
Last night I found a cape wolf snake (Lycophidion capense jacksonii) slowly making its way along the rocks and grasses. This species rarely bites and resorts to sudden twitches of the body when disturbed for intimidation. Some wolf snakes I’ve encountered strangely loop and suspend their bodies above the ground. This individual, however, preferred to flatten out its rib cage and hold the body against the substrate in an S-shape. Just ten or so meters away my spotted eagle-owl friend stood attentive at its perch, hoping that an unlucky snake or rodent might wander within its line of sight.