Snake In My Garden

[mumbojumbo]

i usually see pythons or tree snakes in thailand, but once i saw a huge cobra (i think) that reared back and spit at my motorbike as i passed. pretty impressive.

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The spitting Cobra is from India-Thailand no have.

[wilko]

i usually see pythons or tree snakes in thailand, but once i saw a huge cobra (i think) that reared back and spit at my motorbike as i passed. pretty impressive.

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The spitting Cobra is from India-Thailand no have.

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But that won't stop people from claiming every snake can spit or deform or is after them!!!!!

I shared a camp site with this chap/chappess for about 3 days...he she pissed off when found out I wasn't leaving any food out....

Here's a recipe 1899 style for carpet python...wrap in lawyer cane and BBQ...

I don't regard snake as a cullinary delight, maybe of necessity...domesticated animals tend to taste better....why d'you think we domesticated them!?!?!?!

[wilko]

Why ok to kill fish and not snakes?  Snakes eat rodents and thus do us a great service.  Snakes' habitat is disappearing and I think some are in danger of extinction (not sure of this).  Endangered fish should not be killed either.  I guess endangered chickens shouldn't be killed either .  ahhahahahhahahahahhahaha

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Surely if you try to kill a chicken would it not then consider itself endangered?

[ProfessorFart]

The spitting cobra DOES exist in Thailand.

[girlx]

The spitting cobra DOES exist in Thailand.

yes indeed, i looked it up on google and there are a couple of spitting cobra types in thailand. see here and from the pictures, i can say for sure it is what i saw on koh chang.

[wilko]

The spitting cobra DOES exist in Thailand.

yes indeed, i looked it up on google and there are a couple of spitting cobra types in thailand. see here and from the pictures, i can say for sure it is what i saw on koh chang.

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Again...be very careful about identifying "for sure" any snake...they vary a lot in colour and size.

A chap in the UK got bitten by a bright red snake; being a bit of an expert he assured the hospital it wasn't an adder but must have been an escaped "exotic"...it did of course turn out to be an adder in the end, after the guy had spent some time in agoiny waiting for an antedote.

Cobras and vipers have quite distinct characteristics but other snakes mimic these to frighten off preditors....

All cobras (spitting or not) rise up when threatened but they are not the only snakes to posture!

[mpdkorat]

The Malaysian (SP?) its actually Malayan (or Wagler's) Pit Viper is NOT dangerous! Its about as venomous as a European Viper and they grow to about 0.5 metres. Russell's viper on the other hand is a nasy piece of work and should be left well alone!

The snake in the OP's pics looks for all the world like a ratsnake.

Shame such a magnificent creature had to be killed but if you want to be overrun with vermin then carry on killing them.

At least I bet it went straight in the pot which is some consolation.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to the book I'm looking at "Snakes and other reptiles of Thailand" The Malayan Pit Viper is shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1 meter in length. The Siamese Russell's Viper is also shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1.5 meters in length. The Waglers Pit Viper or Temple Viper is shown to be venomous and dangerous growing to 1 meter in length.

[wilko]

The Malaysian (SP?) its actually Malayan (or Wagler's) Pit Viper is NOT dangerous! Its about as venomous as a European Viper and they grow to about 0.5 metres. Russell's viper on the other hand is a nasy piece of work and should be left well alone!

The snake in the OP's pics looks for all the world like a ratsnake.

Shame such a magnificent creature had to be killed but if you want to be overrun with vermin then carry on killing them.

At least I bet it went straight in the pot which is some consolation.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to the book I'm looking at "Snakes and other reptiles of Thailand" The Malayan Pit Viper is shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1 meter in length. The Siamese Russell's Viper is also shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1.5 meters in length. The Waglers Pit Viper or Temple Viper is shown to be venomous and dangerous growing to 1 meter in length.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an example of how much conflicting and sometimes hysterical information there is about snakes and othe venomous creatures....It's really not an issue how deadly they are as the principal is that if you leave them alone they will do the same.

When Poms turn up in Oz they are convinced that every living thing is going to have a deadly venomous bite...it is true that of the top 6 venomous snakes 5 live in Oz but your chances of encounter are minimal. They (the Poms) hear all the furphies, normally told with glee by some Oz visiting UK or in the local Hotel and the seeds of fear are sewn.

I could find 2 dozen Red back spiders in my house on any day I chose. I bite from one of these requires hospital treatment and can at times be fatal, but they didn't occupy the same space as me ...so no problem.

The problem is unnecessary extermination due to an irrational fear by us humans...

[sbk]

This is an example of how much conflicting and sometimes hysterical information there is about snakes and othe venomous creatures....It's really not an issue how deadly they are as the principal is that if you leave them alone they will do the same.

When Poms turn up in Oz they are convinced that every living thing is going to have a deadly venomous bite...it is true that of the top 6 venomous snakes 5 live in Oz but your chances of encounter are minimal. They (the Poms) hear all the furphies, normally told with glee by some Oz visiting UK or in the local Hotel and the seeds of fear are sewn.

