# snakes



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

in a discussion about snakes and scorpions with some friends, I realised that sometimes, in an emergency situation, we do not always function rationally. 

a few weeks ago our wee dog was lying outside having a snooze, I had accidentally disturbed a snake, which tried to get out of my way, but it was heading towards the dog. MY wife saw this and rushed to pick up the dog, then kicked the snake away. It (rightly so) reared up and was ready to attack. I pushed it away with a brush, but it was still, ready to bite anything in range.

I loath killing creatures who are just going about their daily business, but in this situation, you have a creature which is fighting for it's life and was going to bite anything that was within range. With great relutance i had to kill it, as it was stuck in a place where we could not allow it's only escape(towards the house)

Back to the discussion wi th our friends: 

had anyone been bitten by the snake, would you have had the presence of mind to take the dead snake to the hospital, for identification ?


----------



## JBODEN (Jul 10, 2009)

Didn't you have a flute to hand?


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> had anyone been bitten by the snake, would you have had the presence of mind to take the dead snake to the hospital, for identification ?


Yes I think I would. How did you kill it BTW?


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

My son was bitten by a young adder on the ankle when he was a child and we didn't realise that this was what had happened he came running into the house crying that his ankle was sore and when I looked it was very swollen. He told me he had been playing on the compost heap and I presumed he had slipped and twisted it. A week later and with it still swollen and him still complaining about it being painful I took him to the doctor who looked at it and then pointed out two bite marks. My son was lucky in that it must have been a baby adder and not and adult, for years afterwards when ever he knocked his ankle it would instantly swell up and you could see the bite mark.

maiden


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

jimenato said:


> Yes I think I would. How did you kill it BTW?


put a brush in front of it to get it's attention, then decapitated it with an axe


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

dunmovin said:


> put a brush in front of it to get it's attention, then decapitated it with an axe


I'm presuming it was venomous?
Although as I'm not an expert on snakes I don't think I'd have given it the benefit of doubt....


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> I'm presuming it was venomous?
> Although as I'm not an expert on snakes I don't think I'd have given it the benefit of doubt....


it was an easy choice..the head was triangular shaped, therefore a type of viper and venemous, I still did not like having to kill it, but it would not move on.


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

Had I been sure it was non posionous, I would have just dropped a towel over it, picked it up and released it well away from the house


----------



## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

I have recently been reassured that -rightly or wrongly- there are no venemous snakes here that will attack big animals.Those around have backward facing teeth and cannot dislocate their jaws adequately to do more than attack rodents-small animals etc. I -personally- am not prepared to put this theory to the test however-but am thinking of putting jingly anklets round my ankles and those of the dogs-or import a mongoose !


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

dunmovin said:


> Had I been sure it was non posionous, I would have just dropped a towel over it, picked it up and released it well away from the house


No way could I pick up a snake, whatever it was wrapped in.
When I was walking Azorito on the campo nearby last week I disturbed a quite lengthy snake which wriggled away swiftly, thank God.
I didn't get a chance to see what shape its head was.
Do you live in a rural area?


----------



## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

I live in the campo-yes-and have a squad of animals-and lots of snakes around.The big snakes- forget their name??Neopolitans-live in the 40mm irrigation tubes in the winter and flush out in the summer with the water.Plenty of smaller ones around on the land-in the tracks.The Ayuntamiento did release lots of mongooses around to keep the snake population down. Oddly I have never had a snake bite an animal in 10 years--fingers crossed and touch wood!!I have had water snakes heading for the pool.I have trapped a mongoose by mistake when I was trying to trap a feral cat for castration.! I have a feral cat and kittens at the moment-they are in the shade in a playpen just in case...................... !


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

zilly said:


> I live in the campo-yes-and have a squad of animals-and lots of snakes around.The big snakes- forget their name??Neopolitans-live in the 40mm irrigation tubes in the winter and flush out in the summer with the water.Plenty of smaller ones around on the land-in the tracks.The Ayuntamiento did release lots of mongooses around to keep the snake population down. Oddly I have never had a snake bite an animal in 10 years--fingers crossed and touch wood!!I have had water snakes heading for the pool.I have trapped a mongoose by mistake when I was trying to trap a feral cat for castration.! I have a feral cat and kittens at the moment-they are in the shade in a playpen just in case...................... !


Zilly you have been very lucky that none of your pets have been bitten. When I lived in Hong Kong my friends dog and cat were both bitten by a bamboo pit viper and both almost died. That is the reason Idid not let it live.

On the whole snakes are useful creatures as they eat rodents and other pests,so I go by the maxim "leave me and mine alone and I'll let you live"


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> No way could I pick up a snake, whatever it was wrapped in.
> When I was walking Azorito on the campo nearby last week I disturbed a quite lengthy snake which wriggled away swiftly, thank God.
> I didn't get a chance to see what shape its head was.
> Do you live in a rural area?


