Not The Enemy: Snakes Can Be Saviours

Rodents ruin millions of tons of food in Africa every year. But an unlikely saviour—the puff adder, a common snake type in Africa—might be the secret weapon we have overlooked.

When I was growing up, we had a constant battle with rodents eating the maize we had worked so hard to plant, weed, and harvest. It wasn't just our family–rodents are a widespread problem across Africa’s farmlands and rural food stores.

In fact, rodents destroy an estimated 16% of crops while still in the field and another 8% during storage, one study says.

 In countries like Kenya, stored maize losses can reach up to 18%, devastating food supplies for millions.

The damage isn’t only economic. Rodents also spread diseases that affect more than 400 million people globally each year. In Africa’s fast-growing cities and vulnerable rural areas–where people and rodents often live in close proximity–these health risks grow even worse.

Despite the scale of the crisis, our solutions remain inadequate. Most farmers rely on chemical poisons, which are expensive, harmful to the environment, and increasingly ineffective. Meanwhile, affordable rodent-proof storage remains out of reach for many smallholder farmers.

But here’s the surprising part: one of the most feared reptiles in Africa may actually be a powerful ally in this fight.

Enter the puff adder (Bitis arietans), a slow-moving, highly venomous snake, long seen as dangerous and deadly. Yet recent research suggests this unlikely predator could be a vital tool in controlling rodent populations.

A study published in Scientific Reports by Professor Graham J. Alexander of the University of the Witwatersrand found that snakes of this nature have remarkable traits that make them ideal natural rodent controllers–especially during sudden outbreaks that overwhelm conventional control methods.

Over a 77-day period, these snakes were given unlimited access to rodents, simulating the conditions of a rodent outbreak. The results were astonishing: the snakes ate up to 20 times more than usual, with each one consuming the equivalent of 12 times its normal intake and gaining more than 50% in body weight.

Even more fascinating was what happened next. After this feeding frenzy, the snakes were fasted for five months. Instead of starving, they lost weight gradually and remained healthy. Based on these findings, scientists believe that a well-fed snake of this type could survive up to two years without food–a rare trait among warm-blooded predators like foxes or birds.

As Professor Alexander put it, these snakes are “nature’s perfect rodent control system.” They can eat up to 10 rodents in one sitting, and they’re ready to feed again just a week later–making them effective, low-cost pest managers with no environmental downsides.

Astonishing. Did I ever expect to find snakes useful? Not at all. I am afraid of them. But this study made me pause a bit and reconsider. Nature, it turns out, often works in unexpected ways.

That’s why I write this newsletter: to learn, and to share what I find. I hope you’re as surprised as I was.

VISUAL OF THE WEEK 

Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic (CAR) have managed to keep forest loss stable overall, even amid a major political change in Gabon and relentless conflicts in CAR. Meanwhile Cameroon, like DRC and the Republic of the Congo, has seen an overall uptick in forest loss in recent years. Reference, Word Resource Institute

QOUTE OF THE WEEK

“There is a high likelihood of above-normal rainfall across most of the northern parts of Greater Horn of Africa during the critical June-September rainy season,” World Meteorological Organisation on rainfall forecast for the region. “June to September is a vital rainy season for countries in the northern and western parts of the Greater Horn of Africa, accounting for over 50% of annual rainfall and more than 80% in most parts of Sudan.”

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 

 Early Sexual Debut Linked to Risky Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa: A study which analysed data from 69,194 adolescent girls and young women across 22 sub-Saharan African countries found that early sexual debut is strongly associated with multiple sexual partnerships. The analysis revealed that 4.63% of participants engaged in multiple sexual partnerships, with the highest prevalence in Gabon, Liberia, and Cameroon. Those who had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 18 were significantly more likely to have multiple partners, with the highest risk among those who initiated sex at age 14 or younger. The study says there is a need for policies and comprehensive sex education programs to discourage early sexual initiation and reduce risky sexual behaviours in the region. [Reference, Health Science Reports]

Decoding Neurological Illnesses in Africa: For years, many families in Africa have faced mysterious neurological illnesses—children struggling to walk, young adults losing muscle strength, or entire families affected by unexplained seizures. Doctors often didn’t have answers because these inherited conditions were rarely studied in African populations. That’s now beginning to change. With support from international projects like H3Africa, African scientists have started uncovering the genetic causes behind these disorders. In places like Mali, they’ve found unique gene mutations that weren’t seen in other parts of the world. These discoveries are helping more people get proper diagnoses and hope for future treatments. It’s a big step forward, but challenges like limited funding, equipment, and trained specialists remain. Still, this growing field of neurogenetics is proving that Africa has a vital role to play in solving medical mysteries—and that the solutions may start closer to home than we once thought. [Reference, Nature Reviews Neurology]

Better Second-Line HIV Treatments for Children in Africa: A study conducted in Africa found that newer HIV treatments are more effective and safe for children whose initial medications failed. Specifically, the combination of TAF–emtricitabine drug worked better than standard therapies, and another drug  called dolutegravir was more effective than commonly used alternatives. These newer treatments also had no major safety concerns, offering better options for managing HIV in children who need second-line therapy. [Reference, New England Journal of Medicine]

Africa’s Young Forests at Risk: A study mapping tropical forest regrowth found that most of Africa’s regenerating forests are very young—less than five years old—and at high risk of being cleared again. Only a small fraction of older regrown forests (over 20 years old), which store more carbon and support more biodiversity, are found in Africa compared to other regions like the Americas. The research shows that forests in areas with less disturbance and more surrounding tree cover are more likely to survive and grow older. To truly benefit from nature's ability to restore forests in Africa, there’s an urgent need for stronger protection, community involvement, and long-term investment in naturally regenerating forests. [Reference, Nature Ecology and Evolution]

Uganda Faces Surge in NCD Risk Factors: A national study in Uganda found that between 2014 and 2023, the number of people facing health risks linked to non-communicable diseases (like diabetes and heart disease) has gone up. There were significant increases in high blood sugar, overweight and obesity, alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyles. On a positive note, smoking and low physical activity slightly decreased. However, risky behaviors like poor diet and high blood pressure remain very common. The findings show an urgent need for stronger health campaigns and policies to help Ugandans live healthier lives and reduce the growing threat of these diseases. [Reference, PLOS Global Health.]

—END—