the suburbs of Yellowwood Park and Mount Vernon occupy a critical position. These areas are characterized by the presence of the 253-hectare Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve and the interconnected green lungs of the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System, which collectively provide a sanctuary for a high density of herpetofauna.4 The prevalence of snake species in these residential and protected areas is not an isolated phenomenon but a result of historical land preservation, riverine connectivity, and the adaptive capacity of reptiles to thrive within the suburban-wildland interface.2