Snakes

[Farma]

There’s a news article in the Oz papers this morning that brings home the message, Don’t play with snakes.

A man near Sydney picked a death adder up thinking it was a lizard last night. He was bitten 5 times, suffered a heart attack and is now in intensive care being treated with anti venom.

Like Maizefarmer, I know 2 people who have been bitten by poisonous snakes. One was a cobra and the guy now has a wasted finger. He picked it up to show his friends the big harmless worm. He needed anti venom and time in intensive care. The other guy was lucky, different incident, and was only slightly bitten. He managed to get over it without anti venom.

I’ve also seen a Thai boy bitten while putting his hand in a hole on a flooded creek bank. Luckily it was a non venomous “fish snake” but it caused plenty of panic at the time.

[ourmanflint]

I've just come back from Penang, myself and afew friends were sitting on the beach at Batu Ferringhi, when one of those flying tree snakes flew or maybe fell out of the tree above us, and landed on our towels... it was like a cartoon, it took a few seconds to register then everybody just jumped in opposite directions, like an explosion. It was really funny!!! Eventually I did my Steve Irwin bit... and picked the 1.5m snake up by the tail and put it back in the trees. Turns out it was a Paradise Tree Snake, so not dangerous.

[terry57]

i have a great photo of a 5 metre king cobra taken on koh phangan.

i was riding my motor cycle over the mountain to T.N.P and was confronted with this monsterous thing taking up the whole road.

i wont tell you what i done as you would not believe me but had my camera and got some good shots.

will never forget it as you die real quick if you get bitten.

cheers

When was that terry?

I remember, must have been about 14 or so years ago, they had a huge King Cobra in Ban Kai, again, crossing the road (why did the cobra cross the road ). That thing must have also been about 5m. I never saw it alive (thank god) but saw the dead body on the side of the road. Apparently, a songthaew was driving along the road (dirt at the time) and the snake reared up at the truck as it passed. Scared the heck out of everyone in the back of the truck and the driver floored it. Oddly enough, about a week later a smaller King Cobra showed up (maybe only about 4m) and was also killed.

ok S.B.K.

here's my one and only king cobra story.

its 1988 and ive just dropped of a farang in tong sala.

i was a top bike rider in 1988 and was bolting back to T.N.P., as that was my last job of the day.

as usual i was riding flat out over the mountain and maybe going a bit too fast and as you know, the road is a killer.

ive just crested the very top of the mountain where those huge trees are on the right hand side and i <deleted> you not, there was this monster snake taking up the whole road.

i just managed to stop my bike before i run over it and i must tell you it give me the scare of my life as i knew immediately it was the king cobra.

my thai friends had told me stories about this snake but i thought id never see one, as the jungle is so thick up there.

anyway,

i slid the bike to a halt, run back extremely quickly and just stood there in awe at this amazing creature.

it had come from the jungle side of the mountain and was trying to cross to the other side of the road to re enter the jungle.

trouble is, there was a 3 metre earth wall where the bull doser had cut into the mountain and the snake was reared up trying to climb this earth wall.

half the body is on the road and the other half is up the earth wall.

its getting very pissed off as it cant get up and its hood started to flair and i have a photo off this.

my heart is pounding at this stage as i could hardly believe what i was seeing and i was so lucky i had my camera with me.

next thing the king desides it cant do this climb and turns around and starts to go back where it came from and head for the jungle again.

i also got a photo of that part and the D 9 tractor tracks are clearly visable so one can get an idea of the size of this monster.

it's now half way in the jungle and half way on the road and in my moment of madness i decided i had to grab the tail.

it was between trees so there was no way possible it could have swung around and bit me, but to this day i wonder why i done that.

frigging bit nuts i suppose, but the adrenaline was pumping through me and i swear on the buddha thats exactly what happened.

B.T.W.

i tried to hold the snake to gauge its strength and its power was incredible and just pulled straight away from me.

anyway S.B.K.,

thats my top snake story and next time you go to T.N.P have a look for those huge trees at the top of the mountain and think of my snake story.

did you like it ?

ive got 2 brilliant clear photos of that snake and im going to try and get them up for the punters to see.

keep your eye out as i'll start a new thread when i can get someone to do it for me.

maybe i'll pm you when ive got it sorted which i hope to have it done within the week.

cheers

[girlx]

there must be a lot of king cobras in koh phangan.... my friend was working in my garden today and almost stepped on one that was 2 meters long- it reared back and spit at him. 3 of my dogs came running after it while i was tearing my hair out trying to get them away from it. i have never seen one up close like that- it was pretty cool! it finally managed to slither back off into the jungle but it was pretty unsettling to see it right outside my house like that. i would never attempt to kill it, would probably end up killing myself!

p.s. i live in thong nai pan

Edited February 18, 2007 by girlx

[oooooo]

My wife has just returned to the UK after 2 weeks in Ranong helping her family finish off some tourist bungalows.

