King Cobra In The Kitchen

[neverdie]

It would appear that the snakes are on the move again! BE WARNED!

I just came home after dining out.....easily excited by my bag of thai sweets in hand, I kick off my thongs at the front door & march into my house bare foot with only one thing on my mind (THAI SWEETS...mmmm ).

Anyway, I get myself into the kitchen, flicked on the light just in time to see the baby King Cobra striking at my legs & naked feet. Ok, I could tell you he was 6 foot long and all of that, but he was actually only about 60cm - YET very very cranky .

Anyway, I tried to move him along for about 10 minutes, keen to see him out of my house but he was non-compliant & after a couple of close call strikes HE LOST HIS HEAD!

Anyway....I'm not sure if it was the brave way I handled this or my girlie screams but the local security guard was quick on scene & confirm it was a Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra).

The camera is at the in-laws place, so I have added this picture from the internet. I live on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Edited December 28, 2008 by neverdie

[Geekfreaklover]

Nothing wrong with killing a cobra. Thailand has many. Well done, sir

[neverdie]

I actually spent a bit of time speaking to a SNAKEMAN in Alice Springs Australia....he has a snake musuem. He explained alot of things about snakes & sometimes I think we misunderstand them a little.

Sad thing is though, sometimes you just can't risk being bitten just to try and save one. I'm not exactly sure how dangerous the King Cobra is to man, but I was told it could be deadly depending on the bite.

My next worry is, how did he get inside?

[Geekfreaklover]

I actually spent a bit of time speaking to a SNAKEMAN in Alice Springs Australia....he has a snake musuem. He explained alot of things about snakes & sometimes I think we misunderstand them a little.

Sad thing is though, sometimes you just can't risk being bitten just to try and save one. I'm not exactly sure how dangerous the King Cobra is to man, but I was told it could be deadly depending on the bite.

My next worry is, how did he get inside?

...Through the door?

Joking apart, snakes can be dangerous but they are shy by nature and normally nocternal. I had a Green Pit Viper enter the house once and I had to dispose of it as it was causing a risk. If you have children in the home then best to dispose of the snake.

[Rimmer]

Sad thing is though, sometimes you just can't risk being bitten just to try and save one. I'm not exactly sure how dangerous the King Cobra is to man, but I was told it could be deadly depending on the bite.

It's venom is a very potent neurotoxin that is fatal if left untreated.

[JetsetBkk]

...My next worry is, how did he get inside?

Maybe your next worry should be "when will mum and dad come looking for their baby?"

[scaredycat]

I've recently returned from Pattaya where I was visiting my son and his family, and hadn't given much thought to snakes before I went (I'm from and island in Scotland). I stayed at a fabulous place called the Birds and Bees resort for the first few days, and had a suite which was at the foot of a hill, by the beach, and had trees everywhere.

On about the 3rd night, I put out some washing over the benches on the patio, then changed my mind and took it it again. I stood outside looking at the fishing boats bobbing about in the bay, then nearly had a heart attack as I saw a snake lying along the edge of the railing, right next to where I'd been with the washing! It was either green or yellow and black striped, probably about a metre long (it was folded in two) and about the thickness of one of my fingers. I couldn't tell the exact colour because of the outdoor lights.

My first instinct was to rush indoors and lock the doors, but then I thought I'd be awake all night panicking in case it got inside! I took 2 golf umbrellas and approached the snake, put one at each end, and shoved it off the railing and down onto the beach about 15 feet below! At that point I rushed inside and locked the doors!

It was probably stupid going anywhere near it and doing what I did, but it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.

My son asked me if I'd taken a photograph of it - no, that wasn't at the forefront of my mind at the time! - but now I wish I had, as I can't see any photos on the internet that are similar. Any ideas?

Glad I didn't see any others, and to think all I was worried about was cockroaches!!!

[Mosha]

We've had a few bootlace sized ones in the house, fortunately never mum or dad. I did see a full grown adult at over 5 metres. below the back balcony at the back of our house. Trying to wrestle 4 cats who al thought this was worth a closer look. We have also got the much smaller but deadly Monoculated Cobra too. While I leave the non venomous ones be, the others have to go.

