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Cats and deadly snakes!? Part of Timbo's Friday!

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Posted on November 1, 2009 at 12:51:08
Timbo in Oz
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Posts: 11407
Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia
Joined: January 30, 2002
 I was about to begin reviewing documentation in the study, for my Senior Consultant on the contract, and a friend and I had just returned from a walk.

My study looks out onto the covered paved deck area where my friend Richard was finishing a cup of tea, and then I became aware that he was calling out urgently to Dondi.

A snake he called to me and he was right! A baby Common Brown Snake. By the time I was out there DT had cornered it, and it was striking at her. I had to decide when it was 'safe' to grab her, and get her inside.

She was of course moving in again when I grabbed her, and got scratched for it. I seem to have blocked out how close DT was to the snake when I grabbed her.

When I got back out I was about to step down onto the temporary step we set up close to the back door. Due to the big grey water tank the steps further along are useless except for entering the laundry.

And Richard says, STOP it's under that step.

The step is an old house step (very heavy) sitting on on concrete pavers - with gaps!!!!!!

I needed to get back to work, see?

So I jumped down off the back porch onto the deck's paved surface and grabbed a hoe. I don't know how I managed to pull the big step back and off, and there it was curled up terrified out of IT's wits, too.

Richard and I were arguing about calling the rangers, who can take hours to come ........ It IS illegal to kill them, here!

And as I was dragging the small pavers away it came up onto the haft of the hoe. I flicked it off and killed it.

While I tried to calm down back inside, Richard scraped up the remains with a shovel and took them out to the head (keyhole?) of the cul-de-sac we live in (Beilby PLACE), under some low pine log barriers, and it was eaten by Magpies within the hour.

It is late Spring and despite the two bursts back of Winter, it is now quite warm - HOT even. So the baby snakes are now on the move away from their parent's territories.

I did not think to take pictures -nor did I once examine whether I should risk grabbing her. Maybe in a few days I'll take one of the 'temporary' step!

The snake was about 18 inches long.

It is as easy to be envenomed by a baby Brown as by a mature one. See under Venom in the Wikipedia article, posted for click on below.

Dondi is of course absolutely oblivious to how close she came to death, she is playing in the corridor as I type.

BLOODY cats, eh??!!!! ;-)!

Another site? - http://teachit.acreekps.vic.edu.au/animals/brown%20snake.htm




Warmest

Timothy Bailey
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio Scrounger

And gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!

'Still not saluting.'

http://www.theanalogdept.com/tim_bailey.htm
Close call there, mate!, posted on November 2, 2009 at 08:10:41
ElbowGeek
Audiophile

Posts: 9288
Joined: March 31, 2002
 Glad it had a happy ending; that little bugger could have done you and/or puss some real damage.

I'm glad all we have to worry about here are centipedes and they are pretty rare in themselves. Oddly, even though Bermuda is situated in open ocean, we have not had many shark attacks in our history, perhaps because of our barrier reef.

Cheers, and stay safe!

Pehaps your sharks..., posted on November 2, 2009 at 09:13:42
feet's too big
Audiophile

Posts: 8878
Location: West Midlands
Joined: November 22, 2002
 are of the apparently relaxed, two-legged, land-going variety... :o)




Bill.

Let me tell you, our sharks can eat a longtail alive in one gulp ;-), posted on November 2, 2009 at 10:02:58
ElbowGeek
Audiophile

Posts: 9288
Joined: March 31, 2002
 A bit of a local reference - the longtail is actually a bird which appears on our shores every spring, as did the American tourists. The sobriquet 'longtail' was naturally attached to the female of that species ;-)

Cheers

Glad it was nothing more than a close call, Timbo!, posted on November 1, 2009 at 19:12:03
1973shovel
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Posts: 2368
Location: Greenville SC
Joined: February 25, 2007
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2009
 With a name like "Common Brown snake" it doesn't sound nearly as bad as it really is. I have to contend with Copperhead snakes and Black Widow spiders where I live, but their names sound worse than their bite actually is.

