Ah, yet another adventure from our mountain.
Driving home this evening, I had been to Home Depot and one of the items that I had purchased was a paint tray. After you leave the paved road we have about a mile or so of gravel road to negotiate to get to our place. Anyway about half way home on the gravel road I see this snake stretched out across the road. At first I thought someone had run over it but I stopped anyway. It was black, about the thickness of your thumb and about 4' long with white stripes on its belly. Its head was not like most black snakes I have seen. This one's head was "arrow shaped" and small. It was stretched out almost full length. I tried to "shoo" it out of the road to no avail, it was determined to cross the road, so I got the paint tray, scooped it up and tossed it to the side of the road from whence it had come. That seemed to piss it off and it crawled back up the bank and onto road so me being no dummy figured out it wanted to go to the other side of the road, so I again scooped it up in the pan, it was very placid and all coiled up in the paint tray, I rather unceremoniously tossed it into the weeds. I would not swear to it but it sort of raised up, looked at me, turned and sped off - not even a thank you!!! I have got to look up what kind it was as I have dealt with lots of snakes, but I have never encountered one constructed like that. It was a neat looking snake. I thought briefly about bringing it home but I remembered we have gotten rid of the interlopers who were here before we moved in, so I am not sure what he would have had to eat. Whatever!
Sweet dreams, ladies!
Love you all.
Virginia
da snake! da snake!
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Virginia
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da snake! da snake!
First star to the right, then straight on 'till mornin!
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SilverLady(SO)
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Right decision, sweetheart!!Virginia wrote:I thought briefly about bringing it home but I remembered we have gotten rid of the interlopers who were here before we moved in, so I am not sure what he would have had to eat. Whatever!
Now you won't have to sleep in the "wood shed" tonight!!
- SL
SilverLady(SO)
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Proud Military Family - Navy, Army, Coast Guard, National Guard
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Merinda
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Hi Virginia ,
This is one of the hazards of country living , although our city has its fair share of Tiger snakes in residential areas near the river.
A local museum by the river was refurbished recently and Tiger snakes were found-
- in the drainage / stormwater pipes
- in the wall cavities
- in the electrical switchboard
I had an encounter with a Common Brown snake last year in a grassy area but where I live is safe.
The only snakes around here are large silver with blue & yellow stripes , they weigh 330 tonnes and consist of a 6 car/carriage length.
This is one of the hazards of country living , although our city has its fair share of Tiger snakes in residential areas near the river.
A local museum by the river was refurbished recently and Tiger snakes were found-
- in the drainage / stormwater pipes
- in the wall cavities
- in the electrical switchboard
I had an encounter with a Common Brown snake last year in a grassy area but where I live is safe.
The only snakes around here are large silver with blue & yellow stripes , they weigh 330 tonnes and consist of a 6 car/carriage length.
Merinda
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Virginia
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Hi Merinda,
Guess you Aussie's learn to live with all the "interesting" wildlife you have.
Having watched "The Crock Hunter" and seeing all the top ten most dangerous "things" you guys have, kind of scary. Trapdoor Spiders, common brown, Tiger snakes (isn't that the one that is rated the most poisonious in the world?) Not to mention all the creatures on the Great Barrier Reef, sharks, eels, jelly fish, saltwater crocks.
Good luck and keep your eyes open!
Virginia
Guess you Aussie's learn to live with all the "interesting" wildlife you have.
Having watched "The Crock Hunter" and seeing all the top ten most dangerous "things" you guys have, kind of scary. Trapdoor Spiders, common brown, Tiger snakes (isn't that the one that is rated the most poisonious in the world?) Not to mention all the creatures on the Great Barrier Reef, sharks, eels, jelly fish, saltwater crocks.
Good luck and keep your eyes open!
Virginia
First star to the right, then straight on 'till mornin!
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Lydia
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Hi Virginia,
Your description was sketchy, but, I think enough for me. From its size, coloration, and head shape, my guess it was an innocuous garter snake. But I could be wrong. If it were a pygmy rattlesnake, it would have been obviously aggressive.
That's my guess as a former herpetologist and unhampered by adequate evidence.
By the way, I approve highly of your treatment of local wildlife.
Hugs,
Lydia
Your description was sketchy, but, I think enough for me. From its size, coloration, and head shape, my guess it was an innocuous garter snake. But I could be wrong. If it were a pygmy rattlesnake, it would have been obviously aggressive.
That's my guess as a former herpetologist and unhampered by adequate evidence.
By the way, I approve highly of your treatment of local wildlife.
Hugs,
Lydia
"There comes a time ... when you must grasp the bull by the tail and face the situation."
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CJ
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Merinda
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Hi Virginia ,Virginia wrote:
Having watched "The Crock Hunter" and seeing all the top ten most dangerous "things" you guys have, kind of scary. Trapdoor Spiders, common brown, Tiger snakes (isn't that the one that is rated the most poisonious in the world?) Not to mention all the creatures on the Great Barrier Reef, sharks, eels, jelly fish, saltwater crocks.
Add redback spiders , funnelweb spiders , bluering octopus , cone shells , scorpions and even the cute platypus has a spike.
Some years back I drove to a closeby country town known as "Baccus Marsh" , I was there to photo some old railway semaphore signals.
I was about to put my hand out to open the the rear hatch of my station wagon when I suddenly pulled it back , on the catch was what I thought to be an oversize brown and hairy "Huntsman spider".
