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