I could find 2 dozen Red back spiders in my house on any day I chose. I bite from one of these requires hospital treatment and can at times be fatal, but they didn't occupy the same space as me ...so no problem.

The problem is unnecessary extermination due to an irrational fear by us humans...

Agreed, I am a proponent of the "I'll leave you alone, you leave me alone" school of thought when it comes to snakes. However, this does not apply when it is a King Cobra hiding under my refrigerator!

[chonabot]

The Malaysian (SP?) its actually Malayan (or Wagler's) Pit Viper is NOT dangerous! Its about as venomous as a European Viper and they grow to about 0.5 metres. Russell's viper on the other hand is a nasy piece of work and should be left well alone!

The snake in the OP's pics looks for all the world like a ratsnake.

Shame such a magnificent creature had to be killed but if you want to be overrun with vermin then carry on killing them.

At least I bet it went straight in the pot which is some consolation.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to the book I'm looking at "Snakes and other reptiles of Thailand" The Malayan Pit Viper is shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1 meter in length. The Siamese Russell's Viper is also shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1.5 meters in length. The Waglers Pit Viper or Temple Viper is shown to be venomous and dangerous growing to 1 meter in length.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an example of how much conflicting and sometimes hysterical information there is about snakes and othe venomous creatures....It's really not an issue how deadly they are as the principal is that if you leave them alone they will do the same.

When Poms turn up in Oz they are convinced that every living thing is going to have a deadly venomous bite...it is true that of the top 6 venomous snakes 5 live in Oz but your chances of encounter are minimal. They (the Poms) hear all the furphies, normally told with glee by some Oz visiting UK or in the local Hotel and the seeds of fear are sewn.

I could find 2 dozen Red back spiders in my house on any day I chose. I bite from one of these requires hospital treatment and can at times be fatal, but they didn't occupy the same space as me ...so no problem.

The problem is unnecessary extermination due to an irrational fear by us humans...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is it just Poms then ? Not other Europeans?

As a Pom myslelf I would bet my knowledge of Reptiles is equal or superior to any Ozzie on this board.

Living in Malaysia and South Africa has helped , but the generalistaion irks me somewhat.

Edited October 23, 2005 by chonabot

[mpdkorat]

The Malaysian (SP?) its actually Malayan (or Wagler's) Pit Viper is NOT dangerous! Its about as venomous as a European Viper and they grow to about 0.5 metres. Russell's viper on the other hand is a nasy piece of work and should be left well alone!

The snake in the OP's pics looks for all the world like a ratsnake.

Shame such a magnificent creature had to be killed but if you want to be overrun with vermin then carry on killing them.

At least I bet it went straight in the pot which is some consolation.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to the book I'm looking at "Snakes and other reptiles of Thailand" The Malayan Pit Viper is shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1 meter in length. The Siamese Russell's Viper is also shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1.5 meters in length. The Waglers Pit Viper or Temple Viper is shown to be venomous and dangerous growing to 1 meter in length.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an example of how much conflicting and sometimes hysterical information there is about snakes and othe venomous creatures....It's really not an issue how deadly they are as the principal is that if you leave them alone they will do the same.

When Poms turn up in Oz they are convinced that every living thing is going to have a deadly venomous bite...it is true that of the top 6 venomous snakes 5 live in Oz but your chances of encounter are minimal. They (the Poms) hear all the furphies, normally told with glee by some Oz visiting UK or in the local Hotel and the seeds of fear are sewn.

I could find 2 dozen Red back spiders in my house on any day I chose. I bite from one of these requires hospital treatment and can at times be fatal, but they didn't occupy the same space as me ...so no problem.

The problem is unnecessary extermination due to an irrational fear by us humans...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Being a Pom of the laid back variety, it was not my intention to cause hysteria. I was just trying to draw the previous posters attention to his possible inaccurate comments regarding certain species of vipers. If you do find one of the obove in your toilet I would certainly suggest smacking it over the head with a long heavy stick. I would NEVER grab it by the tail and wressle the unwanted guest into a pillow case then release it 40 km away. I'm sure some here would do that, but I'm not one of them. If a snake ventures into my house it's in play.

[wilko]

The Malaysian (SP?) its actually Malayan (or Wagler's) Pit Viper is NOT dangerous! Its about as venomous as a European Viper and they grow to about 0.5 metres. Russell's viper on the other hand is a nasy piece of work and should be left well alone!

The snake in the OP's pics looks for all the world like a ratsnake.

Shame such a magnificent creature had to be killed but if you want to be overrun with vermin then carry on killing them.

