Fuscus
Almost Legendary
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2003
- Messages
- 7,897
- Reaction score
- 5
Last night I had two callouts, one to a python that had pushed ceiling vent out and was sitting happily in the rafters above the telly. The second callout came just as I was about to catch the python about a vicious black snake in a garage. Got the python and went around to the place and was told it was under some spools of wire. Bazzas bags are good but mine have a frame which has a detachable handle. This can then be used to prop up the bag to make a really inviting hiding cave for a snake to be directed to. This I did, moved the coils, a small eyed snake (SES), probably only 400mm long and as thick as a thin finger, can out and was herded into the bag. Easy as. Each bag has a tie and of course he bag was tied to prevent escape.
Since it was late Saturday night and Sunshine Coast drivers are not the best ( even during daylight and when some of them are sober ) I went home straight away and left the bags in the car. In the morning I got a coffee and went to a suitable release spot. I released the python then grabbed the bag containing the bag with the SES. It was still tied up so I untied it and released,,,,, um, nothing. All the bags are beautifully manufactured and in good condition. An examination revealed no holes so I can only assume it wasn't tied well enough.
I need to point out at this point that a SES may have potent venom. According to Swan and Wilson in "A complete guide to reptiles of Australia" the venom strength appears to vary geographically and have been implicated in one fatality! I don't know if the sunshine coast population has strong venom so I treat the snakes accordingly. They are also very common but rarely interact with humans, possibly because they tend to be nocturnal and don't often enter dwellings.
Anyhow I now have the possibility that I have a venomous snake loose in the car so I "hurry" home, stopping only at Bunnings, Woolworths ,Zarraffa's and then to Doonan to relocate another python. As you can see I was really worried and wanted to find this snake before I had to pick up my lovely wife Brenda Neath. She wouldn't like to share the trip back from Brisbane with another venomous creature and would have words to say. Some of those words would be along the lines of 'eek' but most would be explaining what will happen to my favorite body parts as soon as we got home. I don't want her to remove another testicle as I only have two left.
A search of the car was of course fruitless, cars have too many hidey holes and I had to cut it short as I had to go to Landsborough to collect yet another python. I didn't bother researching(?) the car during day and left it parked in the shade.
As mentioned previously SES are nocturnal, so after dark I went out with a torch. The snake was sitting on the rear parcel shelf ( so much for elapids not climbing ) but it dropped down and disappeared under the rear seat. The previous search had taught me how to lift the rear seat.
So I did!
And there was the snake!
Who went to go under the carpet between the rear and front seats but was easily tailed, bagged then released as soon as it was possible. I wasn't going through that again and I REALLY didn't want to drive back with two venomous critters in the car. One would probably hiss and spit for the entire journey!
Anyhow - as SOP any small or venomous snake ( ie one that would be a pain to find in a car ) will now be bagged and the bag removed from its frame and the bag placed into an escape proof container
Since it was late Saturday night and Sunshine Coast drivers are not the best ( even during daylight and when some of them are sober ) I went home straight away and left the bags in the car. In the morning I got a coffee and went to a suitable release spot. I released the python then grabbed the bag containing the bag with the SES. It was still tied up so I untied it and released,,,,, um, nothing. All the bags are beautifully manufactured and in good condition. An examination revealed no holes so I can only assume it wasn't tied well enough.
I need to point out at this point that a SES may have potent venom. According to Swan and Wilson in "A complete guide to reptiles of Australia" the venom strength appears to vary geographically and have been implicated in one fatality! I don't know if the sunshine coast population has strong venom so I treat the snakes accordingly. They are also very common but rarely interact with humans, possibly because they tend to be nocturnal and don't often enter dwellings.
Anyhow I now have the possibility that I have a venomous snake loose in the car so I "hurry" home, stopping only at Bunnings, Woolworths ,Zarraffa's and then to Doonan to relocate another python. As you can see I was really worried and wanted to find this snake before I had to pick up my lovely wife Brenda Neath. She wouldn't like to share the trip back from Brisbane with another venomous creature and would have words to say. Some of those words would be along the lines of 'eek' but most would be explaining what will happen to my favorite body parts as soon as we got home. I don't want her to remove another testicle as I only have two left.
A search of the car was of course fruitless, cars have too many hidey holes and I had to cut it short as I had to go to Landsborough to collect yet another python. I didn't bother researching(?) the car during day and left it parked in the shade.
As mentioned previously SES are nocturnal, so after dark I went out with a torch. The snake was sitting on the rear parcel shelf ( so much for elapids not climbing ) but it dropped down and disappeared under the rear seat. The previous search had taught me how to lift the rear seat.
So I did!
And there was the snake!
Who went to go under the carpet between the rear and front seats but was easily tailed, bagged then released as soon as it was possible. I wasn't going through that again and I REALLY didn't want to drive back with two venomous critters in the car. One would probably hiss and spit for the entire journey!
Anyhow - as SOP any small or venomous snake ( ie one that would be a pain to find in a car ) will now be bagged and the bag removed from its frame and the bag placed into an escape proof container
