What Snake Is, (was), This?

[seyenne]

I've encountered a king kobra on a quite side of kai bae beach on koh chang. It was a young one, aprox. 2 meters, it was early in the morning. This exemplar was not agressive at all, it was slowly moving on the low tide beach. I came as close as about 2 meters, the beauty flattened her neck a bit, raised her head and turned into another direction. I took a couple of pictures. Sadly, some resort stuff "stunned" (as i got told) with some posion insect spray and threw it into the woods. I understand that a king cobra is indeed a threat but you still don't have to kill them. I really love snakes, up in the north i try to "play" with and photograph every snake i can find, as long as they are considered to be save My girlfriends dad killed a huge snake once, he thought it was a cobra that came very close to the house. It wasn't, it was a very common keelback snake. In the end i found out that it wasn't so much the obvious danger why the snake had to die, it much more was because of a very important ingredient for "tom yum nguu"

[sbk]

Having had numerous King Cobras and regular Cobras in my house and in my garden over the years, I am afraid that when one slithers into my kitchen, it has to die.

I learned the hard way why Thais tend to kill snakes (and no, they don't really eat them much here). We had a "dirty" snake (sorry, no idea what the real name is in English, that is the direct translation of the local Thai name) in my kitchen. Since it is a harmless snake that normally lives in piles of brush etc, I asked my husband to just remove it. He said, "Ok, but they always come back". So, next day, I see the tail end of a snake slithering into my kitchen and under the shelves by the back door. I think, "well, he was right, there is that snake come back again". So, start poking under the shelves with the broom. Poke, poke, poke. Snake gets annoyed, slithers out from behind the shelves, and across to the oven.

Which is when I realized it was most certainly NOT the smaller "dirty snake" from the day before. Turns out, I'd been poking a full grown King Cobra with my broom and it was not amused. My husband cornered it and killed it.

[steffi]

Has anybody seen the videos on youtube of the guy in Queensland (sssnakeman) or something like that who has video's of him handling Tiger, Eastern Brown and King Brown snakes that he keeps? He has no fear.

I'm just wondering if he'd do that with an Coastal Taipan.

[mdechgan]

For russell's viper bites it more effective to suck the venom and wound out with an extractor.

The krait guy you were talking died only a few yearts ago in Burma by a baby krait.

I've seen alot of kraits at my grandfather's place in Chanransanitwong 44. Very dangerous.

I know there are two serums for Russels, depending on if it is an indian or ME species. That is a big problem among the private keepers to know the snakes origin. What do you base your statement of when you say it is more effective to use extractors?

I do not think it is the same guy I was talking about that died by a Krait. I am positive this was in the 1950-1960´s. Can try to see if I can find a book of toxilogy where this is mentioned.

Would love to see Kraits in the wild but unfortunately, I never have. Have kept 6-8 banded ones through the years in capitivity but never seen any in the wild. I live in Phuket and heard a guy that thought he saw a blue headed krait when he was looking for his golfball. When he pulled out to take the ball in the grass, a snake striked against him. But if it really was a blue headed... Well...

How come you are familiar with venoms and snakes?

The guy you are talking about is Joseph Slowinski. He died Sept 11, 2001

http://outside.away.com/outside/adventure/...00204_bit_1.adp

I have never seen a king cobra in BKK. I've seen one on a golf course in Ratchaburi. The caddies and workers were delighted about the free food. Yep, they caught and ate it.

Monocled cobras I see all the time, black, brownish, big ones too! I average a sighting once per month around my mooban, and this is in Phutthamonthon 2 Rd and many times where I work in Samut Sakon! My neighbor had two incursions just 2 weeks ago, very dark and messy yard. If you see a cobra chances are there are more than one around. The factory workers caught one for dinner. In a couple days 3 more juveniles were found. I guess they were looking for their mother.

While I was remodeling my house the workers caught 3 pit vipers with the brownish tails while clearing the yard.

The kraits I've seen in BKK aren't banded type. They were light greenish, yellowish. Not more than 1M long. Very small but the triangular bodies were prominent, I am sure they were kraits.

