King Cobra In The Kitchen

[su-b-doo]

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?

Have you up-set your hoe

[bangkokoz]

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.

I come from the bush in Australia lived on acreage and had quite a few snakes, some deadly others not .I devised a tool for controlling them I got a piece of pvc electric conduit about 1.5 metres long use longer piece if timid then threaded a piece of stiff double wire thro it at the bottom end where the snake will be form it into a loop,tie a bit of stick or something to the two loose ends at the other end.When said snake puts his head up to look at you carefully place loop around him if you are slow and careful he does not see it and it is stiff and about 200mm dia so it does not touch him ,then just give a quick pull at your end and you have him around the throat ,it works every time especially if you dont get him angry. Then you can either despatch him to snake heaven or release him somewhere safe depending on breed.

[F1fanatic]

Not all Thais kill a snake on sight.

About a month ago my Thai cleaner called me into the kitchen to point out a snake hiding in the space between the sink and wall. I immediately got on the 'phone trying to find someone to remove it. Meanwhile my cleaner was far more practical and somehow got it in a dustpan and took it outside!

We watched it scurry off into my car port!

Bless her, she's wonderful and told me that it's good luck not to kill snakes. I've got no faith in the 'good luck' part, but am v grateful that she's not stupid about snakes and would far prefer to move them than kill them!

[GlynRhedyn]

Some great snake stories there guys, thanks for sharing.

I am a snake-keeper and a regular traveller to Thailand yet to have my first Thai snake encounter. I live in hope (most posters are now thinking "he's mad").

It's a pity to hear some of your encounters with these visitors has resulted in the demise of the snake but that's to be expected in a country with venomous snakes and a low level of educaion in the locals ans ex-pats in identifying the dangerous and harmless species. Safety always comes first especially when you have small children to think about.

GR.

[GlynRhedyn]

For those residents with a good-heart who would prefer to relocate any snakes from in or around their homes can I recommend this simple to construct and use snake-catcher - http://www.siam-info.com/english/snake_catcher.html

Thank you in advance to all those who prefer to relocate these beautiful creatures.

GR.

[Foggy Bottom]

Couple of stories from me from opposite ends of the planet

Nearly 30 years ago I was in Central America (God was it that long ago - I feel old now) and driving a landrover towing an aircraft APU along a narrow lane connecting the aircraft pan and the main stores area. I spotted a biggish snake - maybe 3 metres and as thick as my arm - crossing the road, so I gunned the rover.

dam_n thing managed to partly coil itself and pass between the wheels. I had the APU in tow so couldn't reverse for another go and carried on driving at about 30 mph. Something made me look in the wing mirror and there was this flaming snake keeping pace with the back corner of the land rover. I accelerated (carefully because of the trailer) and it wasn't until about 45 mph that I finally started getting away from it. It kept chasing me for nearly a quarter mile - no way on foot that I could have out run it.

When I described what had happened to a couple of mates, one of the local labourers overheard and said I'd been lucky I'd spotted it chasing me. He called it by the local name (a Jumping Tommygoff) and said it was not unknown for them, when pissed off, to chase open backed vehicles and leap into them. He went on to state they got their name because they can leap 12 foot vertically from a coiled start, up to 20 feet horizontally, and others had clocked them doing a tad over 40 mph alongside cars. They are also deadly poisonous and the only recommendation is to kill them on sight. They are mean and bad tempered and always attack. I never did discover the Latin or correct common English name for them.

Here in the middle of Chiangmai old city, I had a friend round one day as I was doing some word processing for him. He had to go out to the car for an extra document and as he opened the fly screen, something made me look round and up. Immediately above his head, wedged into the corner of the two walls and ceiling was a "ruddy great big snake" - I yelped, pointed, and fled half way up the stairs (yup I'm chicken about snakes too).

Him, ever the pragmatist, went into the kitchen and got a 2 metre length of 2-inch blue drainage pipe that had been left propped up in the corner. Now that stuff's not the most rigid at that sort of length, and a bit wobbly when you're also shaking like a leaf. As he was trying to dislodge it, the dam_n thing leapt at him and covered a good 2 metres towards him before hitting the floor right where my computer chair would normally be.