[Fore Man]

Here's an interesting twist on "I found a snake" routine...

My wife was lying on our sofa in our northern Chiang Mai home watching the television one evening. I was upstairs using the PC, when I heard a female scream. I ran downstairs and there was my wife, stretched out on the sofa, rigid with fear, and she said "look up at the air conditioner!" Sure enough, there was a small snake perched on the outside of the A/C louvers, acting as if it was trying to build up the courage to drop down onto the sofa. I grabbed a broom and with its handle tried to pin the snake against the A/C unit while instructing my wife to get a big plastic trash bag so I could attempt to drop him into it. It didn't work and the snake crawled back inside the guts of the A/C.

Realizing we now had a captive snake inside our home, I sealed off the A/C so the snake could not re-emerge again. The next day, we got the local A/C vendor to come out and disassemble the unit. They found the critter coiled around some pipe deep inside the A/C, and extracted it with an unbent coat hanger. The Thai chaps bustled it off in a wad of toweling and dumped him into the vacant lot across the street.

How did it get into our A/C unit so high on a wall? It crawled in through the PVC water drain pipe that runs along the exterior wall directly behind the A/C and down to the driveway level. The far end of the drain pipe was just low enough that the snake could climb into it...and as everyone knows, snakes favor holes as hiding places and possible sources of prey. He then climbed all the way up and into the A/C unit. Obviously, we covered that drain with a bit of wire screen and when we built our new home, placed all A/C drains high enough that a snake could not enter them...and capped them with a perforated cap to allow water to run off.

The snake appeared to have a triangular head and was brownish with a soft mottled coloration...about 45-cm long. The Thai repairman called it a 'Ngieu Pao' and said it was poisonous. We have seen several of these species since then in our yard and out on the nearby streets at dusk and early evening. Wary of this threat, we asked our longtime Thai gardener for advice and he planted several small shrubs around our yard that he claims will repulse the reptiles and we'll be free of them. Hard to believe that...but I haven't seen any more snakes in awhile.

[neverdie]

I've recently returned from Pattaya where I was visiting my son and his family, and hadn't given much thought to snakes before I went (I'm from and island in Scotland). I stayed at a fabulous place called the Birds and Bees resort for the first few days, and had a suite which was at the foot of a hill, by the beach, and had trees everywhere.

On about the 3rd night, I put out some washing over the benches on the patio, then changed my mind and took it it again. I stood outside looking at the fishing boats bobbing about in the bay, then nearly had a heart attack as I saw a snake lying along the edge of the railing, right next to where I'd been with the washing! It was either green or yellow and black striped, probably about a metre long (it was folded in two) and about the thickness of one of my fingers. I couldn't tell the exact colour because of the outdoor lights.

My first instinct was to rush indoors and lock the doors, but then I thought I'd be awake all night panicking in case it got inside! I took 2 golf umbrellas and approached the snake, put one at each end, and shoved it off the railing and down onto the beach about 15 feet below! At that point I rushed inside and locked the doors!

It was probably stupid going anywhere near it and doing what I did, but it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.

My son asked me if I'd taken a photograph of it - no, that wasn't at the forefront of my mind at the time! - but now I wish I had, as I can't see any photos on the internet that are similar. Any ideas?

Glad I didn't see any others, and to think all I was worried about was cockroaches!!!

Hey Scaredycat,

Was it one of these: Krait

[neverdie]

Maybe your next worry should be "when will mum and dad come looking for their baby?"

Ahhh....don't joke about that....that was my first thought when it all happened, where is mommy?

I was once chased....YES CHASED, by a deadly eastern brown snake. At the time I was walking down the driveway to the letterbox (3km) & I almost made the letterbox when I came across a very large eastern brown snake, I reakon he was 1.3 to 1.5 metres long (he may as well been 20 metres long) cos when I saw him coming at me I took off.....my previous encouters with these nasties has seen the quickly retreat, however this fellow was claiming that portion of the property & he was welcome to it....I later returned in the Ute to retrieve the mail.