There's this fishing park I used to go to. This guy owner collected hundreds of snakes. If someone caught a snake they would just drop them off at his place and put them in a cage. They were hundreds of them however mostly pythons and cobras. he had one krait in an aquarium though. Made my skin crawl. Don't underestimate the rural peoples or elders. They don't know much about politics or finances but they sure do know their snakes.

Edited October 7, 2008 by mdechgan

[PoorSucker]

Having had numerous King Cobras and regular Cobras in my house and in my garden over the years, I am afraid that when one slithers into my kitchen, it has to die.

I learned the hard way why Thais tend to kill snakes (and no, they don't really eat them much here). We had a "dirty" snake (sorry, no idea what the real name is in English, that is the direct translation of the local Thai name) in my kitchen. Since it is a harmless snake that normally lives in piles of brush etc, I asked my husband to just remove it. He said, "Ok, but they always come back". So, next day, I see the tail end of a snake slithering into my kitchen and under the shelves by the back door. I think, "well, he was right, there is that snake come back again". So, start poking under the shelves with the broom. Poke, poke, poke. Snake gets annoyed, slithers out from behind the shelves, and across to the oven.

Which is when I realized it was most certainly NOT the smaller "dirty snake" from the day before. Turns out, I'd been poking a full grown King Cobra with my broom and it was not amused. My husband cornered it and killed it.

Nice....

By the way, do you think we have more Cobras on the islands than on the mainland.

[Okidoki]

For russell's viper bites it more effective to suck the venom and wound out with an extractor.

The krait guy you were talking died only a few yearts ago in Burma by a baby krait.

I've seen alot of kraits at my grandfather's place in Chanransanitwong 44. Very dangerous.

I know there are two serums for Russels, depending on if it is an indian or ME species. That is a big problem among the private keepers to know the snakes origin. What do you base your statement of when you say it is more effective to use extractors?

I do not think it is the same guy I was talking about that died by a Krait. I am positive this was in the 1950-1960´s. Can try to see if I can find a book of toxilogy where this is mentioned.

Would love to see Kraits in the wild but unfortunately, I never have. Have kept 6-8 banded ones through the years in capitivity but never seen any in the wild. I live in Phuket and heard a guy that thought he saw a blue headed krait when he was looking for his golfball. When he pulled out to take the ball in the grass, a snake striked against him. But if it really was a blue headed... Well...

How come you are familiar with venoms and snakes?

The guy you are talking about is Joseph Slowinski. He died Sept 11, 2001

http://outside.away.com/outside/adventure/...00204_bit_1.adp

I have never seen a king cobra in BKK. I've seen one on a golf course in Ratchaburi. The caddies and workers were delighted about the free food. Yep, they caught and ate it.

Monocled cobras I see all the time, black, brownish, big ones too! I average a sighting once per month around my mooban, and this is in Phutthamonthon 2 Rd and many times where I work in Samut Sakon! My neighbor had two incursions just 2 weeks ago, very dark and messy yard. If you see a cobra chances are there are more than one around. The factory workers caught one for dinner. In a couple days 3 more juveniles were found. I guess they were looking for their mother.

While I was remodeling my house the workers caught 3 pit vipers with the brownish tails while clearing the yard.

The kraits I've seen in BKK aren't banded type. They were light greenish, yellowish. Not more than 1M long. Very small but the triangular bodies were prominent, I am sure they were kraits.

There's this fishing park I used to go to. This guy owner collected hundreds of snakes. If someone caught a snake they would just drop them off at his place and put them in a cage. They were hundreds of them however mostly pythons and cobras. he had one krait in an aquarium though. Made my skin crawl. Don't underestimate the rural peoples or elders. They don't know much about politics or finances but they sure do know their snakes.

Hi, No not the same person that died. I have tried to google but can´t find the story. It was in the 50-60 and one of the big animaldealers who wanted to show off some of his animals for sale.

I don´t know what specie of the kraits you refer too. Would be interesting to know. Have had B. Fasciatus myself but seen in captivity, blue and redheads as well as the multibanded. They are so hard to keep alive that breeding is out of the question for me. But there are some people who keeps them.

