Snake

[davidthai]

A very long snake crawled along our Soi today , A very brave Thai lady of one of our members managed to kill it before it did any harm to the young children who play in the Soi, can anyone recognise the type and whether it is poisonois snake from this picture.

[lazeeboy]

A very long snake crawled along our Soi today , A very brave Thai lady of one of our members managed to kill it before it did any harm to the young children who play in the Soi, can anyone recognise the type and whether it is poisonois snake from this picture.

thats a long snake ,she's braver than me no idea what it is though.

[thai_narak]

where's the head?

[eljeque]

There needs to be a better picture of the head for recognition. I have a feelinging that the Thai lady attacked the head and damaged it beyond recogniton. She was tough.

[Cobalt60]

Shoot first ask questions later. Seems a shame to kill it, but then if there are kids about and no one knows what it is.....then safety first, sad sight though.

[Tim207]

A very long snake crawled along our Soi today , A very brave Thai lady of one of our members managed to kill it before it did any harm to the young children who play in the Soi, can anyone recognise the type and whether it is poisonois snake from this picture.

I think it is an Indo-Chinese Rat snake. Not poisonous and eats rodents. A good snake to have around.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Tim207

[ClaytonSeymour]

I wouldn't call her brave. It's a harmless Indo-Chinese rat snake. I despise the way many Thais feel the need to kill every snake in site. Especially given that they are quite happy to tolerate the vermin that cause more problems & often attract the snakes in the first place. I once had very strong words with my wife over the father-in-law killing a "cobra", that wasn't a cobra. They no longer kill anything when I'm there; snakes, scorpions, spiders - I wont tolerate it & insist on removing them alive.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

A very long snake crawled along our Soi today , A very brave Thai lady of one of our members managed to kill it before it did any harm to the young children who play in the Soi, can anyone recognise the type and whether it is poisonois snake from this picture.

I think it is an Indo-Chinese Rat snake. Not poisonous and eats rodents. A good snake to have around.

Yes, "ngu sing," not a baddie, and when we get one in the yard we chase them back out into the soi.

However, have had a baby cobra in the back yard, wife's sister did it in, as they're poisoness from birth and we have several kids in the house.

Also have a couple green snakes in the trees near the front gate, have yet to determine if they're goodies or baddies.

Mac

[madjbs]

I would rather kill it than find out later that it was poisonous when a couple of kids in the soi are dead.

[Neeranam]

That's a coincedence - my wife killed a snake this afternoon.

She said it was a "ngoo sing" - sorry not allowed to write Thai unless on the Thai language forum.

With my 5 year old pushing my 8 month old in the pram, I don't want to take any chances.

[Neeranam]

I saw a 'Ngoo Saam Liam' (Sorry can't write Thai on this forum) on Sukhumvit soi 49.

Otherwise known as a 'krait' - these are lethal!

[Tim207]

I wouldn't call her brave. It's a harmless Indo-Chinese rat snake. I despise the way many Thais feel the need to kill every snake in site. Especially given that they are quite happy to tolerate the vermin that cause more problems & often attract the snakes in the first place. I once had very strong words with my wife over the father-in-law killing a "cobra", that wasn't a cobra. They no longer kill anything when I'm there; snakes, scorpions, spiders - I wont tolerate it & insist on removing them alive.

I used to think Thais should know what is dangerous and what isn't, after all it is their home. I have come to learn that just about every snake is considered a deadly threat and killed imediately. Hard to blame people for being scared when there are many poisonous snakes around but you would think that they would want to know the difference.

[Neeranam]

It had a light yellow underbelly.

[Tim207]

I would rather kill it than find out later that it was poisonous when a couple of kids in the soi are dead.

If those were the options the choice is obvious. The WHO says there were only 91 snakebite fatalities in Thailand for 2004. It isn't very likely that a random unidentified snake happens to be dangerous, happens to have a chance surprise encounter (snakes are rarely aggressive unless feeling threatened) with someone, happens to bite the person and then the person is unable to get medical attention. There are far more dangerous things around that go ignored just because they are not backed up by an irrational fear.

[somtaamgaiyang]

I would rather kill it than find out later that it was poisonous when a couple of kids in the soi are dead.

If those were the options the choice is obvious. The WHO says there were only 91 snakebite fatalities in Thailand for 2004. It isn't very likely that a random unidentified snake happens to be dangerous, happens to have a chance surprise encounter (snakes are rarely aggressive unless feeling threatened) with someone, happens to bite the person and then the person is unable to get medical attention. There are far more dangerous things around that go ignored just because they are not backed up by an irrational fear.

A mate of mine got bitten about 2 weeks ago in Chiangmai walking home on the klong. It definitely was venomous but he couldn't identify it. 6 hours later after a dose of anti venom he was ok, but it was scary.

[Scott]

I had a nice, big long snake near my home. I protected it. It kept the kids out of the soi--along with the nosey neighbors. It was the most peaceful two weeks I've ever had. I guess it just slithered away one day.

I never did know if it was poisonous or not, but since it seemed to be just as afraid of me as I was of it, I figured we could strike a truce. I just stayed clear of it and it of me!