[redscouse]

I have seen quite a few tree snakes in my garden on the edge of bangkok of varying sizes. these are not too potent and twice my adult dog has been bitten on the face by them, the bite causes swelling and the dog looked quite funny, the vet gave anti inflammatory tablet and the swelling was gone the next day.

since we got the puppy though, my daughter was in the garden one night with both dogs (quite well lit) and I heard her scream, i thought the dogs were in trouble so I ran out to see a black king cobra coiled with its head raised. I got the dogs in the house and went back out but it was nowhere to be seen, these things spit their venom also which can blind.

[IMA_FARANG]

It would appear that the snakes are on the move again! BE WARNED!

I just came home after dining out.....easily excited by my bag of thai sweets in hand, I kick off my thongs at the front door & march into my house bare foot with only one thing on my mind (THAI SWEETS...mmmm ).

Anyway, I get myself into the kitchen, flicked on the light just in time to see the baby King Cobra striking at my legs & naked feet. Ok, I could tell you he was 6 foot long and all of that, but he was actually only about 60cm - YET very very cranky .

Anyway, I tried to move him along for about 10 minutes, keen to see him out of my house but he was non-compliant & after a couple of close call strikes HE LOST HIS HEAD!

Anyway....I'm not sure if it was the brave way I handled this or my girlie screams but the local security guard was quick on scene & confirm it was a Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra).

The camera is at the in-laws place, so I have added this picture from the internet. I live on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Most people who live in the "outskirts" of Bangkok have a snake story. My Thai girlfriend and family live in a housing area near Don Muang. About 15 years ago it was mostly a swampy area, but has since been filled in for houses. She always kept dogs, and had 3 or 4 at one time living in the house. She used to hang her laundry on the rear patio to let it dry. One time when she was out hanging up laundry the dogs were with her. They started barking and growling at something just outside the patio. She didn't pay too much attention, just told the dogs to keep quiet. The dogs just got louder so she looked over there to see what was happening there. A Cobra about 2 meters long was coiled up, and draped over the wall of the patio. My girlfriend has a fear of snakes, her children used to scare her with a rubber snake when they were young. I am told the scream she let out when she saw the Cobra on the patio wall woke up everyone within a kilometer. Her two oldest dogs however, never ran. They moved in between her and the snake, blocking the snake from coming toward her. The dogs were ready to defend her if it was needed. The Cobra, however, apparently decided that the noisy growling and barking dogs were a good reason to leave. Apparently it had just been sunning itself on the patio wall, and decided it was its time to leave when the dogs saw it there. It wasn't agressive, probably just wanted to warm itself in the sun.

[neverdie]

Red, Only some of the Cobras spit, an act which is suppose to deter would be attackers. I think it is the Naja sumatrana cobra which is known as the spitter.

IMA FARANG, thats what I think the sad thing is about snakes is there isnt actually a snake that cruises around looking for HUMANS to bite & devour, they normally come into human contact by mistake & normally that leads to the poor old snakes demise. Don't get me wrong, they scare the cr#p out of me, especially the way they just appear from nowhere & half the time ur trying to work out what type of nasty it is......am i about to die type thing.

[Mosha]

The book I have says that only 2 of the native Cobras spit, but to asume they all do just to be safe.

[quiksilva]

Seeing as so many of us now live in fairly close proximity to snakes it would be very useful if someone in the know could explain how best to deal with a snake encounter.

My maid has seen many in and around our house but I have no idea what to do about them other than calling the security guards who seem to love nothing more than a snake hunt.

[MJP]

I've recently returned from Pattaya where I was visiting my son and his family, and hadn't given much thought to snakes before I went (I'm from and island in Scotland). I stayed at a fabulous place called the Birds and Bees resort for the first few days, and had a suite which was at the foot of a hill, by the beach, and had trees everywhere.