Our poolguys killed an ordinary monacle cobra a week ago or so. And we have seen a few monacle cobras. Still looking for the big encounter with a King. So far we have caughts rets, winesnake, green cat snake, paradise snakes, pipesnake, etc. See snakes quite often around the Kho Kaew area close to BIS.

Snakes has no family instinct at all. If they hatch closeby, you will find more snakes but mostly young ones. Some pythons and King Cobras hatch their eggs and it is common, according to field studies, that the male is close when a female nests. The most logical reason for snakes to gather is because there are food around and plenty off it.

Trust me, I never underestimate the rural or natives. However, as all over the world, the lack of knowledge is a problem and mix that with language problems the information gets even more twisted. In Africa for example, all green snakes are mambas. All black ones black mambas or black cobras. Even look at the so called "specialists" in Asia! Just look at any of the snake farms/shows/whatever refered to and the health the animals are in, that is proof of their lack of knowledge. It is not only Thailand, it is in all countries!!! It is not a questions IF the animals will die, it is about when they will die. Infested with parasites, bacterial infections, mouth disorders, fungus and virus from time to time. They do not treat them, they just simply pick some new ones from the wild.

If you compare that to the knowledge how to breed various species in more developed countries, this has become a multi billion dollar business. With close to no animals taken from the wild. No one is interested to even buy a wildcaught specimen due to the risc of bringing diseases or parasites to the "collection". Of course, most rural people has never had the ambition to get this knowledge, which should be remembered.

[Bengt]

An interesting fact about the King Cobra is that there is not a single documented death in Thailand from that snake. The certainly CAN kill you and many people have been bitten but the King Cobra apparently would rather conserve his venom to kill something he can eat.

The article I read said that the Monocled Cobra kills more people in Thailand than any other snake.

The monocled cobra or naja kaouthia is one of the most common snakes in Thailand and its extremely venomous and their main foos is mouses and rats and it can be found in villages and its just by a surprice that that snake defend itself and bythen it natural bite the offender and a normal human have to be taken to hospital as soon as possible. a well grown up human can die in less than one hour after a bite.

Normally the monocled cobra is harmless unless as long is not been discoverd by surprise but normally it feels a human by the sensitive organ and flees away before you even seen it.

The cobra is a fascinating snake and intresting to watch but DONT play whit it.

[phaethon]

The cobra is a fascinating snake and intresting to watch but DONT play whit it.

Yes, they are really bad at football...

(and, ironically, snakes and ladders)

[Okidoki]

An interesting fact about the King Cobra is that there is not a single documented death in Thailand from that snake. The certainly CAN kill you and many people have been bitten but the King Cobra apparently would rather conserve his venom to kill something he can eat.

The article I read said that the Monocled Cobra kills more people in Thailand than any other snake.

The monocled cobra or naja kaouthia is one of the most common snakes in Thailand and its extremely venomous and their main foos is mouses and rats and it can be found in villages and its just by a surprice that that snake defend itself and bythen it natural bite the offender and a normal human have to be taken to hospital as soon as possible. a well grown up human can die in less than one hour after a bite.

Normally the monocled cobra is harmless unless as long is not been discoverd by surprise but normally it feels a human by the sensitive organ and flees away before you even seen it.

The cobra is a fascinating snake and intresting to watch but DONT play whit it.

Have to state; only 10-15% of all Cobra bites, (Genus Naja) are lethal without any treatment. Without treatment, it will take quite a long time for you to die. The big problem with bites from Monacle Cobras are that they cause necrosis, as stated before. (Which is very uncommon among the Elapids.)

Once, I did get a questions about what venomous snake I thought was the best one to start with as a venomous snake keeper. I replied, a monacle cobra and of course people went bazurk. I still think the same. If you have a viper, if they strike, they gonna get you and they have heatsensors which helps them to detect you. Among the Elapids, the Asian cobras are very, very "docile" and very predictable. They often miss their prey/victim, forget to inject venom, clearly warns you that they are dangerous, etc. So, If you have handled snakes before, Monacle Cobras are a good start.