At least I bet it went straight in the pot which is some consolation.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to the book I'm looking at "Snakes and other reptiles of Thailand" The Malayan Pit Viper is shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1 meter in length. The Siamese Russell's Viper is also shown to be venomous and potentially fatal growing to 1.5 meters in length. The Waglers Pit Viper or Temple Viper is shown to be venomous and dangerous growing to 1 meter in length.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an example of how much conflicting and sometimes hysterical information there is about snakes and othe venomous creatures....It's really not an issue how deadly they are as the principal is that if you leave them alone they will do the same.

When Poms turn up in Oz they are convinced that every living thing is going to have a deadly venomous bite...it is true that of the top 6 venomous snakes 5 live in Oz but your chances of encounter are minimal. They (the Poms) hear all the furphies, normally told with glee by some Oz visiting UK or in the local Hotel and the seeds of fear are sewn.

I could find 2 dozen Red back spiders in my house on any day I chose. I bite from one of these requires hospital treatment and can at times be fatal, but they didn't occupy the same space as me ...so no problem.

The problem is unnecessary extermination due to an irrational fear by us humans...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is it just Poms then ? Not other Europeans?

As a Pom myslelf I would bet my knowledge of Reptiles is equal or superior to any Ozzie on this board.

Living in Malaysia and South Africa has helped , but the generalistaion irks me somewhat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because of the cultural, linguistic and familial links between UK (and Ireland) and Oz it is the Poms in particular who are subject to Aussie furphies about wildlife...

any immigrant /visitor from Asia would be off to a head start when it comes to a relaxed attitude to "creepy-crawlies"...most other European countries do not have the high content of TV and literature that UK does.

If you spend a while in Oz you begin to realise that these stories of spiders in the shoe, roos through the car window, snakes in the bed, Aunty eaten by a croc and "drop-bears" etc etc, start recurring. In truth they are closer to Urban Myth than anything else and each family seems to adopt one of these stories and hands it down generation to generation. This is the same kind of attitude that makes the dude want to kill the cobra under his fridge (if it really is there and is a cobra!) or anywhere in his house. It would be better if he knew of a local chap who can deal with them without resort to the ultimate solution. A service readily available in Oz but I suspect not so over here in Thailand.

Me, I’m happy to share my house with the odd Python, red-back, blue tongue, speckled monitor, fruitbats, possums and even the occasional death adder…..just keep those bloody Magpies out of my hair!

Edited October 24, 2005 by wilko

[Ajarn_Jonesy]

killing for eating it is absolut OK.

But a snake is not going into your house with the plan to murder you and your family. If it is left alone or relocated the problem is also solved.

In Thailand there were people killed by elephants or by foreigner but still noone gets the idea to kill all chang and farangs.

The snake only bites you when it worries for its own life, as you are most probably to big to get swallowed down by it. So as you have the bigger brain, it is up to you to solve a meeting with a snake without killing one.

100000000000000000% sure I'd kill it. 

Then later I may Google it up to see how friendly it was.  Not taking chances with snakes around my family.  Or dogs, for that matter, and yes I do realize dogs are a bigger threat than snakes, likely. 

Dogs are smarter though. If you beat it up once, they know to stay away.  With snakes, well, you get the picture.  Plus you can eat snakes, whereas few people enjoy eating dog. (esp. not Soi dog).

Next poster who disagrees, please also explain why it's ok to catch and kill fish and chickens but not snakes.  Thanks.

Cheers,

Chanchao

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MAKE DA*N Great CHILLI...!

[jrincon17]

i don't know about snakes but there is a monitor lizard who appears to be living in my yard. we've seen him a couple of times and then last night we heard him killing something- the sound of shaking something by the neck and then a low growling/gurgling as he chomped it. about the scariest thing i have ever heard. i am going to go look up now if they are carnivorous, and if so i am going to lock up my cat and dog!

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is that the hideous looking lizard with dark rings on its body and suckerson its feet?

big orange eyes on a grey white body. once it gets a grip on something it wontlet go.

i had one on my wall some time back ,threw a shoe at it ,it missed by a few inches but it wasnt fazed at all. i have seen photos of these lizards locked on to a pole and they wont let go.

i had a cobra in my garden which was killed by the neighbours then chopped up with some lemon grass and fried . they said it was delicious .

you see thais in rural areas with spirit tattoos on their lower legs to ward off snake bites.

if thais in rural areas do get bitten they dont have much chance of survival ,as getting to a hospital with the correct ID of the snake is not easy .they are already superstitious of many things so a snake bite is a worry.

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THATS A GEKO !

[Pudgimelon]

My experience is that many Thais have irrational fears of snakes....just like many farangs.  On a couple of occasions I have seen small harmless (even beneficial) snakes in gardens and when Thais noticed them they went into panic attack mode saying "kill it, kill it, kill it" and making body gestures showing hate and fear.  Don't think that because a Thai says to kill a snake that this is the right thing to do.

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Yes, it's true, Thais are a bit irrational about snakes, in general. Even ones they know to be harmless. It seems their motto is "kill it first, then figure out what it is".