[madjbs]

Would you let a tiger walk up the soi because you dont know if its a tame tiger or not?

[phutoie2]

Looking at the OP's photo, I too would say Ngoo Sing, fully grown ones are quite long and usually blackish in colour.

We had one inside our house recently and I stepped on it, just did not see it as we have dark wood floors. Chased it out of the house as they move very quickly, apparently they do bite and can be aggressive but not venomous.

They are nice to eat according to my neighbour.

The wet season is now drawing to a close so will see less of snakes, recently have seen many on my daily walks with the dog in the fields.

Not so clever at dodging traffic as also see many squashed ones.

On another topic, the local boys in our Soi caught a very large lizard at the river, greenish/yellow about 3 feet long, parading it around the shop on a piece of string. I went back with a camera next day to take a piccy as did not know we had the big ones here. Asked where it was, answer: Oh we eat it last night!

[seonai]

My son picked up a snake on Niharn Beach not so long ago. It was blue with black stripey bits. We took it to a Thai guy and he said it was poisonous so he let it go !!!!!

Gulp - panicky mother moment...

Anyone know what it might have been ?

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

<br />My son picked up a snake on Niharn Beach not so long ago. It was blue with black stripey bits. We took it to a Thai guy and he said it was poisonous so he let it go !!!!!<br /><br />Gulp - panicky mother moment... <br /><br />Anyone know what it might have been ?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

A case of "Some urgent parental guidance needed on what absolutely NOT to do when encountering wildlife, or else!" ?

[ClaytonSeymour]

I would rather kill it than find out later that it was poisonous when a couple of kids in the soi are dead.

If those were the options the choice is obvious. The WHO says there were only 91 snakebite fatalities in Thailand for 2004. It isn't very likely that a random unidentified snake happens to be dangerous, happens to have a chance surprise encounter (snakes are rarely aggressive unless feeling threatened) with someone, happens to bite the person and then the person is unable to get medical attention. There are far more dangerous things around that go ignored just because they are not backed up by an irrational fear.

How wonder how many died from leptospirosis that year? I haven't time to check it out now but, maybe someone can. The talk of having to kill them because there are kids in the soi is ignorant nonsense; snakes only bite when threatened and will always attempt to flee first. Again we are hearing "movie talk" where snakes are portrayed as indiscriminate killers that will attack and kill almost anything.

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

The talk of having to kill them because there are kids in the soi is ignorant nonsense; snakes only bite when threatened and will always attempt to flee first.

Ok, how about this: You do what you consider best, and I and 60 million Thais do what we consider in the best interest of the safety & health of our children, is that ok with you?

[seonai]

My son had picked it up before I saw it, he's done a lot of work at animal centres and fancies himself as a bit of a Steve Irwin !!! He picked it up properly - not that I approve I hasten to add

[madjbs]

And what’s to say the snake wont feel threatened when its surrounded by interested kids?

[Acquiesce]

My son picked up a snake on Niharn Beach not so long ago. It was blue with black stripey bits. We took it to a Thai guy and he said it was poisonous so he let it go !!!!!

Gulp - panicky mother moment...

Anyone know what it might have been ?

Probably a Banded sea snake, they are very common in Thailand, extremely dangerous but have no interest in people at all.

[Acquiesce]

As for the OP and Neeranam's wife killing Rat Snakes, well that is just ignorance and a lack of education about the environment in which they live.

Go to Australia and anyone can tell you which snakes are harmless and which are not.

[xyborg]

<br />I would rather kill it than find out later that it was poisonous when a couple of kids in the soi are dead.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

The kids could turn out to be mass murderers!!

[xyborg]

<br />

I would rather kill it than find out later that it was poisonous when a couple of kids in the soi are dead.

<br /><br />If those were the options the choice is obvious. The WHO says there were only 91 snakebite fatalities in Thailand for 2004. It isn't very likely that a random unidentified snake happens to be dangerous, happens to have a chance surprise encounter (snakes are rarely aggressive unless feeling threatened) with someone, happens to bite the person and then the person is unable to get medical attention. There are far more dangerous things around that go ignored just because they are not backed up by an irrational fear.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Yeah like car and motorcycle drivers.

[elkangorito]

See these links;

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1464732

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1464973

[naka]

I wouldn't call her brave. It's a harmless Indo-Chinese rat snake. I despise the way many Thais feel the need to kill every snake in site. Especially given that they are quite happy to tolerate the vermin that cause more problems & often attract the snakes in the first place. I once had very strong words with my wife over the father-in-law killing a "cobra", that wasn't a cobra. They no longer kill anything when I'm there; snakes, scorpions, spiders - I wont tolerate it & insist on removing them alive.

I used to think Thais should know what is dangerous and what isn't, after all it is their home. I have come to learn that just about every snake is considered a deadly threat and killed imediately. Hard to blame people for being scared when there are many poisonous snakes around but you would think that they would want to know the difference.

Yes ... but we are talking about people who's favourite read is Thai Rath

Naka.