At that point, I discuss-threw every dam_n pot and pan lid that I could get my hands on in the kitchen. Mssr Snake, discouraged more by the clattering and banging than by the spinning objects hurtling at him, did a runner out of the open fly screen. As soon as he was half way down the front yard, the contents of the shoe rack went flying towards him in rapid succession. He made it half way across the soi and the water delivery truck got him - vroom - squidge.

It was a banded krait, maybe a metre long - like I said, a "ruddy great big snake".

And just relating that made me look at each of the upper corners of the room as I'm sitting where Mssr krait landed on that day.

[somchy]

In the Sierra Nevada mountains I was bit by a western diamondback

rattler. Took 3 days to get to a doctor with snakebite anti-venom.

Almost lost my leg.

Used to work at a school outside of Korat. Had lots of snakes all

around, many, many King Cobras included. Saw many crossing

roads and in the shrubs. Left them alone; they did likewise.

[Longbow212]

I got bit by what i believe to be a green pit viper of some variety....not in anywhere exotic....only walking down sukhumvit in the dark....i was in hospital for one week with a leg swollen to 2-3 times its size....it also destroyed around 98% of my blood platelets and i was in danger of bleeding to death...

I dont think the snake could hear me because of the traffic and i couldnt see it because it was too dark...from now on i always carry a small LED torch with me and go cautiously if i cannot see where i am stepping...

[zl1vette]

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.

Wow!! Your daughter must be one bad Ninja seeing as how you left her out there with a king cobra.

[Monkeypants]

I have a farm here in Phetchabun.

After recently ploughing one of the fields I was stood in the middle of it,and was surveying high and low points of the land,when a snake used my flip flop as an anchoring point to move, yes my foor was in it at the time.

I froze solid, didn't run like I wanted to, after it had passed, I slowly walked to the nearest bamboo laying around ,and came back and killed it, It was a Cobra, not a king, I noticed the banding on the sides of its body that curve under its belly.

Thats the first Cobra that I have killed, Seen many many of them on the farm, usually already killed by the staff.

We have lots of other snakes here too, all of which are quite tasty in a tom yam.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Off-Topic but you also need to be aware of some insects here - i was, in the last working week before x-mas, stung or bitten by something vaguely looking like a grasshopper, but black and small like a large ant (but wasn't an ant, it had long hind legs just like a grasshopper and was pitch black). Actually it didn't attack me but i stepped on it barefoot outside my office, and suddenly realized a strong stinging sensation in my second-smallest right toe. Lifted my foot to check and saw this little critter running away about as fast as, again, a large ant.

I didn't see any wound on my toe so i continued what i was doing, then went back inside and sat down at my desk, but within about 10 minutes i got all dizzy and felt like passing out, i didn't want to panic all my co-workers so i kept myself busy with drinking cold Pepsi and shaking my legs just to overcome the dizzy feeling and to stay awake, and after about half an hour it let off slowly.

Whatever it was, it was a stronger effect than even two hornet's stings have on me (which i received once, they made my arm go up like a balloon and i got also some dizziness but not as strong and only a few minutes.... i'm 193 tall and weigh 90 kilos, not exactly a "baby" type of guy) and ever since i wear at least my office flip-flops when stepping out.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[phutoie2]

Last year we had a Nu Sing -, rat snake in the living room. They are not poisonous but will give you a big suck if provoked. My wife reacted quicker than me and killed it with a 5 iron from my golf bag. She then picked it up and dropped it in the yellow wheely bin!

Naturally I told her off, her back swing was far too upright.

[Old Croc]

dam_n thing managed to partly coil itself and pass between the wheels. I had the APU in tow so couldn't reverse for another go and carried on driving at about 30 mph. Something made me look in the wing mirror and there was this flaming snake keeping pace with the back corner of the land rover. I accelerated (carefully because of the trailer) and it wasn't until about 45 mph that I finally started getting away from it. It kept chasing me for nearly a quarter mile - no way on foot that I could have out run it.