I was downloading the pictures off the digital camera and there was one photo of one of the workers disposing of a f**king great green snake. This wasn't some weedy vine snake but a bloody great big bastard.

She says that during the monsoon snakes like a nice warm dry place to hang out so inside the roof of an unoccupied bungalow is just great but once the dry season comes and there are more humans about the snakes tend to dispurse.

Last year they also killed a large cobra when clearing the site. They are now cutting back the trees near the bungalows and clearing the ground.

Do they tend to dispurse during the dry season and is this only a wet season problem.

just ask any thai person why they dont like snakes and why they kill them. then ask why the movie snakes on a plane did so poorly here in thailand.

[kmart]

A few days ago, I was driving on a back road to a customer's factory, and a huge snake bolted out onto the road in front of me! I could not stop in time to avoid it, and ran over it with both front and rear wheels.

It felt like running over a speed ramp. When I got out from the car, there was blood sprayed on the tarmac and down the side of my car, but no sign of the snake. It must have been fatally injured but slipped off to die in the long grass at the side of the road. Sad.

[stonybonytony]

Yes, think there are lots of king cobras in Koh Phangan - I live near TNP, and saw one just outside my house yesterday. It fled sharpish, I hope back into the jungle, Ive checked all the warm comfy corners of my house to make sure he's not moved in. What are the chances that KP hospital has anti venin? Is it possible to buy it anywhere - even if they do have it, there's no way I could get to the hospital in less than 15 to 30 mins that bite can apparently kill in.

[girlx]

yeah that was what i was worried about too- my neighbors said you would just die... it takes at least 40 mins to get to the hospital, and that's if you had a car.

[Jet Gorgon]

I love snakes. But I respect them and try to keep a distance from the wild variety.

One year late 1990s in KPG, there were many cobras in the dry season. Coming down the "mountain" looking for food or water, I guess. Always laughed at the big, burly, intrepid backpackers screaming in fright when they found something on the path.

Seems snakes like neglected, overgrown spaces, so if the yard is tidy with not too much ground cover, it should be safer.

KPG, don't think the Thong Sala hosp stocks anti-venom...

I studied some of the herbal remedies, but forget the plant names. Will try to go back thru my records. Could be helpful, just in case.

[suiging]

Played golf with the wife the other day. As she was waiting to tee-off, shed loads of frogs and assorted creepies fled from the bushes where she was standing. Shortly after large cobra appears chasing assorted creepies and runs straight passed the wife as if she was not there...................Can't find a good snake anywhere these days.........one lousy bite was all I wanted............one lousy bite.

Edited February 21, 2007 by suiging

[Khonwan]

I too love snakes and prefer not to kill them. My house (where I've lived for 11 years) is right on the edge of a hill forest. Snakes are very common visitors throughout my land, and within my house. I'm no longer as agile as I was but I used to love catching them by the neck and releasing them back into the forest. I've thus handled many types including large pythons (Reticulated, and the much gentler Burmese; I won't handle a large python without someone at hand to help unravel it from me!), and even a King Cobra (a juvenile not quite 1m long but still more than capable of killing). I've had as many as three Common Wolf, or House, Snakes (these are small and non-venomous) in my house at one time. My youngest daughter (then aged 3 or 4 years old) readjusted her pillow one morning and found a Common Wolf snake sleeping under it. I've played with beautiful Red-necked Keelbacks and an Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra (I wear glasses but it didn't spit anyway). I've only been bitten once: I caught a water snake (can't recall which but they are not venomous) whilst swimming and knew it would result in a bite (didn't feel a thing but had the tell-tale bloody fang-marks). We lost four kittens to a python one night a couple of months ago.

Ask nearly any Thai how dangerous the Sunbeam Snake (Gnu Seng Artit) is: you'll be told it is very dangerous, especially during the day (this snake has reflective scales). It has no venom! Ask about the Common Rat Snake (Gnu Sing): you'll be told that they are not poisonous to humans but will kill cattle. I never experimented with any of my cattle (why stress them?) but this snake has no venom.

I prefer snakes to mice and rats, which cause real economic damage to crops, household contents, machinery, vehicles, etc. But, of course, they do merit respect!

[sbk]

KPG, don't think the Thong Sala hosp stocks anti-venom...

Yes, they most certainly do. My neighbor's dog was bitten by a cobra and they refused anti-venin for his dog, saying it was reserved for humans. In fact, they have stocked it at the hospital here for as long as it has been open (1989).

