Video of Snake Giving Birth to Live Babies Wows South Africans

• A viral Facebook video in South Africa unexpectedly captured a snake giving birth to live baby snakes
• The rare and educational footage sparked widespread curiosity, leading to discussions about snake biology
• The video was applauded for providing a unique glimpse into nature, highlighting the preciousness of life in all forms
• Briefly News spoke to Gerrie Heyns, a snake expert and the man behind the remarkable video capturing the unexpected viral moment

South Africans were amazed and educated by a viral Facebook video showing a snake giving birth, sparking curiosity about snake biology.

A viral Facebook video has taken Mzansi by surprise, showing something few have seen before. In a video posted by Facebook user Gerrie Heyns, a snake was giving birth to live babies, wriggling hatchlings, emerging one after another in real time.

While some viewers were shocked and disturbed, many were amazed to learn that certain species of snakes give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. The educational nature of the video sparked curiosity, with users Googling facts and asking questions in the comments. He wrote:

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"The day a harmless Slug-eater started giving birth in my hand... Probably one of the most different and coolest things happening with snakes. I was standing, chatting with a person, with a slug-eater in my hand after I took it from a small bucket. The person brought the snake to my home, not knowing what it was. While talking and explaining what it was, I felt something wet in my hand and thought, 'Oh no... it just pooped!'"

He further expressed how he felt when the snake was giving birth:

"That's when I looked and saw two snakes in my hand. That's when I realised what had just happened—the slug-eater was giving birth. I immediately ran inside and placed her in a small container, grabbed my phone, and started recording. Slug-eaters give live birth, and it doesn't happen every day that you witness something like this. The part of them gasping and taking their first breath, life is precious in all forms."

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Snakes' lives matter

The footage also reignited conversations about nature, wildlife, and the importance of understanding animal behaviour. It’s not something you see every day, and Mzansi clearly couldn’t look away. Many netizens applauded the content creator for catching the moment on camera, and sharing it for educational.

Speaking to Briefly News, Gerrie said the slug-eater snake caught him completely off guard, sharing that while he initially thought it had defecated in his hand. He said:

"Slug-eater snakes are totally harmless, and one of their defensive behaviour methods is to poop in your hands. It smells horrible. I didn't expect it to start giving birth at all, and had it in my hand because someone brought it to my home in an old, dirty bucket, not knowing what it was. After holding it in my hand I felt the warm wet substance and immediately thought it pooped."

He added:

"When I looked at my hand, I saw the baby and clicked what had just happened. That is when I went indoors and placed her into a clean plastic tub and started filming using my mobile phone. The video I posted on my YouTube channel is in full 4K resolution, but I don't know why it only started getting views when I posted it again on Facebook recently."

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Mzansi reacts to the video

Vaughan Veale wrote:

"Wow, wow, wow! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fantastic, Gerrie."

Bells Ma'Kisia said:

"Akinyi, Walg doula services needed here"

Susan Skog commented:

"Absolutely fantastic!"

Helene Jacobs said:

"Wat 'n voorreg om te aanskou!"

Mandy Bergant said:

"Wow. That’s incredible! Thank you so much for sharing."

Clinton Landman said:

"Priceless moments."

Wendy Hawkins added:

"Wow, how amazing! Glad you caught it on camera."

Arensia Geël asked:

"Do they experience pain during giving birth?"

Michel P. Buzas said:

"Welcome to the world."

Watch the TikTok video below:

The snake handler displayed another beautiful snake.

3 Briefly News stories about snakes

• A wildlife enthusiast shared a clip of himself handling a venomous snake, and it bit him on the nose.
• Nick Evans, a Durban-based snake rescuer, shared on Facebook that he got a call for a vine snake.
• A snake removal left many Mzansi netizens on the internet glued to their phones over the intense reveal.

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Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News.

Source: Briefly News