When I described what had happened to a couple of mates, one of the local labourers overheard and said I'd been lucky I'd spotted it chasing me. He called it by the local name (a Jumping Tommygoff) and said it was not unknown for them, when pissed off, to chase open backed vehicles and leap into them. He went on to state they got their name because they can leap 12 foot vertically from a coiled start, up to 20 feet horizontally, and others had clocked them doing a tad over 40 mph alongside cars. They are also deadly poisonous and the only recommendation is to kill them on sight. They are mean and bad tempered and always attack. I never did discover the Latin or correct common English name for them.

The snake you're describing is a Pit Viper commonly known as a Fer-de-lance.

Wiki

Sorry mate, but I have trouble believing it can travel at the speeds described.

The Black Mamba is considered to be the fastest snake over the ground and it can travel about the speed of a person sprinting.

[davyboy]

Snakes are like all animals, they are scared of you but will only attack or bite if they feel threatened. They prefer to slip away to somewhere else.

(I am not talking about wild animals that are hungry)

[Geekfreaklover]

Snakes are like all animals, they are scared of you but will only attack or bite if they feel threatened. They prefer to slip away to somewhere else.

(I am not talking about wild animals that are hungry)

Not quite correct. The Black Mamba is a very agressive snake and will attack humans for fun.

[Norrad]

Not quite correct. The Black Mamba is a very agressive snake and will attack humans for fun.

I had a huge one in my backyard a few years back (in South Africa). Tried to scare it away by throwing stuff at it, from safe distance, and it made a bee line straight for me. Luckily my mosquito netting door blocked its strike. The neighbor saw what was going on and within 5 minutes the police arrived with a shotgun and shot it. Those are some badass snakes...

[davyboy]

Snakes are like all animals, they are scared of you but will only attack or bite if they feel threatened. They prefer to slip away to somewhere else.

(I am not talking about wild animals that are hungry)

Not quite correct. The Black Mamba is a very agressive snake and will attack humans for fun.

Yes I agree but the one I met behind my house, while it wanted to have ago at me after a bit of confrontation it slipped away, not to be seen again! :jerk:

[neverdie]

That is awefully fast for a snake, 30 to 45 miles per hour, crikey!

Don't worry I have told a few snake stories whilst sitting around a camp fire with a coldie in hand......"that dam_n snake was 18 foot long & was carrying a bazoka......".

I actually watched a TV show the other day (its media so it must be right), it was comparing a martial artists punching speed to a snakes strike.....I thought the speed of a snake strike would win hands down....I was wrong.

Anyway, back to the punching bag for me.

Its sad to run snakes over for no reason, most big snakes like that are pythons & mostly would never cause a drama, I hate seeing dead snakes on the road.

[Foggy Bottom]

neverdie - pythons I generally have no problem ignoring, and they tend to be fairly distinctive and recognisable for what they are.

Old Croc - you could be right in the identification of the tommygoff - I'm wondering though if there is two varieties - the wikipedia entry calles them a "yellow jaw tommygoff" whilst the Belizeans most definitely call them a "jumping" tommygoff - it could be a colloquialism of course as I never heard reference to a yellow-jaw whilst working out there ... but it was almost 30 years ago and the memory can deceive (especially on names and what the wife was wearing when you first met )

As to the speeds, I related my own experience, and what others relayed to me at the time. It's up to everyone else whether they believe it or not. Personally, I know what I witnessed and that's good enough for me.

.... if a tree falls in the forest when no-one is there to hear it, does it make no noise?

Gaz

[neverdie]

neverdie - pythons I generally have no problem ignoring, and they tend to be fairly distinctive and recognisable for what they are.

Old Croc - you could be right in the identification of the tommygoff - I'm wondering though if there is two varieties - the wikipedia entry calles them a "yellow jaw tommygoff" whilst the Belizeans most definitely call them a "jumping" tommygoff - it could be a colloquialism of course as I never heard reference to a yellow-jaw whilst working out there ... but it was almost 30 years ago and the memory can deceive (especially on names and what the wife was wearing when you first met )

As to the speeds, I related my own experience, and what others relayed to me at the time. It's up to everyone else whether they believe it or not. Personally, I know what I witnessed and that's good enough for me.