Not a snake fan myself but I am of the opinion that if they don't bother me, I won't bother them

[suiging]

On a more serious note, if you are bitten by any snake death is not a certainty, even the most venomous will occasionally bite for effect but not inject a full dose of the nasty stuff.

Panic is the danger. keep calm kill the offender or put it's description to memory and seek medical advise as soon as possible.

The locals who sit in the field and wail about dying often do as they are too distressed to get to help.

[Pink Mist]

we have the most venemous land snakes in the world here in Oz and none of them will kill you in 15 minutes, sea snakes are worse

[Gary A]

This is a King Cobra that the villagers killed in front of my friend's house near Ao Nang, Krabi.

[Khonwan]

On a more serious note, if you are bitten by any snake death is not a certainty, even the most venomous will occasionally bite for effect but not inject a full dose of the nasty stuff.

Panic is the danger. keep calm kill the offender or put it's description to memory and seek medical advise as soon as possible.

The locals who sit in the field and wail about dying often do as they are too distressed to get to help.

Good advice. Beware also of applying a tourniquet. A Thai friend in my village spent several days in our rural hospital (not a pleasant thought in its self!) after being bitten by a venomous snake whilst poaching in the hills. He nearly lost his leg. I guessed the truth, however: he had applied a tourniquet and left it on until he reached the hospital. The tourniquet had caused necrosis, not the snake venom. Most doctors these days would recommend against the use of a tourniquet for this very reason.

I've just come across a useful site for First Aid In Case Of Snakebite: http://www.lfsru.org/firstaid.htm I learned a few things I did not previously know and am very glad I have now done so!

[Pink Mist]

that's a seriously large snake, have run over one (king brown) a similar size in Queensland, was straddling road both sides and couldn't avoid it.

[Gary A]

That King Cobra was more than 13 feet long. My friend said he had to go to the bathroom to check his underwear. He then did a lot of research and was VERY surprised to find that there is not a single documented death in Thailand of anyone being killed by a King Cobra bite. They have enough venom to kill 15 adults but seldom inject much venom. Many people have been bitten and suffered tissue damage but none had died. Apparently the snake saves the venom for things it wants to eat. He was also surprised to find that the King Cobra's favorite food is other cobras.

[JiaJia]

here's the little one found by my dog in the garden of my house. was told that a bitten could lead to death within 12 hours, even though it looked sooo cute. i saw this pretty while my dog was playing happliy with it !!! eventually we shot a close-up before it's been killed. poor snake, you just came to a wrong place ~~~

[Lucifer]

here's the little one found by my dog in the garden of my house. was told that a bitten could lead to death within 12 hours, even though it looked sooo cute. i saw this pretty while my dog was playing happliy with it !!! eventually we shot a close-up before it's been killed. poor snake, you just came to a wrong place ~~~

Couldn't you just catch it and release it a few miles away? ...ya wally.

'just came to a wrong place'...I think you're in the wrong place.

[Khonwan]

here's the little one found by my dog in the garden of my house. was told that a bitten could lead to death within 12 hours, even though it looked sooo cute. i saw this pretty while my dog was playing happliy with it !!! eventually we shot a close-up before it's been killed. poor snake, you just came to a wrong place ~~~

Nice photo. Red-necked Keelback. According to my small book with the very long title, "This uneven-tempered snake should be considered dangerous; human bite victims have suffered severe symptoms, but no fatalities have been reported." I've only ever seen them very well behaved but maybe next time... I doubt if your dog would have survived an envenomation - glad it wasn't bitten.

[JiaJia]

Couldn't you just catch it and release it a few miles away? ...ya wally.

'just came to a wrong place'...I think you're in the wrong place.

sounds aggressive, i think YOU're in the wrong place to start a fire. guess you're never bitten by a snake? or never heard the Aesop's Fables about "the farmer and the snake"?

FYI, we DID catch it and released it away from the house, but then, it came back !! TWICE !!

untrustable, that's the snake; self-protected, that's the human nature. it was already lucky that i took my dog away when he's playing with it tete-a-tete.

Edited February 21, 2007 by JiaJia

[toptuan]

Opened my bedroom window yesterday morning only to be greeted by a small snake wound around the security grate and climbing vines. About 1/4 meter long, with very distinctive white coloring with black stripes, running around it's head and girth. For lack of a name, I call it my "zebra snake." Was very shy, and immediately disappeared in a niche between the window and the frame (shudder).

I steered clear, knowing that even some baby or juvenile snakes can deliver potent venom (such as the American Rattler, which carries a worse venom-packing bite as a baby snake, than an adult can).

