Latest news with #UniversityoftheWitwatersrand
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Science
- Daily Maverick
Forget cats, forget traps — bring in the puff adders to revolutionise pest control
Africa's coolest pest control agents have fangs, no overheads and a killer instinct. Enter the puff adder (Bitis arietans) — nature's unassuming, cold-blooded rodent regulator. A new study by Professor Graham Alexander at the University of the Witwatersrand has revealed just how spectacularly efficient these snakes are, offering compelling evidence that they might be the farmers' unsung ally. They're often cast as villains, coiled and hissing in the corners of bushveld myths, but puff adders are ecological rockstars with a lazy flair for lethal efficiency. Unlike mammals who must eat constantly to fuel their furnace-like bodies, puff adders can down tools — or fangs — and wait. For months. Even years. In the largest-ever study of its kind, Alexander raised 18 puff adders over four years under tightly controlled conditions. The snakes, all born in captivity, were housed at Wits University and observed during a series of trials that measured their feeding, fasting and weight changes. What he discovered could change the way we think about snakes — and pest control. 'The key idea,' Alexander explains, 'is something I called the 'factorial scope of ingestion'. It's a way of measuring how much more a predator can eat when food becomes abundant. No one's used this in animals before — I made up the name.' Masters of the buffet Turns out puff adders are masters of the buffet. During peak feeding periods, the snakes increased their intake by twelve times their normal dietary needs. One snake even ballooned to more than 2kg, more than double its starting weight. That level of flexibility is practically unheard of in mammals, whose metabolic needs keep them on a tight leash. Let's translate: if puff adders were people, they'd gorge through the holidays on a dozen Christmas dinners, then not eat again until December. And they'd still be fine. These findings, published in Scientific Reports, debunk the long-held idea that snakes, being ectotherms with slow digestion, have little impact on prey populations. Not only can puff adders gobble up rodents at astonishing rates when prey is abundant, they can also wait out the lean years, lying low with metabolic grace. 'I estimate that some of these snakes could fast for over two years and still survive,' Alexander says. 'When rodents boom, puff adders switch on, consuming mice week after week. But when the prey disappears, they simply… switch off.' This ability offers a significant advantage over warm-blooded predators like mongooses or jackals, which must eat regularly or perish. Puff adders, with their secretive ways and ambush tactics, are perfectly adapted for ecological boom-and-bust cycles. They're like the ultimate freelance exterminators — no contract, no complaints. But there's more. By staying put and waiting for rodents to scurry by, puff adders mount what ecologists call a 'functional response' — an immediate adjustment in feeding and breeding rate based on prey availability. In the dusty corners of barns and the grassy fringes of maize fields, puff adders lie in ambush. And while their approach may be passive, the effect is anything but. 'Simple. Effective. Immediate.' 'When rodent numbers go up,' says Alexander, 'more rodents run past the snakes. And the snakes just eat more. Simple. Effective. Immediate.' Puff adders, the study suggests, act as ecosystem stabilisers — naturally damping down the rodent population explosions that wreak havoc on crops. And because they don't need frequent meals, their populations don't crash during the quiet years, like mammals often do. That alone should earn them some farmyard respect. But old fears die hard. Puff adders are responsible for the highest number of serious snake bites in Africa, due to their camouflage and tendency to stay still when threatened. But this reputation needs a rethink. According to data at a hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, the fatality rate from puff adder bites is extremely low. In one study of nearly 900 hospitalised snakebite cases, not a single death was recorded. Still, Alexander admits he's been on the sharp end of a puff adder's fang. 'About 25 years ago I got bitten on the leg,' he says. 'It put me in ICU for nine days. But the real issue was the antivenom. I'm violently allergic to the horse serum it's made from — it stopped my heart.' It's a sobering reminder of the risks. But it hasn't dampened his enthusiasm. 'Some people say working with venomous snakes is heroic,' he laughs. 'Others say it's just stupid.' Each of the 18 snakes in his colony had its own personality, he adds — some were curious, others reclusive. This growing recognition of reptilian personality, even sentience, is changing how scientists view snakes. Strategic and adaptive 'Snakes aren't mindless machines,' Alexander says. 'They're remarkable animals — strategic, adaptive and vital to the ecosystems they live in.' So should farmers release puff adders into their barns? Not quite. Alexander cautions against artificially introducing snakes into new environments, which could disrupt local ecosystems. 'But if they're already there,' he says, 'don't kill them.' With snake antivenom production faltering in South Africa, and rodenticide poisoning creating knock-on effects across food chains, the case for protecting natural pest regulators has never been stronger. Most bites, Alexander says, result from trying to kill them. They respond to threats. Puff adders might not be cuddly, but they're efficient, low-maintenance, and — as Alexander's research shows — astonishingly good at their job. So next time you see a puff adder in your barn or near your wheat field, maybe hold off on the hoe. That fat, lazy, patterned lump might just be your best employee. DM