.... if a tree falls in the forest when no-one is there to hear it, does it make no noise?

Gaz

Good enuf for me....just glad i wasnt there...on foot, my little legs pumping up and down, mouth wide open...watching a snake overtake me and speed past....C R I K E Y!

Edited January 6, 2009 by neverdie

[Foggy Bottom]

Good enuf for me....just glad i wasnt there...on foot, my little legs pumping up and down, mouth wide open...watching a snake overtake me and speed past....C R I K E Y!

reminds me of that advert on Thai TV (for Pepsi Max or Diet coke or something) where a kid is legging it along a soi paced by a manic looking dog with it's tongue lolling and looking frightening, only for it to give the kid a can of said drink at the end of the advert

Have visions of the snake doing the same thing now you've posted that above

[neverdie]

Good enuf for me....just glad i wasnt there...on foot, my little legs pumping up and down, mouth wide open...watching a snake overtake me and speed past....C R I K E Y!

reminds me of that advert on Thai TV (for Pepsi Max or Diet coke or something) where a kid is legging it along a soi paced by a manic looking dog with it's tongue lolling and looking frightening, only for it to give the kid a can of said drink at the end of the advert

Have visions of the snake doing the same thing now you've posted that above

Hey that sounds like the other topic I started a few weeks ago....only thing was i didnt get a can of coke at the end....just the dam_n things teeth in my backside Dogs, snakes.....i hope no dam_n elephants come visiting me

[BigSnake]

Not a problem friend, just retreat and get some boiling I mean super hot boiling water a douse that sucker. Have your self some boil snake to snack, try it. It really works

[Gary A]

You would be surprised that there are no known documented deaths in Thailand from a King Cobra bite. Yes, they will bite but for some reason they don't inject venom. It is thought that they conserve their venom for biting things small enough for them to eat. The Monocled Cobra is believed to be the major cause of snakebite deaths in Thailand.

[Geekfreaklover]

That is ineed interesting about the King Cobra, considering there are lots of them and they are generally considered to be the worlds largest venomous snake. I've seen a few myself and even had one rear it's head up to the windscreen of my car whilst diving through Khao Yai once.

But Gary is correct. No recorded deaths (although lack of reporting will no doubt be the reason for this). I found this on the World Health Org website.

Thailand - between 1985 and 1989, the number of reported snake bite cases increased from 3,377 to 6,038 per year, reflecting increased diligence in reporting rather than a true increase in snake bites; the number of deaths ranged from 81 to 183 (average 141) per year. In 1991 there were 1,469 reported bites with five deaths, in 1992, 6,733 bites with 19 deaths and, in 1994, 8,486 bites with eight deaths. Deaths reported in hospital returns were only 11% of the number recorded by the Public Health Authorities. In a national survey of dead snakes brought to hospital by the people they had bitten, 70% of the snakes were venomous species, the most commonly brought species being Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) 38%, white-lipped green pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) 27%, Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii siamensis) 14%, Indo-Chinese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis) 10% and monocellate cobra (N kaouthia) 7%. In an analysis of 46 fatal cases in which the snake had been reliably identified, Malayan kraits (Bungarus candidus) and Malayan pit vipers were each responsible for 13 cases, monocellate cobras for 12 and Russell’s vipers for seven deaths.

Edited January 6, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[sweenytodd]

i took this pic of this wee cobra on ko chang after catching my pals cat trying to play with it

freedom to all animals the thai`s disagreed though

[Geekfreaklover]

That looks like a Monocellata Cobra (Naja Kaouthia)

How close were you? - And don't say spitting distance!