Yes we live in the campo and to be honest about it, look at it from the snake's point of view. If you were confronted with something several hundred times larger than you,would try to get away or bite it?

dropping a towel on it and releasing it well away from the house was a better option than hitting it with an axe.... venemous ones that don'ttake the hint to bu**er off don't get that choice


----------



## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

What I would be interested in is someone who really knows about snakes telling us the reality of any venemous snakes here.I've just Googled it quickly-says-out of 50 recorded snake bites in Europe in a year -only3-5 were recorded in the whole of Spain!
I'm going to Google it later and wait for someone with expertise in Snake matters!
Meanwhile Dunmovin-I truly am careful--very careful !!!


----------



## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

What I would be interested in is someone who really knows about snakes telling us the reality of any venemous snakes here.I've just Googled it quickly-says-out of 50 recorded snake bites in Europe in a year -only3-5 were recorded in the whole of Spain!
I'm going to Google it later and wait for someone with expertise in Snake matters!
Meanwhile Dunmovin-I truly am careful--very careful !!!


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Snakes just give me the hebbie jeebies and luckily we don't have them in Cairo but they are out in the desert and the countryside.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

dunmovin said:


> Yes we live in the campo and to be honest about it, look at it from the snake's point of view. If you were confronted with something several hundred times larger than you,would try to get away or bite it?
> 
> dropping a towel on it and releasing it well away from the house was a better option than hitting it with an axe.... venemous ones that don'ttake the hint to bu**er off don't get that choice


If I were confronted by a large creature I would break the world speed record for overweight unfit mature females......
Once in the Ottawa Valley Ontario I was walking a cousin's dog in wild country when I stumbled across a bear cub about five metres away, feeding on something. Dimly remembering something I had read, I walked slowly backwards to a safe distance then ran like hell. My cousin said I was lucky as Momma Bear must have been near by.
After that I always used to sing loudly like a lunatic when walking in the woods.....I was told that would keep bears away.
My singing keeps humans away so why not bears....


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> If I were confronted by a large creature I would break the world speed record for overweight unfit mature females......
> Once in the Ottawa Valley Ontario I was walking a cousin's dog in wild country when I stumbled across a bear cub about five metres away, feeding on something. Dimly remembering something I had read, I walked slowly backwards to a safe distance then ran like hell. My cousin said I was lucky as Momma Bear must have been near by.
> After that I always used to sing loudly like a lunatic when walking in the woods.....I was told that would keep bears away.
> My singing keeps humans away so why not bears....




Any time I was in Canada I bought the ankle bracelet of bells.. to announce my arrival to any bear that might have thought I was fast food being delivered.
I believe they lumber off if they hear anyone approaching so it is best to to let them know you are about


----------



## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

I like to think I'm a fairly brave sort of chap...6 years in the Army, team leader on the cliff rescue team, always the first in when there's a problem etc......but....when it comes to snakes of any size, poisonous or not, I just cannot stand them, yuk. Talk about a killing frenzy, I'm ashamed of it later but that's the way I'm made I guess. 
Rats on the other hand , I think are quite sweet


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

country boy said:


> I like to think I'm a fairly brave sort of chap...6 years in the Army, team leader on the cliff rescue team, always the first in when there's a problem etc......but....when it comes to snakes of any size, poisonous or not, I just cannot stand them, yuk. Talk about a killing frenzy, I'm ashamed of it later but that's the way I'm made I guess.
> Rats on the other hand , I think are quite sweet


Well put less sugar on them next time


----------



## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

you been on the same survival course then?


----------



## Nignoy (Jun 4, 2010)

*vipers*



dunmovin said:


> Zilly you have been very lucky that none of your pets have been bitten. When I lived in Hong Kong my friends dog and cat were both bitten by a bamboo pit viper and both almost died. That is the reason Idid not let it live.
> 
> On the whole snakes are useful creatures as they eat rodents and other pests,so I go by the maxim "leave me and mine alone and I'll let you live"


you cannot really compare an agressive pit viper with a european viper(all pit vipers are born with PMT and behave like a rabid motherinlaw lol), from a young age wildlife has always played a big part in my life be it in uk or an exotic warm country,the area where we are living now has 8 out of the 10 most venomous snakes in the world as residents, leave snakes alone they will not bother you , threaten them with a stick or a broom you are liable to get bitten, snakes keep down the rodents in your garden, at our last home , the lady next door had a 4 metre coastal carpet python living on her verandah, it had been resident for 11 years never bothered any one xcept stray cats,rats and possums, if you want a snake free property, keep the grass short and your manure or mulch in a covered container, no old flat bits of wood or tin lying around reptiles love these as sunning areas, I cannot emphasize enuf please leave resident spanish snakes alone, their fangs are so tiny no threat at all to any one over 14 years of age ,


----------



## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

I am firmly sticking with the snake statistics frim IberiaNature-which I'm sure are correct. In my 10 years of campo living with a squad of animals-we have never had a snake bite.There are few venemous snakes in Spain-and they tend to live in the north of Spain or in uninhabited scrub areas in the south.. I have a Montpellier snake on the bottom of my land-likes a bath under a fig tree when the irrigation water is on.The dogs run at the sight of it and the cats go nearwhere near--nor do I.!It eats rats etc and it's venom is very weak for a human.
I don't like snakes-but the facts are the facts.I'm leaving my snake in peace !