What people might not know is that the cobras belongs to the Elapides, (Mambas, Taipans, etc). One of the Elapides most common behaviour is that it is a very moveable snake. Always moving and looking for prey. (Comparable to the viperidea that is mostly lying in ambush waiting for their prey.) In a terrarium, you will find out that they are looking to escape most of the time, especially night time and if they are wildcaught.

That is why you find them in all sorts of surroundings but where there is mice and other snakefood, you can find them. It is a very common and adoptable snake and can be found in ricefields as well as in the center of Bangkok and Singapore. By their way of acting, you often find them indoors.

[sbk]

Having had numerous King Cobras and regular Cobras in my house and in my garden over the years, I am afraid that when one slithers into my kitchen, it has to die.

I learned the hard way why Thais tend to kill snakes (and no, they don't really eat them much here). We had a "dirty" snake (sorry, no idea what the real name is in English, that is the direct translation of the local Thai name) in my kitchen. Since it is a harmless snake that normally lives in piles of brush etc, I asked my husband to just remove it. He said, "Ok, but they always come back". So, next day, I see the tail end of a snake slithering into my kitchen and under the shelves by the back door. I think, "well, he was right, there is that snake come back again". So, start poking under the shelves with the broom. Poke, poke, poke. Snake gets annoyed, slithers out from behind the shelves, and across to the oven.

Which is when I realized it was most certainly NOT the smaller "dirty snake" from the day before. Turns out, I'd been poking a full grown King Cobra with my broom and it was not amused. My husband cornered it and killed it.

Nice....

By the way, do you think we have more Cobras on the islands than on the mainland.

Haha, no I don't know PoorSucker, but I've enough close encounters of the cobra kind to make me suspect I live in a cobra magnet zone. Had one curl up outside my bedroom door last year (again came in through the back door--I was taking a nap, heard a thunk on the door--opened it up, there was Mr Cobra), my dog killed one out in front of the house about 3 years ago, the above story was probably about 10 years ago, had one in the bathroom once--years ago, several in the garden (last few years). Seen a few vipers too, and a python in the coconut tree out front once.

Good thing I am not phobic about snakes

[mdechgan]

I ever wondered how do cobras get inside the house like into bathrooms and kitchens?

If doors and windows are closed I don't see how they can get in. Can cobras climb walls and trees?

What are the chances of keeping a cobra as a pet. I mean lets say you have one in your yard. You don't kill it or get rid of it but let it stay in your yard and it doesn't go anywhere eating snakes lizards and taod in your yard.

Will it know that you are the owner of the house and not to bite you?

[sbk]

My house is open; doors open, windows open. I live right on the sea and would much rather breathe fresh sea air than aircon any day.

[Farma]

What are the chances of keeping a cobra as a pet. I mean lets say you have one in your yard. You don't kill it or get rid of it but let it stay in your yard and it doesn't go anywhere eating snakes lizards and taod in your yard.

Will it know that you are the owner of the house and not to bite you?

Not cobra or Thailand related but along similar lines.

Many years ago a friend of the family who lived in rural Oz told us of his son back in the 1950’s. The boy was around 3 or 4 at the time.

They noticed the boy would take food at meal times and go out to the back yard. One day they followed him. What they discovered shocked them.

A Black snake had made a home in a burnt out tree stump just over the back fence. For some unknown reason the snake had decided the boy posed no threat and allowed the boy to sit near it. They found food the boy had left over a period of time for the snake and believed he had been doing this for number of weeks.

For safety the snake was dispatched to another life.

Edited October 10, 2008 by Farma

[Okidoki]

I ever wondered how do cobras get inside the house like into bathrooms and kitchens?

If doors and windows are closed I don't see how they can get in. Can cobras climb walls and trees?

What are the chances of keeping a cobra as a pet. I mean lets say you have one in your yard. You don't kill it or get rid of it but let it stay in your yard and it doesn't go anywhere eating snakes lizards and taod in your yard.