[sweenytodd]

That looks like a Monocellata Cobra (Naja Kaouthia)

How close were you? - And don't say spitting distance!

if you mean my pic then i was defo spitting distance, shitty camera so i had to get close, it was dark so the flash probably put its aim off, and i told it to say cheese so it would know i waqs no threat Oh and it didn`t look like a cobra when i walked up to it

[pumpuiman]

Couple of stories from me from opposite ends of the planet

Nearly 30 years ago I was in Central America (God was it that long ago - I feel old now) and driving a landrover towing an aircraft APU along a narrow lane connecting the aircraft pan and the main stores area. I spotted a biggish snake - maybe 3 metres and as thick as my arm - crossing the road, so I gunned the rover.

dam_n thing managed to partly coil itself and pass between the wheels. I had the APU in tow so couldn't reverse for another go and carried on driving at about 30 mph. Something made me look in the wing mirror and there was this flaming snake keeping pace with the back corner of the land rover. I accelerated (carefully because of the trailer) and it wasn't until about 45 mph that I finally started getting away from it. It kept chasing me for nearly a quarter mile - no way on foot that I could have out run it.

When I described what had happened to a couple of mates, one of the local labourers overheard and said I'd been lucky I'd spotted it chasing me. He called it by the local name (a Jumping Tommygoff) and said it was not unknown for them, when pissed off, to chase open backed vehicles and leap into them. He went on to state they got their name because they can leap 12 foot vertically from a coiled start, up to 20 feet horizontally, and others had clocked them doing a tad over 40 mph alongside cars. They are also deadly poisonous and the only recommendation is to kill them on sight. They are mean and bad tempered and always attack. I never did discover the Latin or correct common English name for them.

Here in the middle of Chiangmai old city, I had a friend round one day as I was doing some word processing for him. He had to go out to the car for an extra document and as he opened the fly screen, something made me look round and up. Immediately above his head, wedged into the corner of the two walls and ceiling was a "ruddy great big snake" - I yelped, pointed, and fled half way up the stairs (yup I'm chicken about snakes too).

Him, ever the pragmatist, went into the kitchen and got a 2 metre length of 2-inch blue drainage pipe that had been left propped up in the corner. Now that stuff's not the most rigid at that sort of length, and a bit wobbly when you're also shaking like a leaf. As he was trying to dislodge it, the dam_n thing leapt at him and covered a good 2 metres towards him before hitting the floor right where my computer chair would normally be.

At that point, I discuss-threw every dam_n pot and pan lid that I could get my hands on in the kitchen. Mssr Snake, discouraged more by the clattering and banging than by the spinning objects hurtling at him, did a runner out of the open fly screen. As soon as he was half way down the front yard, the contents of the shoe rack went flying towards him in rapid succession. He made it half way across the soi and the water delivery truck got him - vroom - squidge.

It was a banded krait, maybe a metre long - like I said, a "ruddy great big snake".

And just relating that made me look at each of the upper corners of the room as I'm sitting where Mssr krait landed on that day.

Some additional info on your snake.....can't seem to find any info on jumping or reaching high speeds....still looking.

Fer de Lance (Tommy Goff) - Bothrops asper

Also called "Yellowjaw" or "Tommy Goff" by Belizeans. These snakes are sensibly feared throughout Central America. They have a strong, fast acting hemotoxic venom, they are fairly common, are hard to see, and they will strike if perturbed.

This is an aggressive snake, so be weary. His bite (although responsible for the majority of snake bite deaths in the region) is rarely fatal. Although he is a very grumpy snake who doesn't tend to run away and will stand his ground and attack when disturbed, he is also quite smart and will normally give a dry bite or only partially envenomate the poor hapless soul that gets in the way.

If you are bitten by a Tommy Goff and he does envenomate, then you have got many hours to get treatment before things get really serious. This is not a two step snake that doesn't give you time to make a will. The bite is designed to start the digestion process and to make sure the prey doesn't get very far before collapsing.

[Goshawk]

You would be surprised that there are no known documented deaths in Thailand from a King Cobra bite.

what about the 'snake man' - Boonreung Buachan? fairly sure that was a king..

here's a tip for anyone who finds a cobra in their home, quickly get your young 'uns on a tight leash!