At the school I work at, I've caught three snakes in the past few years. The first one was a mildly poisonous Oriental Viper. It was a beautiful animal, irridescent green and an oversized triangular head (common to all vipers). It was sitting on a clothes rack when some kids pointed it out to me. So it was a relatively simple matter to grab it and carry it around the wall.

The second snake was much larger, and I'm still uncertain what it was. It was a large, solid dark brown snake about 1.5 meters long. It had somehow gotten into the boys bathroom and when I came along, the maid was in there trying to beat it to death with a broom (of course with the door open and the kids dashing in and out to get a peek at it. I quickly shoo'd her out and closed the door. Then I waited until the snake calmed down a bit (it was quite aggitated), coaxed it into a garbage bag and again carried it around the wall.

After that, I decided to teach "Snake Safety" in Health class. It only makes sense to do so, given the number of snakes in this country. Back home, we had a lot of rattlers in the woods, so I just adapted what I learned in my health class back then to the class I teach now.

Any of you teaching out there should include this program in the "Safety" portion of your health curriculum. Here's what I taught:

Four-Step Snake Safety:

Step One: Stand Still! Movement and loud noises (yes, snakes can hear) only agitate a snake and make it more likely to strike. So if you see a snake. Stand very still and calm yourself down. The snake is much more afraid of you, than you are of it, so don't do anything that might scare it. (Remind the kids that snakes only bite two things: food and scary things. You're too big to fit in it's mouth so if it can't swallow you whole, its not going to try to eat you, and if you don't scare it, it will do its best to run away before being forced to strike).

Step Two: Slowly take four steps back. From that distance, you're much, much safer. Very few snakes (only spitters really) can strike from that distance, so once you're out of strike range, you can safely turn and run.

Step Three: Turn and Run Away. Drill this into the kids. They shouldn't turn and run while they are still close to the snake as it may interpret that as an aggressive move. They should do their best to remain calm and back away from the snake s-l-o-w-l-y before they make any sudden moves. Siamese cobras, for example, can only strike forward and down, and they cannot move when their hood is up (Kings can, but they are far less aggressive than the common Siamese). Remind the kids that the whole point of hissing loudly and making a big display is because the snake DOESN'T want to bite them (if they did, they'd sneak up on you without making a sound). Snakes don't like to waste vemon on non-prey encounters, so by hissing and displaying a strike pose, they are doing their best to warn you off.

Step Four: Tell an Adult. Unfortunately in Thailand, this usually results in the snakes death, but at least it's an adult taking that risk, and not a child.

It is possible for people and snakes to co-exist peacefully, as long as people understand these animals and treat them with the respect they deserve. Trust me, far more snakes are killed by people than the other way around.

This all paid off dividends the next time a snake showed up at school. The younger kids (who'd all had my health class), came running to get me. When I went downstairs, I found the older kids surrounding a bush and kicking at it (a really dumb idea). After scolding them and telling them to back up, I looked into the bush to see what all the fuss was about. Once I saw the snake, I reach in and grabbed it out of the bush (which of course, got all the kids screaming). After I calmed them down (by chiding them about scaring the "baby" snake), I showed them what they were panicking about. It was just a harmless young rat snake, barely more than a few feet long. I even let it bite me on the arm a few times to show the kids that it didn't hurt. After scolding the older kids again about their unsafe behavior (even a young snake can be dangerous if you're not sure what it is), I walked the snake around the wall and chucked in into the grass.

By the way, that Thai myth that snakes will return if you let them go? Hogwash. None of those snakes ever returned to the school. I'm quite sure the experience was traumatic enough for the snakes that they'd never risk crossing the wall again.

Here's some other snakes I've seen recently:

My wife and I were up in the jungle camping a few months ago when we saw this big guy. We were driving back to our campsite and I was really hoping to see a snake in the road (in fact, my wife and I were arguing about how "cool" it would be to see a cobra, she thought it would be "uncool", I thought it would be no big deal since we were inside a CAR). Anyway, I see this line in the road and sure enough, it's a big fat python who looks like he just ate something. He'd probably be a good 3 or 4 meters long when stretched out, but as you can see, he's got a full meal in him, so he's probably not going to be too active.

I stopped the car to get a good picture, but he was already getting into the bushes, so I grabbed his tail and pulled him back out and took this picture. He didn't seem to mind too much and continued on his way. My wife, on the other hand, FREAKED OUT! Heheh. She couldn't believe I'd actually touch a big snake and when we got back to the campsite, she told everyone she met about the unbelievable idiot she married, heheh!

This snake was a true beauty. We saw him up on a mountain near Mynamar when we were hiking near Mae Sot. I have no idea what kind of snake this is and would appreciate anyone who could identify it for me.

He had a lavender color on his head, which blended into a yellow and green leopard spot pattern which then blended into yellow, black and white stripes on the tail.

Never seen anything like it, but really amazing. The pictures don't do this thing justice (it was an overcast day, so the colors didn't come out vividly).

