Snakes Not Just In Jungle, Forest

https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/w...-metre-long-king-cobra-slithers-marsiling-mrt


Good afternoon all,

Article about a 3 meter / 9 ft King Cobra found in a Singapore building.

Some folks contacted the appropriate authorities.

Interesting pictures.

 

The king cobra from those pictures has a very drab color phase compared to other areas in it's range. It's also missing the banding on it's body seen in other areas. Pays to learn the color phases in snakes where you live or travel.

Dale

 

Good evening Dale,

Is the color phases related to the shedding of skin ? or other reason ?

Had not paid attention to this.

 

In snakes shedding skin does alter color but when the shedding has gotten to that degree, it also clouds the eyes which doesn't appear to be the case with the snake in the picture. This appears to be a regional variance in color and pattern that is not that unusual in reptiles. Like rattlesnakes and copperheads have variations in color and patterns, even in the same areas. That why I say it's good to learn what the snakes in your area look like for a positive ID. If your bit by a northern water snake or hog nosed snake you don't want to go to the hospital saying you were bit by a copperhead.



Dale

 

It look like light coyote brown to me

 

Good evening Dale,

Appreciate this information.

Real good pictures.

 

Varuna, Are the King Cobras in your area light in color like the one in the article or darker with the typical body banding? Thanks.

I've seen king cobras in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia and noticed slight color changes in the different areas. They are a truly impressive snake even if I do think they have to much attitude. LOL!

Dale

 

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG. I HATE snakes. Horrible, slithering, sneaky, lowlife critters. The only good snake is a dead snake in my opinion. Yes, that's correct, I have snake phobia. Anything that wriggles or slithers I can't stand including worms and leeches.

What the hell is going on here? Is something serendipitous going on? Yesterday afternoon, I picked up a log to bring inside for the fire. A freaking brown slithered under the house. Did I sleep last night? Have a guess. I live in a very old farmhouse which is filled with holes. Remember the old James Bond movie, where someone puts a venomous snake inside and it starts to slither up the bed? Well, that's all I could think of last night trying to sleep.

Then driving today, there was a snake squashed on the road. And now I come across this thread.

 

They tend to be darker. Also keep in mind the immerse diversity due to the amount of available habitat space, there is still plenty of pristine jungle (thus foods) in interior Sumatra for all the oversize critter, so does in Borneo (where human fatality due to salty attack is quite high), and also in Sulawesi. Even in densely human populated Java there is still habitat space for kitty cat (Leopard) to roam. I even kept Leopard kitten at home once (I've kidnapped 2 of them of their mother )








Bonus pic, this is my former pet, not King Cobra though. She is now roaming (hopefully) the city sewer. I still occasionally sense her slithering scent, but can't see her.

 

I'm with you, Blitz. I will leave the Black snakes alone. I had one of those take up residence under my front porch. Garter snakes are harmless and I recognize them. The rest get chopped in half with a shovel.

 

Good morning Varuna,

Those pictures are great !

Well, what is the riddle's answer (pharma ?) why the snake doesn't "bite" the man ?

I'll hold off on pet snakes - plenty outside here - and love a leopard kitten - meow. A permit and annual inspection is required in Virginia.


Wuf, wuf, wuf

 

Nor particularly affrighted of snakes....not like some to the point of paralysis.

I am however respectful of them and if I don't know what they are ..I tend to give them a wide berth.

We used to play with them when we were kids...garter snakes and such...stick them down our shirts and around our necks...but if you do not for sure..know what they are ….don't mess with them...

And yes...even non venomous snakes will bite at you...

Now Cobras....coral snakes...rattlers...copperheads...water moccasins....king browns....mambas...definitely stay away....

Feel the same about the black widow spider which is to be found all across this country.

Lots of such nasties out there ...and different for various nations and climates....so if you do not know....leave it alone...period..

Oh..and not just on land..but in the water too.

Be Warned...




Snakes even venomous ones can be beneficial to the eco system...

In India many years ago ...some highly educated Brainiac....got the bright idea to kill off as many of the Cobra snakes they could find....

Next thing you know ..these areas were overrun with rats....

Once again...you gotta be educated to become that naturally stupid....


Watcherchris
Not an Ishmaelite.

 

I've got some resident mice. Come to think of it, during the night, a dear little mouse has been scampering in the kitchen each night (I say dear because the pup has been hunting him for weeks but just can't get at him quick enough. He managed to corner him between a bookcase and wall, whereupon I could have speared him but his big brown eyes got the better of me. I simply couldn't do it). However, he hasn't been heard of or seen of for over a week and pup hasn't been able to pick up his scent.

Oh dear, please don't tell me there's a resident snake who's eaten him. Looks like another sleepless, paranoid night, *sigh*. Knew I shouldn't have clicked into this thread. *Doh!*

 

When you have the prey species around your house, the snakes will come. I used to recommend to people to trim back any hedges they have close to there house. Mow your grass short and remove anything (ie. boards, blocks, debris, etc.) from at least 100 feet or 30 meters from the base of your house and other buildings. Rodents don't like not having cover to run under and snakes like it less. Remove the snakes food and the snakes leave.

If I remember correctly Brown's are a serious Nope Rope. I hope he heads elsewhere.

Dale

 

Oh yeah, they're a serious Nope Rope alright. I hope he heads elsewhere too.

