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[Khonwan]

I find the fear of snakes here amusing and their needless deaths unfortunate. I live right on the edge of a national park hill forest; the presence of snakes all around us is a given. I once found 3 snakes in my house at the same time. At another time my youngest daughter, then only 3 or 4, found one asleep under her pillow when making her bed one morning. I regularly swim alongside a dangerous Red-necked Keelback that constantly visits my pond.

I taught myself to handle snakes and have, over the years, handled most around here from 4m long pythons to a young (and therefore incredibly dangerous) 80cm King Cobra. I usually relocate them back to the forest, sometimes only a few metres from where I’ve caught them (my house is only 20 metres from the forest). I have no problem killing them, however, but only if they are to be eaten. Handling them safely (for snake and human) only requires a stick to pin them down so that they can be grasped at the neck; a bit of self-confidence helps too.

My attitude is governed by good economic sense as a householder and crop farmer. I have suffered a lot of damage to cassava tubers, car wiring & sound insulation, generator wiring, tractor wiring, and furniture caused by rats/mice. Snakes reduce populations of these pests. I encourage my neighbours (with some success) to adopt the same attitude…for their benefit, not that of the snake.

Snakes can very easily be moved away with a stick without the need to kill them. However, as an erstwhile large-aviary owner, I sometimes resorted to killing persistent egg-eating snakes since they just kept coming back.

With regards to the small brown scorpions, I’ve often been stung but find them no more painful than a simple bee sting. We also have the large Mountain Scorpions: I’ve relocated these often but have avoided being stung though the locals contend their venom is much more powerful than the common 1.5 inch scorpions, sufficient to cause limbs to swell.

I’ve been bitten in the foot by a red mountain tarantula – no worse than the wee scorpions or bees. I should add, though, that I’m not allergic to such things: I suffer only slight pain for 5 minutes and have no swelling. Stung often by wasps also and even by 3 Tiger Hornets (very big) at the same time: again, similar to a bee sting for me.

With regards to Thai farmers knowing their snakes…rubbish. Probably 99% of them questioned by me believe that the Common Rat Snake will cause the death of a cow by biting despite having no poison (they accept that humans are safe). Most of them also believe that the Sunbeam Snake is poisonous during the day whilst iridescent – in fact, it has no poison. Most cannot distinguish between the Reticulated Python and the Burmese Python (probably equal in numbers around me). Most snakes here are treated by most of my fellow villagers as poisonous and dangerous; their knowledge of snakes is extremely poor.

Are snakes a risk to me or my children? Far less so than taking my kids out for a drive on Thai roads, and yet we all accept that risk.

Rgds

Khonwan

[jamescollister]

I find the fear of snakes here amusing and their needless deaths unfortunate. I live right on the edge of a national park hill forest; the presence of snakes all around us is a given. I once found 3 snakes in my house at the same time. At another time my youngest daughter, then only 3 or 4, found one asleep under her pillow when making her bed one morning. I regularly swim alongside a dangerous Red-necked Keelback that constantly visits my pond.

I taught myself to handle snakes and have, over the years, handled most around here from 4m long pythons to a young (and therefore incredibly dangerous) 80cm King Cobra. I usually relocate them back to the forest, sometimes only a few metres from where I’ve caught them (my house is only 20 metres from the forest). I have no problem killing them, however, but only if they are to be eaten. Handling them safely (for snake and human) only requires a stick to pin them down so that they can be grasped at the neck; a bit of self-confidence helps too.

My attitude is governed by good economic sense as a householder and crop farmer. I have suffered a lot of damage to cassava tubers, car wiring & sound insulation, generator wiring, tractor wiring, and furniture caused by rats/mice. Snakes reduce populations of these pests. I encourage my neighbours (with some success) to adopt the same attitude…for their benefit, not that of the snake.

Snakes can very easily be moved away with a stick without the need to kill them. However, as an erstwhile large-aviary owner, I sometimes resorted to killing persistent egg-eating snakes since they just kept coming back.

With regards to the small brown scorpions, I’ve often been stung but find them no more painful than a simple bee sting. We also have the large Mountain Scorpions: I’ve relocated these often but have avoided being stung though the locals contend their venom is much more powerful than the common 1.5 inch scorpions, sufficient to cause limbs to swell.

I’ve been bitten in the foot by a red mountain tarantula – no worse than the wee scorpions or bees. I should add, though, that I’m not allergic to such things: I suffer only slight pain for 5 minutes and have no swelling. Stung often by wasps also and even by 3 Tiger Hornets (very big) at the same time: again, similar to a bee sting for me.

With regards to Thai farmers knowing their snakes…rubbish. Probably 99% of them questioned by me believe that the Common Rat Snake will cause the death of a cow by biting despite having no poison (they accept that humans are safe). Most of them also believe that the Sunbeam Snake is poisonous during the day whilst iridescent – in fact, it has no poison. Most cannot distinguish between the Reticulated Python and the Burmese Python (probably equal in numbers around me). Most snakes here are treated by most of my fellow villagers as poisonous and dangerous; their knowledge of snakes is extremely poor.

Are snakes a risk to me or my children? Far less so than taking my kids out for a drive on Thai roads, and yet we all accept that risk.