We saw it up at the top of the mountain, near a cave we were going to. My wife was scared silly by this thing and insisted that it's "mother" was probably nearby, and that she was probably going to eat us. I dismissed this as nonsense, this snake was already nearly 4 meters long, and obviously an adult, but my wife was certain that it could grow to "cow-eating" proportions. Of course, as every married man in the world knows, there comes a point in every conversation where you just say, "Yes, honey, you're right." And leave it at that, heheh.

I didn't want to get too close since I wasn't sure if it was poisonous or not, but it didn't seem very aggressive, and I was able to get some nice pictures before it hid itself away under a boulder.

This is from the Queen's Snake Institute in downtown Bangkok. I HIGHLY recommend it as a tourist stop or a class field trip. They are a working snake hospital (the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia) and they milk snakes to make anti-venom for all the different kinds of poisonous snakes in Thailand. This means they've got quite a collection on display including this monster.

It took 3 guys to carry him out, because he's nearly 5 meters long!! But he seemed relatively tame, and they calmly walked over him as if there was no danger.

I got down close and took some nice shots, because they had a trainer keeping him busy. But when his head swung in my direction, I swear my blood turned to ice. I was only about 5 or 6 feet from him when he looked at me, and his head is about as big as my fist. Truly, the King Cobra is the king of all snakes. Nothing else compares. Pythons may be bigger and Siamese cobras meaner (A LOT meaner), but nothing compares to the reptilian intellect behind those eyes. You KNOW that he's sizing you up and you know he's calmly deciding whether or not you live or die.

Its enough to give me the willies.

[h90]

thanks for the great post.

Maybe one thing to add: In some areas in India, they have snakes in their houses to get rid of rats and mouse (like other people have cats).

Somehow the snake get used to the people and know they are not a danger.

Maybe a good thing to theach, that other cultures do not kill every snake and that they have an important rule in the nature.

My experience is that many Thais have irrational fears of snakes....just like many farangs.  On a couple of occasions I have seen small harmless (even beneficial) snakes in gardens and when Thais noticed them they went into panic attack mode saying "kill it, kill it, kill it" and making body gestures showing hate and fear.  Don't think that because a Thai says to kill a snake that this is the right thing to do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it's true, Thais are a bit irrational about snakes, in general. Even ones they know to be harmless. It seems their motto is "kill it first, then figure out what it is".

At the school I work at, I've caught three snakes in the past few years. The first one was a mildly poisonous Oriental Viper. It was a beautiful animal, irridescent green and an oversized triangular head (common to all vipers). It was sitting on a clothes rack when some kids pointed it out to me. So it was a relatively simple matter to grab it and carry it around the wall.

The second snake was much larger, and I'm still uncertain what it was. It was a large, solid dark brown snake about 1.5 meters long. It had somehow gotten into the boys bathroom and when I came along, the maid was in there trying to beat it to death with a broom (of course with the door open and the kids dashing in and out to get a peek at it. I quickly shoo'd her out and closed the door. Then I waited until the snake calmed down a bit (it was quite aggitated), coaxed it into a garbage bag and again carried it around the wall.

After that, I decided to teach "Snake Safety" in Health class. It only makes sense to do so, given the number of snakes in this country. Back home, we had a lot of rattlers in the woods, so I just adapted what I learned in my health class back then to the class I teach now.

Any of you teaching out there should include this program in the "Safety" portion of your health curriculum. Here's what I taught:

Four-Step Snake Safety:

Step One: Stand Still! Movement and loud noises (yes, snakes can hear) only agitate a snake and make it more likely to strike. So if you see a snake. Stand very still and calm yourself down. The snake is much more afraid of you, than you are of it, so don't do anything that might scare it. (Remind the kids that snakes only bite two things: food and scary things. You're too big to fit in it's mouth so if it can't swallow you whole, its not going to try to eat you, and if you don't scare it, it will do its best to run away before being forced to strike).

Step Two: Slowly take four steps back. From that distance, you're much, much safer. Very few snakes (only spitters really) can strike from that distance, so once you're out of strike range, you can safely turn and run.

Step Three: Turn and Run Away. Drill this into the kids. They shouldn't turn and run while they are still close to the snake as it may interpret that as an aggressive move. They should do their best to remain calm and back away from the snake s-l-o-w-l-y before they make any sudden moves. Siamese cobras, for example, can only strike forward and down, and they cannot move when their hood is up (Kings can, but they are far less aggressive than the common Siamese). Remind the kids that the whole point of hissing loudly and making a big display is because the snake DOESN'T want to bite them (if they did, they'd sneak up on you without making a sound). Snakes don't like to waste vemon on non-prey encounters, so by hissing and displaying a strike pose, they are doing their best to warn you off.

Step Four: Tell an Adult. Unfortunately in Thailand, this usually results in the snakes death, but at least it's an adult taking that risk, and not a child.

