herald, noun

Origin:
See quotation 1988.
In full herald snake: the common back-fanged garden snake Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia of the Colubridae, olive to olive-brown in colour (usually with red or yellow lips), and having a poisonous but not fatal bite; red-lipped herald, see red-lipped; also called night-adder (sense 2).
1910 F.W. Fitzsimons Snakes of S. Afr. 57The Red-lipped or Herald Snake..is one of the best-known and most widespread snakes in Africa.
1947 J. Stevenson-Hamilton Wild Life in S. Afr. 330The red-lipped or herald snake (Leptodira hotamboea). This is distinguished by its upper lip being of bright red colour.
c1966 J. Hobbs in New S. Afr. Writing 157We have had a cobra outside the kitchen that reared and spat.., night-adders wriggling unobtrusively up the drains and behind storage bins, and harmless red-lipped herald snakes.
1970 V.F.M. Fitzsimons Field Guide to Snakes of Sn Afr. 118Herald or Red-lipped Snake...According to the prevailing colour on the upper lips it is variously known as the white- or yellow-lipped snake.
1987 R. Patterson Reptiles of Sn Afr. 82Herald Snake,..Found in the moister southern and eastern half of southern Africa, the Herald is the garden snake of the region...As a means of defence it adopts an adder-like position with the head flattened...This pose has resulted in the humble Herald acquiring the erroneous title of Flame-mouth adder!
1988 B. Branch Field Guide to Snakes & other Reptiles of Sn Afr. 85Herald or Red-lipped Snake,..The presence of this snake in South Africa was first noted in the Eastern Province Herald newspaper, hence its common name.
In full herald snake:the common back-fanged garden snake Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia of the Colubridae, olive to olive-brown in colour (usually with red or yellow lips), and having a poisonous but not fatal bite; red-lipped herald, see red-lipped; also called night-adder (sense 2).
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