On about the 3rd night, I put out some washing over the benches on the patio, then changed my mind and took it it again. I stood outside looking at the fishing boats bobbing about in the bay, then nearly had a heart attack as I saw a snake lying along the edge of the railing, right next to where I'd been with the washing! It was either green or yellow and black striped, probably about a metre long (it was folded in two) and about the thickness of one of my fingers. I couldn't tell the exact colour because of the outdoor lights.

My first instinct was to rush indoors and lock the doors, but then I thought I'd be awake all night panicking in case it got inside! I took 2 golf umbrellas and approached the snake, put one at each end, and shoved it off the railing and down onto the beach about 15 feet below! At that point I rushed inside and locked the doors!

It was probably stupid going anywhere near it and doing what I did, but it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.

My son asked me if I'd taken a photograph of it - no, that wasn't at the forefront of my mind at the time! - but now I wish I had, as I can't see any photos on the internet that are similar. Any ideas?

Glad I didn't see any others, and to think all I was worried about was cockroaches!!!

Why lock the doors?

[Scott]

Had a baby cobra in the house several years ago. Tried to get it out of the house, but in the end it had to be killed--like the OP, my snake was in a very foul mood!

One of the things to look out for is new construction in the area. Cobra's really don't like settled areas all that much. Building supplies are often stored or brought from out of the city and the snakes are in hiding among these things. We had a snake problem for about a year, but when the construction stopped, the snake problem ended as well.

[rjk]

Am I likely to have one of these appear in my kitchen at sukhumvit ? If so Im out to buy a snake gun! lol

[MJP]

We get them often.

I was shifting a load of old timber once and one popped out from under. The old woman is specialist a snake disposal. Poor thing, it looked up and next thing WHACK!!!, beaten to death with a bit of bamboo.

I asked her once "We had any snakes in the house recently", she said "Yes". "So, what did you do?". "We ate it!"

[neverdie]

We get them often.

I was shifting a load of old timber once and one popped out from under. The old woman is specialist a snake disposal. Poor thing, it looked up and next thing WHACK!!!, beaten to death with a bit of bamboo.

I asked her once "We had any snakes in the house recently", she said "Yes". "So, what did you do?". "We ate it!"

Well you will notice I didnt tell you what I did with my Cobra....afterall my thai sweets had melted & I don't like the warm bits!..... I wonder if she ate a cobra ( I guess it would be as ok as any snake aslong as you wernt eating the poison gland sack.)

QUICKSILVA,

Coming from outback Australia where we have 10 of the worlds deadliest snakes, I can tell you the best advice with them is to leave them alone. If there is one in the garden, let him be, you may want to pursuade him to leave....a gentle spray with the garden hose from a distance will get him moving....remember they just like to get warm and feed & snakes don't eat humans (except those massive big Annacondas & Pythons in all those movies & fake emails).

In the yard of your home, if you've got heaps of junk lying around, snakes like that, they also like a bit of water, ie: Mosquitoes live on water, frogs come to the water to eat the mosquitoes and snakes eat??? Yes you guessed it. They like to live under old junk, they love a sunbake (cold blooded)......I've had a fair bit of forced experience with snakes BUT still don't like em much. I acutally used to be married to one, but thats a whole other post.

Most snake people will tell you not to try and kill them as that is when most people get bitten.

Having said all of that, when you've got a King Cobra, Eastern Brown, Some Tiapan or a Rattle Snake in the Kitchen....ONE of you needs to leave.

Edited December 29, 2008 by neverdie

[Rimmer]

My cats found a Red Necked Keelback in the garden, once I had identified what it was that it is dangerous, I quickly fashioned a snake hook and tied it to the end of a broom handle, I easily picked him up in the middle of his body and popped him into the GFs mop bucket then slid a piece of plastic over the top and took him outside the wall for his freedom.

Snakehooks are real easy to make and easy to use if you remember to pick the snake up in the middle so he can't get any leverage on anything. Remember even snakes have got a place in this world as well.

Attached picture is of a commercialy available model.

[dingdongrb]

it would be very useful if someone in the know could explain how best to deal with a snake encounter.

Do what I do, RUN!!!!

