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Re: [OM] snakes

Subject: Re: [OM] snakes
From: "Terry and Tracey" <foxcroft@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 17:36:19 +1000
>In my local (suburban) area we have a venomous snake known as the
>"red-bellied black", a stunning black snake with vivid crimson ventral
>colours. Most people are terrified of it, and stories abound as to its
>fierce and deadly nature.

I like the description given of this snake on the TV series "A River
Somewhere". It is harmless. Which means it will kill you, but it will take
twice as long as a brown or tiger.

>In fact, like most snakes it is very timid and
>wary of humans and will do anything to escape them.

.
>One of the black snakes did (on its own accord) take up residence in my
>back-yard for a few days - I was honoured (didn't tell the neighbours).
>
>I think it's a real pleasure seeing a snake while in the bush, but I
>agree that they can certainly give you a fright when they suddenly
>appear at close quarters! I once was dead keen to photograph an agitated
>Eastern Brown Snake (a large, nervous, extremely venomous snake - the
>species that has caused the most fatalities in Australia).

We had one in the back yard. Shovel 1 snake 0. We have lots of kids running
around. And I hate brown snakes. Blacks are OK (Saw a pair mating once.
Amazing). Tigers hunt you. I've seen it.

>A friend had
>removed it from someone's lounge-room (it believed it had found a lovely
>new and roomy log to spend winter in) and he had in a cloth bag. I was
>ready, armed with OM and flash gear. Released, the snake ignored my
>photo-shoot instructions, and rocketed out of the bag toward me, racing
>between my legs before vanishing into the scrub.

Brave. Very brave. They are fairly common on the local golf course (along
with the roos). One reared up at a mate, and he thought of playing through.
But then he thought "how will I get it off my club?". Some other golfers
were saying "He's having a bad day" as they look over and see him using his
golf club like a caveman on the ground (well, the snake actually).
A friend found one in the hall. They had a nest of browns in the back yard.

>The year before last I spent several days camped (with some Museum
>herpetologists) at a place in western Qld trying to get a photo of the
>Inland Taipan (world's most venomous serpent) - these snakes live deep
>in cracks in the vast stony plains. After rare floods the area's grass
>grows and there are plagues of native rats. The snakes feed and breed.
>At other times the reptiles rest below the ground, coming to the surface
>for only a couple of days each year. We had hoped to find and photograph
>one - the technique is to race after one when spotted, grab it by the
>tail before it becomes subterranean, and then think about how to
>photograph it!

No offence Robert, but this is one of the silliest things I have ever heard.
Taipans. No way.

Foxy



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