Rgds

Khonwan

I'm with you on this, don't kill what you don't eat. I live in the jungle and that's my choice. If I wanted to live in a snake free zone, I would move to Ireland. Jim

[bergen]

I find the fear of snakes here amusing and their needless deaths unfortunate. I live right on the edge of a national park hill forest; the presence of snakes all around us is a given. I once found 3 snakes in my house at the same time. At another time my youngest daughter, then only 3 or 4, found one asleep under her pillow when making her bed one morning. I regularly swim alongside a dangerous Red-necked Keelback that constantly visits my pond.

I taught myself to handle snakes and have, over the years, handled most around here from 4m long pythons to a young (and therefore incredibly dangerous) 80cm King Cobra. I usually relocate them back to the forest, sometimes only a few metres from where I’ve caught them (my house is only 20 metres from the forest). I have no problem killing them, however, but only if they are to be eaten. Handling them safely (for snake and human) only requires a stick to pin them down so that they can be grasped at the neck; a bit of self-confidence helps too.

My attitude is governed by good economic sense as a householder and crop farmer. I have suffered a lot of damage to cassava tubers, car wiring & sound insulation, generator wiring, tractor wiring, and furniture caused by rats/mice. Snakes reduce populations of these pests. I encourage my neighbours (with some success) to adopt the same attitude…for their benefit, not that of the snake.

Snakes can very easily be moved away with a stick without the need to kill them. However, as an erstwhile large-aviary owner, I sometimes resorted to killing persistent egg-eating snakes since they just kept coming back.

With regards to the small brown scorpions, I’ve often been stung but find them no more painful than a simple bee sting. We also have the large Mountain Scorpions: I’ve relocated these often but have avoided being stung though the locals contend their venom is much more powerful than the common 1.5 inch scorpions, sufficient to cause limbs to swell.

I’ve been bitten in the foot by a red mountain tarantula – no worse than the wee scorpions or bees. I should add, though, that I’m not allergic to such things: I suffer only slight pain for 5 minutes and have no swelling. Stung often by wasps also and even by 3 Tiger Hornets (very big) at the same time: again, similar to a bee sting for me.

With regards to Thai farmers knowing their snakes…rubbish. Probably 99% of them questioned by me believe that the Common Rat Snake will cause the death of a cow by biting despite having no poison (they accept that humans are safe). Most of them also believe that the Sunbeam Snake is poisonous during the day whilst iridescent – in fact, it has no poison. Most cannot distinguish between the Reticulated Python and the Burmese Python (probably equal in numbers around me). Most snakes here are treated by most of my fellow villagers as poisonous and dangerous; their knowledge of snakes is extremely poor.

Are snakes a risk to me or my children? Far less so than taking my kids out for a drive on Thai roads, and yet we all accept that risk.

Rgds

Khonwan

I'm with you on this, don't kill what you don't eat. I live in the jungle and that's my choice. If I wanted to live in a snake free zone, I would move to Ireland. Jim

With small children running around, I will call it risky, but as they say: up to you. Wish you all the best, and hope you wont come back one day and say: I was wrong.......

[Khonwan]

Compare the number of news stories here in Thailand of people dying from snake bites (I don’t recall having read one these past 17 years) to those of people dying from electrocution, road traffic accidents, accidental poisonings, murders and perhaps we can put it into perspective. In fact, I’ve read more reports of dog mauling than snake bites. In all my years here I’ve only met one guy that had a serious medical problem resulting from a snake encounter: he nearly lost his leg but not directly because he was bitten by a snake whilst hunting in the forest during the night, but because he had incorrectly applied a tourniquet.

Snakes can, of course, be dangerous but I suggest the level of risk is much less than, for example, the risk we take allowing our children to visit their friends in homes we probably haven’t checked for electrical safety (how many homes are earthed in your area?).

With the appalling lack of health & safety regulations, and non-enforcement of the few regulations in place, atrocious standard of driving, oft-fatal interschool rivalry, abundance of unregistered guns, etc., I consider Thailand to be a much riskier country to live in compared to my native Scotland…but I like risk.

Rgds

Khonwan

PS time for my swim with snakes

[IsaanAussie]

KW,

You are one of the long time, real people here on the forum. I am no enemy or adversory of yours. But I lost one of my best sows to a sporpion bite a month or so ago. Tonight waited while a side winding snake crossed the road in front of me while I walked home from the sty. On this, it is economics, not heart beats that rule, see a risk eliminate it. My sty has manure outlets behind each pen, they are cool and damp snake refuges by their nature not by design. I have no cause to tell you, in your circumstaneces that you are wrong, nor you in mine. Enjoy your swim. Come near my pigs and Mr. Snake, you are dead!

IA

Edited October 26, 2011 by IsaanAussie

[andycrosby]

I think this post will run and run. Those of us that kill snakes and those of you that dont. I dont mind snakes at all I used to keep and breed them. But as a farmer and a dog owner and a Farther of a Two very small kids I do not share your trust in Snakes, Scorpion and Spiders.

My kids are my life and my stock feeds them, I dont eat everything I kill but my ducks do. Nothing goes to waist. On this note this will be my last comment on this post, Its made me smile more than any other. Thanks to all catch you in the next good post

[oldestswinger]

Khonwan: Thanks for bringing a bit of sanity to the party!

I don't understand why people who try to learn all they can about their agricultural affairs don't also try to learn more about the wildlife around them. As you pointed out, so much of it is beneficial. And by the way, I lost a prized sow to a snake. that's life.

[ezzra]

Can I send MY WIFE to your farm for while???