I've been trying desperately to whipper snip around the circumference of the property to the fenceline. A massive task but now complete. Unfortunately, now I have to start again though! The verandah is a state with crap everywhere that needs sorting. I just haven't gotten to it yet. Will try and get to it next week. I hate poking around anywhere snakes may be lurking and after seeing the brown slither off under the house, I'm even less inclined to feel like sorting all the stuff on the verandah. And yet, it must be done.

There are also a few snakes where the chooks are. Red bellies and pythons, which aren't as bad. Though a red belly would kill the pup without a problem.

Regarding the mice in the house ... I did buy some poison but haven't put it down as a bit worried about the pup. I did try an electronic device that electrifies them but it's a bit hit and miss.

 

Varuna, Very nice pictures. Those were some very healthy looking cobras. Was that a reticulated python you had. Nice snake. Did he escape or did you release him?
Leopards are the ultimate survivors. There are far more leopards in the world than most people would ever think. There are confirmed populations in every major city within the leopards home range. I know in India and a few other countries, stray dogs have become the primary prey species. Here in the USA several years ago due to a bad hurricane, there were a few (unspecified number) of leopards that escaped a USFWS holding facility in southern Florida. The government stated that they were sure the animals died. I believe they are probably alive and well and possibly reproducing in the Florida Everglades. It would explain the infrequent sightings of "spotted cougars" in the glades. The US may be in for a surprise like they were with the python invasion in the glades.

Dale​

 

If you have a wire minnow trap, check and make sure the opening is at 1 inch in diameter. Put some whole kernel corn glued together with peanut butter in the trap and locate where the mice are. You will catch the mice and possibly any snakes that are small enough to fit in it. If you catch snakes, I would recommend drowning them in a barrel, pond or whatever without putting your hands or body close to the trap. Just a suggestion.

Dale

 

I've been super fortunate in not running into poisonous snakes. When a kid working a forestry job, the big problem was flying stinging critters, hornets and yellow jackets. Get swarmed with them and you are in a world of pain. One entire summer, among ALL of the work crews, only two (2) poisonous snakes had to be killed -- that's it, 2 snakes. One was a timber rattlesnake and the other was just a copperhead. My crew, we blazed part of the trail that was to become a horseback riding area of the mountainous forest -- "Rattlesnake Ridge" (was too steep for horses if you ask me). Our crew saw zero (0) poisonous snakes.

Visiting Florida, you always see them. One business trip walking to and from decent restaurants, we'd wait for snakes to cross the sidewalks (sun had gone down).

Here's a tragedy. Mountain lion made it into a neighborhood down the way (I'd taken a job in the MidWest, too cold for the wifer and I) and the cops said they had to shoot it. I don't even know if they tried to get some animal control crew to try to trap it. They just shot it. It did get within a block of a junior high or elementary school, so the parents got hinky about the large pussy cat. The real problem was deer! As deer started living in parts of town, guess who followed the game!

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...rtment-natural-resources-sighting/1151138001/

Kitty kitty kitty!

 

It was "She". And I've release her into the city sewer (when nobody was looking and no camera either). Keeping Reticulated python larger than 2m is a hazard I prefer not to take.

​

Both Leopard & Jaguar have great camouflage and not to big of a size that hid them even from the overrated bipedal monkey. Obviously depend on the leopard species in question, their camo pattern is most well suited for tropical environment though. This particular species is probably have the best jungle camo pattern. IMO even better compare to reticulated python or any other feline species.

 

OG, I wouldn't feel bad for the cougar. I've trapped several for the government and it's not easy. More important is cougar/mountain lion are lethal in urban/residential environments. I have worked one cougar attack. It killed a 23 year old woman by biting the nape of the neck and severing the spine when she was jogging on a high school track. The tracks in the dirt showed she never heard the cat coming. It partially fed on the woman before two boys noticed the bloodtrail leading away from the track and called the police. It took us 2 days to run the cat down and the coroner then confirmed that the woman's DNA was in the cat's stomach/intestines.

There a predator and large enough that we are still on the menu.

Dale

 

I want to post a video (from Youtube) where the local folk cut open a reticulated python with a guy inside it (already dead of course) but somehow I've got a feeling some people here might get offended by such natural act of animal eating / preying upon another.

 

I've never killed a snake with a firearm. I've only used gardening tools.

To those who have killed many snakes with firearms, what is you choice weapon(s)?

One hears that birdshot out a handgun w_rifled barrel makes a toroid / donut pattern, but often that simply isn't true. Some folk swear by the big .410/.45 revolvers. Me I'd use a 20 ga with the barrel cut back to 20" (to stay legal and to keep the shot velocity high; cut a barrel short and you lose velocity; cutting a barrel off doesn't mean that the pattern will open up that much more at 20 feet). Do .410 shotguns work on big rattlers? One can lead the barrel of a snub .38 with soft wadcutters loaded hot; this will result in the revolver being essentially a smooth bore, a make-do tiny shotgun when using .38 shotshells. I HATE de-leading a barrel; what a mess!

So help me out, people. What best works against snakes? I'm wondering about firearms. Anything I've forgotten?
.

 

Dalewick,

Your post reminded me of when the Olde Man across the street passed away.

His house was vacant for a long time and the grass got overgrown....quite tall in fact..

I finally realized pretty much what you and some of the other posters were describing ..and took my riding mower over there and cut his grass down to a more manageable level...until new owners took over the property.

A lot of children used to play in his sizeable yard..and it was obvious that it was becoming a snake magnet...

Best to cut it...rather than have injured children....


Watcherchris
Not an Ishmaelite.