It is possible for people and snakes to co-exist peacefully, as long as people understand these animals and treat them with the respect they deserve. Trust me, far more snakes are killed by people than the other way around.

This all paid off dividends the next time a snake showed up at school. The younger kids (who'd all had my health class), came running to get me. When I went downstairs, I found the older kids surrounding a bush and kicking at it (a really dumb idea). After scolding them and telling them to back up, I looked into the bush to see what all the fuss was about. Once I saw the snake, I reach in and grabbed it out of the bush (which of course, got all the kids screaming). After I calmed them down (by chiding them about scaring the "baby" snake), I showed them what they were panicking about. It was just a harmless young rat snake, barely more than a few feet long. I even let it bite me on the arm a few times to show the kids that it didn't hurt. After scolding the older kids again about their unsafe behavior (even a young snake can be dangerous if you're not sure what it is), I walked the snake around the wall and chucked in into the grass.

By the way, that Thai myth that snakes will return if you let them go? Hogwash. None of those snakes ever returned to the school. I'm quite sure the experience was traumatic enough for the snakes that they'd never risk crossing the wall again.

Here's some other snakes I've seen recently:

My wife and I were up in the jungle camping a few months ago when we saw this big guy. We were driving back to our campsite and I was really hoping to see a snake in the road (in fact, my wife and I were arguing about how "cool" it would be to see a cobra, she thought it would be "uncool", I thought it would be no big deal since we were inside a CAR). Anyway, I see this line in the road and sure enough, it's a big fat python who looks like he just ate something. He'd probably be a good 3 or 4 meters long when stretched out, but as you can see, he's got a full meal in him, so he's probably not going to be too active.

I stopped the car to get a good picture, but he was already getting into the bushes, so I grabbed his tail and pulled him back out and took this picture. He didn't seem to mind too much and continued on his way. My wife, on the other hand, FREAKED OUT! Heheh. She couldn't believe I'd actually touch a big snake and when we got back to the campsite, she told everyone she met about the unbelievable idiot she married, heheh!

This snake was a true beauty. We saw him up on a mountain near Mynamar when we were hiking near Mae Sot. I have no idea what kind of snake this is and would appreciate anyone who could identify it for me.

He had a lavender color on his head, which blended into a yellow and green leopard spot pattern which then blended into yellow, black and white stripes on the tail.

Never seen anything like it, but really amazing. The pictures don't do this thing justice (it was an overcast day, so the colors didn't come out vividly).

We saw it up at the top of the mountain, near a cave we were going to. My wife was scared silly by this thing and insisted that it's "mother" was probably nearby, and that she was probably going to eat us. I dismissed this as nonsense, this snake was already nearly 4 meters long, and obviously an adult, but my wife was certain that it could grow to "cow-eating" proportions. Of course, as every married man in the world knows, there comes a point in every conversation where you just say, "Yes, honey, you're right." And leave it at that, heheh.

I didn't want to get too close since I wasn't sure if it was poisonous or not, but it didn't seem very aggressive, and I was able to get some nice pictures before it hid itself away under a boulder.

This is from the Queen's Snake Institute in downtown Bangkok. I HIGHLY recommend it as a tourist stop or a class field trip. They are a working snake hospital (the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia) and they milk snakes to make anti-venom for all the different kinds of poisonous snakes in Thailand. This means they've got quite a collection on display including this monster.

It took 3 guys to carry him out, because he's nearly 5 meters long!! But he seemed relatively tame, and they calmly walked over him as if there was no danger.

I got down close and took some nice shots, because they had a trainer keeping him busy. But when his head swung in my direction, I swear my blood turned to ice. I was only about 5 or 6 feet from him when he looked at me, and his head is about as big as my fist. Truly, the King Cobra is the king of all snakes. Nothing else compares. Pythons may be bigger and Siamese cobras meaner (A LOT meaner), but nothing compares to the reptilian intellect behind those eyes. You KNOW that he's sizing you up and you know he's calmly deciding whether or not you live or die.

Its enough to give me the willies.

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[Pudgimelon]

Being a Pom of the laid back variety, it was not my intention to cause hysteria. I was just trying to draw the previous posters attention to his possible inaccurate comments regarding certain species of vipers. If you do find one of the obove in your toilet I would certainly suggest smacking it over the head with a long heavy stick. I would NEVER grab it by the tail and wressle the unwanted guest into a pillow case then release it 40 km away. I'm sure some here would do that, but I'm not one of them. If a snake ventures into my house it's in play.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's a quick and easy solution to your problem.

All you need is a 2 meter long length of PVC or aluminum pipe (about an inch in diameter) and a clothesline.

Tie a noose at booth ends of the clothesline and feed it through the pipe. Make one end a "handle", by knotting it so it doesn't slid back into the pipe. Make sure the other end of the rope CAN slid back into the pipe.

Voila!

Your very own Snake Stick.