eNCA
a day ago
- Health
- eNCA
SA universities need R2-billion to save research programmes
JOHANNESBURG - South African universities are in crisis mode. The freeze in US funding has left major institutions scrambling to save critical health research programmes. In an urgent appeal, universities, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, have approached National Treasury, requesting R2-billion in local aid to prevent a collapse in research infrastructure that supports everything from HIV and reproductive health to broader public health systems. The freeze has already resulted in project terminations, staff retrenchments, and massive uncertainty with more cuts looming. Professor Glenda Gray has been at the forefront of HIV Aids research for decades.
IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
The femicide crisis in South Africa: Unraveling the murder of Olorato Mongale
The tragic murder of 30-year-old Olorato Mongale has rocked South Africa and further exposed a highly sophisticated criminal syndicate that targets women. The incident On May 25, Mongale, a postgraduate student at the University of the Witwatersrand, went on a date with a man she had recently met. CCTV footage captured her leaving her residence in Athol, Johannesburg, and getting into a white VW Polo with what was later revealed as cloned licence plates. Police investigations revealed that the two drove to Alexandra, then to Kew. According to police, between Alexandra and Lombardy West in Johannesburg, this suspect allegedly murdered Olorato and dumped her body. "Some of the belongings of the victim, which include her mobile phone and handbag were found abandoned in Kew, Johannesburg," stated national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe. The discovery of Mongale's body sparked public outrage and calls for justice.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
PHOTOS: Music, culture shine at Lekompo Balcony Mix
Raeesa Sempe Raeesa Sempe is a Caxton Award-winning Digital Editor with nine years' experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and started her journey as a community journalist for the Polokwane Review in 2015. She then became the online journalist for the Review in 2016 where she excelled in solidifying the Review's digital footprint through Facebook lives, content creation and marketing campaigns. Raeesa then moved on to become the News Editor of the Bonus Review in 2019 and scooped up the Editorial Employee of the Year award in the same year. She is the current Digital Editor of the Polokwane Review-Observer, a position she takes pride in. Raeesa is married with one child and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and baking – when she has the time. 'I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." – Tom Stoppard
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
University of Pretoria awards former first lady Zanele Mbeki an honorary doctorate
The University of Pretoria (UP) has awarded former first lady and social worker Zanele Mbeki an honorary doctorate for her advocacy for an inclusive society and championing women's rights, particularly in rural areas. Mbeki holds a degree in social work from the University of the Witwatersrand and a diploma in social policy and administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She cofounded a microfinance institution called the Women's Development Bank in 1990, which catered to the needs of women in rural areas whose male relatives worked in mines. In 2003, she started an organisation called Women in Dialogue, giving a voice to women in Africa. Mbeki also started the Zanele Mbeki Development Trust to improve the status of African women. Former head of UP's department of social work and criminology Prof Antoinette Lombard said Mbeki's advocacy predates her tenure as first lady. 'Her deep concern for the plight of those left behind spans many years of work. This includes her contributions as a social worker in London, Zambia, Pakistan, India and Kenya; in the fields of health and mental health as a social worker for refugees in Botswana and Nigeria as part of the UN High Commission for Refugees; and for Anglo American in Zambia as a case worker.' In her speech, Mbeki thanked the university. 'I remain committed to realising the call to South Africa and Africa where every person has a chance to thrive. Let this moment inspire us to act with purpose, conviction and unity. Together we can make remarkable strides in rewriting the story of Africa and her people, not one defined by struggle but by innovation and the humanity of her people.'