Glad you and your pets are ok!

The young ones can often be far more dangerous than, posted on November 1, 2009 at 15:04:24
Bruce Kendall
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Location: SoCal
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  Since: February 4, 2005
 the older, more seasoned snakes. From what I understand, the older snakes reserve their venom for prey they can actually eat, preferring to simply scare the hapless person who just stumbles upon them.

I'm glad that turned out to be a happy story, Timbo.



"From what I understand, the older snakes reserve their venom for prey they can actually eat", posted on November 2, 2009 at 17:23:55
Timbo in Oz
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Posts: 11407
Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia
Joined: January 30, 2002
 It's about delivery and potency, as well as the experience thing. And, Dondi was a threat, as was I.

Baby Browns' fangs are not much shorter than Mum's or Dads, <3mm, because they have to prey on the same animals. And, the venom is the 2nd most powerful. "One 1/14,000 of an ounce of this vemon is enough to kill a person." It needs to be, given those short, grooved fangs.

Deaths from Baby Browns are less common IIRC, but they do happen. Mostly during their migration after hatching.




Warmest

Timothy Bailey
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio Scrounger

And gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!

'Still not saluting.'

http://www.theanalogdept.com/tim_bailey.htm
RE: Dogs and deadly snakes!?, posted on November 1, 2009 at 14:22:04
free.ranger
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Posts: 5292
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Joined: April 8, 2004
Contributor
  Since: January 7, 2005
 Don't feel bad. I doubt that snake would feel bad about killing you or your cat.

I was walking my dog a couple of weeks ago, and saw a small rattler crossing the path. Wasn't sure it was a rattler at first, so I had to play with it a bit. A small one, also about 18" long.

The dog saw it first of course, so I had to grab her quick.

That damn snake curled up and shot out at me quicker than I could see. It struck out about its full body length and then some, hissing louder than a steam locomotive.

Scared the hell out of me. Those bastards have a lot of fight in them. And they say the small ones pack the most lethal venom. It was on its way into the bush, so I let it go.

I hate snakes.
I don't like spiders and snakes, but that's not what it takes, posted on November 1, 2009 at 14:00:16
Muzikmike
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Posts: 7336
Location: SoCentral PA
Joined: December 19, 2007
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  Since: August 5, 2008
 to run screaming in fear if I see either.

The day before yesterday, I had an inhabitant of Lahaina staring me in the face. I couldn't move from where I was sitting because WHERE I was sitting. I moved anyway. He met a squashed end with the aid of some toilet paper.

I was sitting at a table on an open bay
Waiting for a drink of rum
When i asked my waiter for the time of day
She said look out there's a centipede coming your way

[Chorus:]
In lahaina, the sugar cane grow
In lahaina, the living is slow
In lahaina, the mangos are sweet
But the centipede he crawls all over your feet

I was lying by the water in the morning Sun
shaded by a coconut tree
When i turned around it was all i could see
There was great big centipede staring at me

[Chorus]

I had only just a second to decide what to do
While looking at his poisonous fangs
When i said i thought it was a beautiful day
He said "wow mr haole I think you're pushing my leg"



There is no such thing as too many records.
There is just too little room for them!
RE: "It IS illegal to kill them, here!", posted on November 1, 2009 at 13:56:31
JimK
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Posts: 3625
Location: Maple Grove, MN.
Joined: April 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since: October 2, 2008
 Hell, Tim! It's "illegal" to do a lot of things, but that's only when someone's looking, IYKWIM....

Jim
RE: Sheriff didn't see it, I didn't do it! nt, posted on November 3, 2009 at 14:16:35
amioutaline?
Audiophile

Posts: 309
Location: Great Smoky Mountains
Joined: August 29, 2008

nice work, posted on November 1, 2009 at 13:31:55
Prisoners
Audiophile

Posts: 1705
Location: Chicago
Joined: June 13, 2004
 I would've done the same thing to keep my cats safe from harm. It's amazing how attached we get to them.
Baba-Booey to you all!

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