Simply wrap the noose around the snakes neck or body and pull gently until the snake is secured, but not harmed. If you haven't agitated the snake with a lot of screaming, stomping or beating, this is a fairly easy thing to do. Make sure you get the noose around the neck close enough to the head so that the snake cannot strike you. Then gently lift the snake and deposit it in the neighbor's yard (just kidding), put it in a sack or garbage pail and take it somewhere uninhabited.

If all else fails, you can always beat the snake to death with the Stick .

[Sir Burr]

This snake was a true beauty.  We saw him up on a mountain near Mynamar when we were hiking near Mae Sot.  I have no idea what kind of snake this is and would appreciate anyone who could identify it for me.

He had a lavender color on his head, which blended into a yellow and green leopard spot pattern which then blended into yellow, black and white stripes on the tail.

Never seen anything like it, but really amazing.  The pictures don't do this thing justice (it was an overcast day, so the colors didn't come out vividly).

We saw it up at the top of the mountain, near a cave we were going to. 

Your snake funny enough is called a Cave Dwelling Snake (that's its name, not a description). Latin name elaphe taeniura ridleyi. It lives near limestone caves and principally feeds on bats.

Edited October 25, 2005 by Sir Burr

[Pudgimelon]

Your snake funny enough is called a Cave Dwelling Snake (that's its name, not a description). Latin name elaphe taeniura ridleyi. It lives near limestone caves and principally feeds on bats.

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Thanks, I appreciate the help identifying that snake. It makes sense that it'd be called that seeing as how we saw it next to a cave.

[kenk3z]

When we talk about the Siamese Cobra being an "aggressive" snake - just what does that mean?

I've seen some snakes able to move quite fast through tall weeds, grass and the like. So, will this cobra chase me down to bite me? That may sound laughable to some, but I want to be sure I understand what "aggressive" means.

kenk3z

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Don't think that because a Thai says to kill a snake that this is the right thing to do.

I agree.

If you are scared of it don't just kill it, that way you are no better than any other animal that kills out of fear, the hippo or rat for instance - not that we humans are above any animal but we certainly like to believe we are so if that be the case, stick by your guns and have some respect.

Throw a bucket of iced water on the snake from a distance or drag it away with a long hooked wire.

Myself I would wear protective cricketers leg pads, pick it up by the tail like that Steve Irwin does and swing it as hard as I could into the nearest lake.

[Trebek]

When we talk about the Siamese Cobra being an "aggressive" snake - just what does that mean?

I've seen some snakes able to move quite fast through tall weeds, grass and the like.  So, will this cobra chase me down to bite me?  That may sound laughable to some, but I want to be sure I understand what "aggressive" means.

kenk3z

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The snakes you see moving through the weeds are running from you.

Snakes do not chase down people to bite them. Aggressive means that they stand their ground and fight when confronted. We have two highly aggressive snakes down here in Texas, the water moccasin and the western diamondback rattlesnake. Both will avoid you, if you make a lot of noise when you walk. Neither will chase you. Both will fight back if cornered, surprised, or attacked with a shovel.

90 percent of all snakebites are on the ankle or feet. Wear boots when hiking and you will be fine. Wear shades when in spitting cobra territory if you are worried about that. If you accidentally corner a snake, do what the previous poster said and slowly take a few steps back then leave the area.

[WhiteShiva]

When we talk about the Siamese Cobra being an "aggressive" snake - just what does that mean?

I've seen some snakes able to move quite fast through tall weeds, grass and the like.  So, will this cobra chase me down to bite me?  That may sound laughable to some, but I want to be sure I understand what "aggressive" means.

kenk3z

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The snakes you see moving through the weeds are running from you.

Snakes do not chase down people to bite them. Aggressive means that they stand their ground and fight when confronted. We have two highly aggressive snakes down here in Texas, the water moccasin and the western diamondback rattlesnake. Both will avoid you, if you make a lot of noise when you walk. Neither will chase you. Both will fight back if cornered, surprised, or attacked with a shovel.

90 percent of all snakebites are on the ankle or feet. Wear boots when hiking and you will be fine. Wear shades when in spitting cobra territory if you are worried about that. If you accidentally corner a snake, do what the previous poster said and slowly take a few steps back then leave the area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The correct approach when accidentally cornering a snake is to stand absolutely still, and the snake will quickly loose interest and try to leave. Particularly true for cobras in striking position.

Trying to move may be interpreted as a threat, and may cause the snake to bite.

[Pudgimelon]

When we talk about the Siamese Cobra being an "aggressive" snake - just what does that mean?

I've seen some snakes able to move quite fast through tall weeds, grass and the like.  So, will this cobra chase me down to bite me?  That may sound laughable to some, but I want to be sure I understand what "aggressive" means.

kenk3z

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Siamese Cobras are highly aggressive, but they aren't going to go chasing you through the grass.

For one, Siamese Cobras can't move when their hood is raised, and they can only strike forward and down. So if you stand far enough away, you can actually lean over and pat them on the head and they can't do anything about it (though I wouldn't recommend it).