Living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado (actually the Foothills) you could always count on coming across a rattlesnake during the Fall season. It is during this time of year when the days are warm and sunny and the nights get cold that the rattlers tend to come out and sun themselves on the warm concrete and rocks. I cannot count the times when I worked for IBM and the security guards were called to the parking lot to help someone in distress of spotting a rattler. I used to see the young ones all the time while riding my mountain bike on the remote bike trails outside the city.

I'll never forget the story of a good friend who was struck in the lower leg as he entered his third story apartment. It was just a young rattler about 8 inches long and luckily for him he rides a Harley and still had his biking boots on when he entered the door in the dark. But we all wondered how a snake made it's way up three flights and into his apartment.

Since living in Thailand I have only personally come across 2 snakes. One was a cobra while I was walking around a lake area here in Isaan near my in-laws property. The family dog was walking with me and was barking wildly at something and would not leave it alone. I went to see as the snake was raising looking to strike the dog. I quickly threw a rock at the dog to make it get back as the snake ventured into the rice paddy. I was only sadden not having my camera with me to take a picture. The other was the one pictured here where I found it in Chiang Mai at the house we are living at. Sorry to say I killed it as I have a 2 year old daughter and I didn't want it coming into contact with her. Later finding out it was a Laotian Wolf Snake which is not poisonous but tends to get mixed up with the same variety that Neverdie has pictured (Krait) which is poisonous.

[wensiensheng]

My scariest POTENTIAL encounter with a snake was when I came home in the car and saw a snake half way out of the underneath of the seat of my moter bike, which was parked in the driveway of the house. When I approached the bike, he slid all the way back under the seat. Had to take the bike half to bits to get him out.

But the thought that if I hadn't seen him half way out when I got back, I might of got on the bike and then later had him slide out from under the seat, right between my legs, has stayed with me since...

[jdinasia]

Yesterday both myself and another cyclist (coming the other way) both had to stop on a small soi behind Mooban Seri to let a monster finish crossing the road! The beasty must have been far longer than I am tall! Pretty snake though!

[alantheembalmer]

Snakes are more common than many of us think. I was once walking down Phra Athit in Banglumpu, when a snake fell out of a tree and hit me on the shoulder. It then went into a bit of a panic, and caused much excitment from the passing people, until it finally went back up the tree. It was about a metre long, bright green and quite slender, although I have been known to exagerate the size, colour and freocity of the said beast at dinner parties.

[wolfmanjack]

We have had many snakes at our place. Cobras of all colors, green pit vipers, etc. They all get eaten by my workers.

[klons]

From the kitchen window of our house, the wife and I observed a neighbors house cat kill a small cobra. The snake would rise up in the defensive striking position and the cat would smack it in the head with a lightning fast paw. After about 3 smacks from the cat, the snake was down for the count. The cat then smacked it to death on the ground.

[neverdie]

That snake hook is a great idea, i will make myself up one of them, you wouldnt have a picture of yours would you rimmer?

I also find that a good old heshium sack or bag is a good thing to drop them into, you can tie the top up, transport them & release them easily with the sack. Unfortunately I am seriously lacking tools around here.....I'm determined not to kill em next time but to relocate them to the scrub.....

[scaredycat]

I did wonder if it was a banded Krait when I looked at the picture Neverdie, but having read up about them, if it was, I think it must have been a young one (I do wish I'd taken a photo now!), as the bands seemed much closer together than on the one you've shown. How thick do they get? This one was only about as thick as a finger.

MJP - hmmm, haven't a clue as to why I locked the door!

From reading the posts, snakes seem to be very adept at getting in all sorts of ways and places, and a shut door (never mind a locked one!) obviously won't deter them if they want to get in. I'm beginning to wish I hadn't asked! Something tells me I'll be a bit more careful when I come back next year.

My son saw one similar where he lives in Pattaya, and used a hose to get it out of his yard, but neither he nor his Thai wife knew what kind it was. He now has dogs, and says that most households with dogs don't seem to be bothered with them. Hopefully I'll be staying with them next time!