Cobra Snake In Our Little Garden!

[UKJASE]

hey guys, i need your advice please......

the wife opened the back door today and saw a snake..... i ran out and a small half meter snake was slowly slithering away from her, along our concrete path. it headed into a garden feature area we have in the middle of our garden, that contains lots of plants, a big piece of stone, and an old tree trunk / wood feature

this was about 2 hrs ago and it hasnt been seen since

i tidied the garden as the wife said there was lots of stuff in the garden (tools, shoes, half completed diy projects etc) where the snake would like to hang out

the wife got her translation book out, and translated the snake to cobra.... i googled it, and sure enough, number 2 snake in thailand, and number 1 killer, is the monocled cobra (http://www.thailandsnakes.com/venomous/front-fanged/monocled-cobras-venomous-very-deadly/)

now i am a bit concerned..... any advice what we should so? we spend lots of time in the garden and dont want to be out there fearing for a snake bite all the time

is there anything we can do so he moves on and finds another home, or should we poison him, or trap him or what?

whilst tidying the garden i found a snake skin too..... not sure how long it had been there, but this all points to him being a resident, rather than just passing through

we live in hua hin, in a gated community, if that is of any relevance

[Kwasaki]

Difficult one this I guess it's not a D I Y garden at the moment, I would get someone who does gardening for people and don't forget to tell him about the snake.

[Crossy]

As kwasaki notes this is NOT a DIY job!

Your community will likely have a snake man, call him!

[thunder30101]

Isnt the monacled cobra the one that can spit toxin at you (eyes) ??? better put on some glasses or goggles when you go hunting him.

[UKJASE]

could be a DIY decapitation, if i can find the little bugger..... apologies for posting in the wrong forum guys...... maybe a mod can move this for rme pls??

[Khonwan]

I agree with Arjen. I live in a remote farm bordering the jungle: loads of snakes including cobras; some snakes get into the house from time to time with one found under my youngest daughter’s pillow one morning. Leave the snake alone and it will always, always leave you alone.

[mrbojangles]

with one found under my youngest daughter’s pillow one morning.

I think I'd have packed my bags that very same day and never returned !!

[wayned]

Arjen is right in most cases, But, female cobras lay eggs and are very protective of their nest. It is not a wise move to get between the cobra and her nest!

[lopburi3]

Nor would I argue with a King Cobra anywhere. I have had up close encounters with several cobras along the roadside when walking in a younger life but although within striking distance they did not do so. Of more concern were vipers who liked to warm themselves at night on warmer cement. Being from New Hampshire the below is well known.

[UKJASE]

thanks for taking the time to answer guys.... much appreciated.....

your input, plus the fact that we havent seen mr snake for about a week now, has got us feeling a lot more relaxed.....

still careful when opening the back door and stepping outside though, as my wife said she nearly stood on him when she first saw him

as has been said though, as long as we dont tread on him, or make him feel threatened, we should both be able to live in harmony

i guess it's his home as much as it is ours

[UKJASE]

Yep, I guess this is the right attitude! But the snake you have seen was a small one, a half meter, this tells me it has hatched close to your place, a big change you will find more of them, brothers and sisters.

And as far as I found now, Cobra's do not protect their eggs. I just found today a cobra nest, I checked by breaking the eggs, and it was Cobra. But no parent was around.

They eat a lot of rats, so they help you!

do you know what type of environment cobras like to build there home / nest? we have a dead tree stump and a large rock in amongst small trees and bushes, which makes a garden feature, and this is where the cobra headed when we saw him

we have since had a little poke around in there though, and there appears to be no sign... i am assuming that cobras like to make a little "den" and this becomes their home.... are they above ground or below ground? do u know what sort of environment they prefer?

[Artisi]

Clean-up the yard, get rid of any thing / place etc in the garden where a snake could live / hide / relax.

[wayned]

Cobras will normally protect their eggs until just before they are born and then abandom them. The female might never leave the nest or might take turns guarding them with the male. If you foung a small one that was just born and eggs still in the nest, the adults have most likely left. The cobra venom in a small just born snake is 100% toxic and they are very dangerous as they have not aclamated themselves to their new world. It's good that you found the nest and got rid of the eggs. I killed one in my bedroom a few months ago and was paraniod about where the other 20 - 30 went. Unfortunately It's mother met her end in my enclosed dog run but I never did find the nest.

[I Like Thai]

This is how to catch him, very easy. If you dare