I tried to flick it off with my car key but it arched up like a "Funnelweb" and I retreated to find a stick , I returned with a 12 inch twig to take another swipe but the spider just got more aggressive and attacked the stick.
While contemplating my next move the spider arched onto its back legs again and produced two white fangs , I then knew that I was not dealing with a "Huntsman" , I took another swipe and the spider fired a milky substance at me from the fangs but luckily it missed me.
The spider finally jumped off the car onto the ground and then "CRUNCH" , my boot won out.
Well I got my photos and interestingly they were all in focus , considering I was left shaking like a leaf.
Merinda
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DeeDee
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Oh gosh wimpy little snakes! We got 'em big down here! http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 5974.photo
Well ok so some pets went missing (burp). Actually, the little guys are scarier....water moccasins (spelling?) coral snakes and all. A good excuse to wear tall heels...they make great weapons!!!
Hugs
DeeDee
Well ok so some pets went missing (burp). Actually, the little guys are scarier....water moccasins (spelling?) coral snakes and all. A good excuse to wear tall heels...they make great weapons!!!
Hugs
DeeDee
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Virginia
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Thanks Donna that picture is it exactly!!!!
Well it is good to know that it wasn't an Anaconda or a Rock Python
I tell you what we have some interesting things here in the States, Coral snakes and Gila Monsters but we have a long long way to go to even come close to what Aussies have to be alert for.
That time Steve Irwin was out in the outback with that snake that he described as the deadliest in the world and he "caught" one it was very easy to tell he was very concerned just being within 20 feet of that snake. He took very little time near it, you could tell he was tense!!!
Thanks again sister, Donna!!! Ya done good girl.
Love,
Virginia
Well it is good to know that it wasn't an Anaconda or a Rock Python
I tell you what we have some interesting things here in the States, Coral snakes and Gila Monsters but we have a long long way to go to even come close to what Aussies have to be alert for.
That time Steve Irwin was out in the outback with that snake that he described as the deadliest in the world and he "caught" one it was very easy to tell he was very concerned just being within 20 feet of that snake. He took very little time near it, you could tell he was tense!!!
Thanks again sister, Donna!!! Ya done good girl.
Love,
Virginia
First star to the right, then straight on 'till mornin!
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Merinda
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Donna ,
Ants are a nuisance more than anything else , the common black ants are very small but come in plague numbers . If I leave any sweet food lying around the house it will become covered in them , I've had the kitchen sink covered in ants and looking like a scene from a horror movie.
Bullants are about 1 inch long and very robust , they're hard to kill , they usually nest near eucalypt trees and will give a nasty bite and swell like a bee sting.
I believe there are fire ants interstate , but I'm not familiar with them.
Virginia ,
By memory the most deadliest snake out in the desert was called a "Fear snake" , I wasn't a regular viewer of "The crocodile hunter" but you have jolted my memory , I must have seen that episode.
P.S. I will be heading off to the Gold Coast for about 3 weeks from tomorrow , it takes 3 days of driving through the centre of New South Wales to the state of "Queensland". Just to stay on topic , I have been told that a number of swimmers have been stung by "Bluebottles" that are infesting the beaches at the moment , so I wont be doing any swimming.
I will catch up with you all when I return.
Ants are a nuisance more than anything else , the common black ants are very small but come in plague numbers . If I leave any sweet food lying around the house it will become covered in them , I've had the kitchen sink covered in ants and looking like a scene from a horror movie.
Bullants are about 1 inch long and very robust , they're hard to kill , they usually nest near eucalypt trees and will give a nasty bite and swell like a bee sting.
I believe there are fire ants interstate , but I'm not familiar with them.
Virginia ,
By memory the most deadliest snake out in the desert was called a "Fear snake" , I wasn't a regular viewer of "The crocodile hunter" but you have jolted my memory , I must have seen that episode.
P.S. I will be heading off to the Gold Coast for about 3 weeks from tomorrow , it takes 3 days of driving through the centre of New South Wales to the state of "Queensland". Just to stay on topic , I have been told that a number of swimmers have been stung by "Bluebottles" that are infesting the beaches at the moment , so I wont be doing any swimming.
I will catch up with you all when I return.
Merinda
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Lydia
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Anita
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Hi Virginia--
You treated your visitor with respect, and she? got to where she was going, eventually. I say "she," because Richard Bach wrote about an encounter between himself, his pickup, and a rattler in the Nevada desert, and he and his wife used different pronouns for their "visitor." (The incident comes from The Bridge Across Forever.)
Anyway--you survived! Yay! Doesn't sound like you were in too much danger, though. At nine years old, I was walking a trail in a Kentucky state park, at night. I was just ahead of the main group, which included a ranger. When they shined a flashlight where I'd been, a Copperhead stuck its head out from the side of the trail. Whew! A pit viper laying in wait. I'm grateful that "she" decided to let me go on by that night.
You treated your visitor with respect, and she? got to where she was going, eventually. I say "she," because Richard Bach wrote about an encounter between himself, his pickup, and a rattler in the Nevada desert, and he and his wife used different pronouns for their "visitor." (The incident comes from The Bridge Across Forever.)
Anyway--you survived! Yay! Doesn't sound like you were in too much danger, though. At nine years old, I was walking a trail in a Kentucky state park, at night. I was just ahead of the main group, which included a ranger. When they shined a flashlight where I'd been, a Copperhead stuck its head out from the side of the trail. Whew! A pit viper laying in wait. I'm grateful that "she" decided to let me go on by that night.