It is also possible to reach around and grab the Cobra by the tail, and carry it around like that. Unlike most snakes, the Cobra can't coil back up and bite your arm. It can only strike "forward and down" relative to it's position, which means it would only be able to strike the ground if you were carrying it by the tail. Again, I don't recommend you try this.

The problem comes when you're not really sure if you've got a Siamese Cobra, Spitting Cobra or King Cobra. The King can move with it's hood raised and the Spitter can hit you from 2 meters away, so both of those snakes would be extremely dangerous to approach. Pat a King on the head, and you'll likely be dead within an hour.

So by "aggressive", I mean that the Siamese Cobra is far more likely to getting into a strike position and far more likely to strike as well. King's would rather run than stand and fight, but a Siamese Cobra is more likely to stand its ground and do its best to scare the crap out of you.

That said, Siamese Cobras are slightly more easy to deal with because once you back them up into a strike position, they are stuck. They can't move. So if you can agitate them just enough to stay in that position, but not enough that they actually strike, you can catch or kill them.

That's what snake charmers do. The rhythm of their foot tapping and the waving of the flute (the snake really doesn't hear the music, just the vibrations) is just enough to agitate the snake, but not enough to really piss it off. So the snake appears to "dance" to the music.

You can try this at home, but please make me the beneficiary of your will before you do .

[Pudgimelon]

The correct approach when accidentally cornering a snake is to stand absolutely still, and the snake will quickly loose interest and try to leave.  Particularly true for cobras in striking position.  Trying to move may be interpreted as a threat, and may cause the snake to bite.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True, which is why "Step One" is stand still.

You have to calm yourself down first before doing anything. Once you've gauged whether or not the snake is likely to strike at any move, you can either remain still or take a few steps back, SLOWLY.

Most snakes will allow you to retreat as long as you do it at a respectful and slow pace. Sudden moves, even in the other direction, will be percieved as a threat. Some snakes, however, are just plain mean and will strike at the least provocation. Siamese Cobras are very dangerous for this reason.

Remember, your foot is an extremely dangerous and scary thing for the snake. "Don't tread on me" isn't just a motto for the snake, it's a life-or-death situation. You want to do you best to let the snake know that you do not intend to harm it.

The snake isn't going to be able to tell if you're moving quickly towards it or away from it, so if its agitated, you don't want to make any sudden moves that might be misinterpreted.

Wait to see what the snake does, and then judge your risks accordingly.

[Jai Dee]

Good advice Pudgi... and great photos.

[Pudgimelon]

We have two highly aggressive snakes down here in Texas, the water moccasin and the western diamondback rattlesnake.  Both will avoid you, if you make a lot of noise when you walk.  Neither will chase you.  Both will fight back if cornered, surprised, or attacked with a shovel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My nephew was walking down a trail near a reststop in Kentucky when he realized that the rock overhang to his right was actually a rattlesnake den (with about 60 rattlers hanging around the overhang and on rocks in and around the trail).

My nephew--displaying a great deal of composure for a kid--simply turned around and walked back up the trail.

Screaming and shouting and stomping about almost certainly would have gotten him bit. Walking calmly and carefully past dozens of sunning rattlers takes guts, but in the end, it was the safest thing to do.

Like I said, snakes normally only bite two things: food and scary things. [Kentucky drawl] You ain't food, so if you ain't scary, they ain't interested in biting you. [/Kentucky drawl]

Edited October 26, 2005 by Pudgimelon

[chuchok]

i usually see pythons or tree snakes in thailand, but once i saw a huge cobra (i think) that reared back and spit at my motorbike as i passed. pretty impressive.

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The spitting Cobra is from India-Thailand no have.

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Not so sure about that.

Three species of 'normal' cobra occur in Thailand i.e. Naja kaouthia (Monocled Cobra), Naja siamensis (Spitting cobra )and Naja sumatrana (Golden spitting cobra ).

[wilko]

I've been trying to find out the frequency of snake bites in Pattaya and Thailand...Igot this email from Siam info...

The ist no truely Nummer of Snak Bites in

The ist no truely Nummer of Snak Bites in

Thailand,in on Report from Red Crou.Bkk i.see 600 to

900 Bites/Year

The Pattay Hospital tal 3 to 6 Bites pro Month only

in ther Hospital in Pattaya.Fatal/letal Bites ar less

the

100 in the Country pro Year.

Greetings from Manfred (Sorry me Englisch ist not

good)

[Emilio]

MADMITCH was right its known as the COMMON RAT SNAKE. Its called like that coz, it stays in rice fields eating rats. It not poisonous! But since the picture is not so clear....the Common Rat Snake could be divided inot 3 other species:

1) Indo-Chinese Rat Snake

2) Oriental Rat Snake

3) Keeled Rat Snake

All very similar...the differences are so small, that would be better so see the snake in close up!