Can anyone tell what I had from that description?

[Lucifer]

Couldn't you just catch it and release it a few miles away? ...ya wally.

'just came to a wrong place'...I think you're in the wrong place.

sounds aggressive, i think YOU're in the wrong place to start a fire. guess you're never bitten by a snake? or never heard the Aesop's Fables about "farmer and snake"?

FYI, we DID catch it and released it away from the house, but then, it came back !! TWICE !!

untrustable, that's the snake; self-protected, that's the human nature. it was already lucky that i took my dog away when he's playing with it tete-a-tete.

So instead of driving further, you decided to kill it. Next you'll be telling us it came back using GPS. And you call me aggresive.

Snakes were there before you. You're in the wrong place. And you want me to read fables.

It's a snake. It gets rid of vermin....oh I see what you mean now. Sorry.

[Goshawk]

Couldn't you just catch it and release it a few miles away? ...ya wally.

'just came to a wrong place'...I think you're in the wrong place.

sounds aggressive, i think YOU're in the wrong place to start a fire. guess you're never bitten by a snake? or never heard the Aesop's Fables about "the farmer and the snake"?

FYI, we DID catch it and released it away from the house, but then, it came back !! TWICE !!

untrustable, that's the snake; self-protected, that's the human nature. it was already lucky that i took my dog away when he's playing with it tete-a-tete.

Wow !!!

thousands of years of literature, folklore, superstition, religion and belief all succinctly rolled up into those 4 simple words.. i like you JJ

[JiaJia]

So instead of driving further, you decided to kill it. Next you'll be telling us it came back using GPS. And you call me aggresive.

Snakes were there before you. You're in the wrong place. And you want me to read fables.

It's a snake. It gets rid of vermin....oh I see what you mean now. Sorry.

driving it further to one of my neighbours who got kids always playing in the garden, in the neighbourhood???

the snake won't come back, cos it's been killed. you're back cos you're using internet, but i can't treat you like how i treated the snake.

i was there before the snake, as same as i was here on this thread before you.

snake bites, so as some human beings

Edited February 21, 2007 by JiaJia

[Khonwan]

So instead of driving further, you decided to kill it. Next you'll be telling us it came back using GPS. And you call me aggresive.

Snakes were there before you. You're in the wrong place. And you want me to read fables.

It's a snake. It gets rid of vermin....oh I see what you mean now. Sorry.

driving it further to one of my neighbours who got kids always playing in the garden, in the neighbourhood???

the snake won't come back, cos it's been killed. you're back cos you're using internet, but i can't treat you like how i treated the snake.

i was there before the snake, as same as i was here on this thread before you.

snake bites, so as some human beings

I too kill snakes when they refuse to keep their distance from my livestock. Many of them make delicious meals! JiaJia, let Lucifer mind his own flock!! At least you did not burn it (did you?).

[Khonwan]

Opened my bedroom window yesterday morning only to be greeted by a small snake wound around the security grate and climbing vines. About 1/4 meter long, with very distinctive white coloring with black stripes, running around it's head and girth. For lack of a name, I call it my "zebra snake." Was very shy, and immediately disappeared in a niche between the window and the frame (shudder).

I steered clear, knowing that even some baby or juvenile snakes can deliver potent venom (such as the American Rattler, which carries a worse venom-packing bite as a baby snake, than an adult can).

Can anyone tell what I had from that description?

My book indicates it was probably a young non-venomous Malayan Banded Wolf Snake. I think I've seen one on my farm once.

[Lucifer]

So instead of driving further, you decided to kill it. Next you'll be telling us it came back using GPS. And you call me aggresive.

Snakes were there before you. You're in the wrong place. And you want me to read fables.

It's a snake. It gets rid of vermin....oh I see what you mean now. Sorry.

driving it further to one of my neighbours who got kids always playing in the garden, in the neighbourhood???

the snake won't come back, cos it's been killed. you're back cos you're using internet, but i can't treat you like how i treated the snake.

i was there before the snake, as same as i was here on this thread before you.

snake bites, so as some human beings

Why would you want to do that? Are you mad? Can't you find a less populated place?

'you're back cos you're using internet, but i can't treat you like how i treated the snake.'

...you are so funny. Killing a helpless snake must have made a man out of you.....nah..perhaps not.

Oh this is too easy. Back to the playground, methinks.

[jasreeve17]

Where is your photo Terry???

Come on. I know that you are a fine and honest gentleman (even though it's unusual for an Australian fireman to have been a motorbike taxi driver in his younger years...), but I need to see the photo evidence.

OK, I don't need to. But I very much want to.

Come on Sir. Where is the legendary Koh P king cobra... let's have it!