Will it know that you are the owner of the house and not to bite you?

The cobras are Elapides. They are always moving. They climb, swim, go through ground pipes, ratholes, roofs, whatever to get where they want. An open door, window, etc. During the shedding and breeding season, they are extremely more moveable looking for females to mate with. Cobras climbs most walls and easily trees. (Not with the same grace as paradise snakes but still... they get their way forward.)

To keep a cobra as a pet, no problem. (But start with a non-poisonous snake.) But... it is in the same way as having an aquarium fish. You will not get a relation with a snake, it will not recognize you, maybe they recognize a behaviour like knocking three times on the cage before feeding. So it will try to bite you if you try to catch it. (The only snake I think might have some intelligence is the King Cobra and the mamba´s. Croc´s and alligators on the other hand are quite intelligent.) You can not pet a cobra and you must handle it very carefully. Keep it in a tank/safe enclosure called Terrarium that is escape proof. You can absolutely not keep it living freely in the house or garden....

But of course you can have a Cobra as a pet even if it is not for the purpose that you suggest... :-)

Here are some guidlines how to keep them.

http://www.kingsnake.com/elapids/non_spitt...sian_cobras.htm

But just google and you will find alot more information.

If you want to find out prices and availability on the international market:

http://www.gherp.com/home.htm Look under pricelists/Venomous. (US)

At these sites as well.

www.kingsnake.com US/UK.

www.repti.net Scandinavia

http://www.pentaexomania.com/profile.htm Indonesia.

http://www.siamreptile.com/index.php Thailand. (Can anyone ask them to translate their page?)

Remember it is a multi billion dollar business. An odd way for many people to get rich. Slash, Nicolas Cage and many other famous people keep reptiles as pets. Surf around and enjoy the webs! ;-)

[phaethon]

http://www.gherp.com/home.htm ...

Glades Herp Farm...

Do not show up unannounced!

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR IF THE DOGS ARE OUT!!!

WE HAVE PIT BULLS AND MASTIFFS THAT NEED TO BE PUT AWAY BEFORE VISITORS CAN EXIT THEIR CAR.

Oh yeah, and then there's the SNAKES!

Edited October 10, 2008 by phaethon

[mdechgan]

Isn't their a moonab or village in the Isaan area that is very friendly with snakes king cobra especially?

I hear they keep them as pets all around the village same as dogs. The villagers say they are no threat to anyone when their stomachs are full.

[Okidoki]

Isn't their a moonab or village in the Isaan area that is very friendly with snakes king cobra especially?

I hear they keep them as pets all around the village same as dogs. The villagers say they are no threat to anyone when their stomachs are full.

I read an article about something similar a couple of months ago. But please remember, the King Cobras are very dangerous...

There were... a woman who died 1948 by a Indian Cobra bite that claimed cobras and all venomous snakes are easily tamed. You can read about her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Olive_Wiley . Her story is fascinating and the picture is from Life Magazine.

Here is an article form Time Magasine as well: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...,888389,00.html, In one of the links to a PDF document, you will find a picture of Grace Wiley´s 90 year old mother, petting a free King Cobra...

Even if Grace sure was a person who stuck out, there is still today one person called Bill Haast, who is famous for his knowledge and talent with King Cobras. He has been bitten close to 200 times and is a great believer in immunization by injecting himself with venom from various snakes on a weekly basis. I think he is close to 100 years old by now... You can read about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Haast. There is a picture when a monster King Cobra is raised in full, looking down on Bill. That picture makes you realize how big they are and what you are up to.

No snakes attack or hunts you and it is always how you handle them that is the big danger. Don´t handle them, give them a way to escape and you will be fine. Trying to kill them, will just put you in danger.

Grace_Wiley.bmp

[PoorSucker]

Don't ever kill a King Cobra they eat the other snakes and don't care about you.

Most people are very afraid of them because of their size and kill them because "they eat babies and pet dogs"

"It's genus name, Ophiophagus, literally means "snake-eater", and its diet primarily consists of other snakes, including sizable pythons and even smaller members of its own species. "

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cobra