----------



## dream on (Sep 26, 2010)

I would really like to leave the Spanish snakes alone but as I had one ricocheting around one of my outer rooms this morning that is proving difficult! Admittedly we've had a problem with mice, which our dogs find amusing but not worth chasing, and the snake was probably doing us a favour but it was a metre long, an inch thick and leaping around like a mad thing. My hubby has a morbid terror of snakes so he's no use! As far as I could tell it was black with coloured spots. Not sure where its gone but this is an old house with thick walls with lots of nooks and crannies!


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

dream on said:


> I would really like to leave the Spanish snakes alone but as I had one ricocheting around one of my outer rooms this morning that is proving difficult! Admittedly we've had a problem with mice, which our dogs find amusing but not worth chasing, and the snake was probably doing us a favour but it was a metre long, an inch thick and leaping around like a mad thing. My hubby has a morbid terror of snakes so he's no use! As far as I could tell it was black with coloured spots. Not sure where its gone but this is an old house with thick walls with lots of nooks and crannies!


Until entirely sure it vacated the house.....it's a good idea to check the bed before you get into it. (there are things worse than having "hissing sid" sink his fangs into your big toe, but they are few and far between)

Just kidding....if it was so panic striken that it was leaping about, it has probably left for more tranquil surroundings.


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

There are only three poisonous snakes here the monpelier snake (back fanged)the latiste viper (feont fanged )and the adder all the rest fifthteen in all are non venoumous (harmless)
All snakes poisonous or otherwise will run away unless cornered if tou cone across one keave it alone and just back off and they will slither away from you
People that get bitten usually do so by attacking the snake and it bites
If you have one in the house just entice it to the front door with a broom if it gets angry move back till is calmed down and try again if like me your not frightened of snakes drop a open pillow case for it to go into then pick it up and release outside


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

tonyinspain said:


> There are only three poisonous snakes here (*actually there are 5. see here Snakes *) the monpelier snake (back fanged)the latiste viper (feont fanged )and the adder all the rest fifthteen in all are non venoumous (harmless)
> All snakes poisonous or otherwise will run away unless cornered if tou cone across one keave it alone and just back off and they will slither away from you
> People that get bitten usually do so by attacking the snake and it bites
> If you have one in the house just entice it to the front door with a broom if it gets angry move back till is calmed down and try again if like me your not frightened of snakes drop a open pillow case for it to go into then pick it up and release outside


The above advice is sound. The problems mostly arise when PEOPLE panic and try to whack the snake with something and it tries to defend it's life. (reasonable action from the snake's point of view. After all, it has no concept of property ownership and it's not welcome on your land. All it wants is a few mice, the odd rat and anything else it considers food, meaning what will fit in it's mouth, dogs,cats and humans don't fit.)

Around the world, you will find snakes that don't fit into that category (it has been mentioned that pit vipers are born with 24/7 pmt and King cobras, Cobras and Banded kraits are not reknowned for their social skills,) we don't have anything that nasty in Spain


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

tonyinspain said:


> There are only three poisonous snakes here (*actually there are 5. see here Snakes *) the monpelier snake (back fanged)the latiste viper (feont fanged )and the adder all the rest fifthteen in all are non venoumous (harmless)
> All snakes poisonous or otherwise will run away unless cornered if tou cone across one keave it alone and just back off and they will slither away from you
> People that get bitten usually do so by attacking the snake and it bites
> If you have one in the house just entice it to the front door with a broom if it gets angry move back till is calmed down and try again if like me your not frightened of snakes drop a open pillow case for it to go into then pick it up and release outside


The above advice is sound. The problems mostly arise when PEOPLE panic and try to whack the snake with something and it tries to defend it's life. (reasonable action from the snake's point of view. After all, it has no concept of property ownership and it's not welcome on your land. All it wants is a few mice, the odd rat and anything else it considers food, meaning what will fit in it's mouth, dogs,cats and humans don't fit.)

Around the world, you will find snakes that don't fit into that category (it has been mentioned that pit vipers are born with 24/7 pmt and King cobras, Cobras and Banded kraits are not reknowned for their social skills. I.E. "if it moves , it could be food, ergo, viable target" ) we don't have anything that nasty in Spain


----------



## dream on (Sep 26, 2010)

country boy said:


> I like to think I'm a fairly brave sort of chap...6 years in the Army, team leader on the cliff rescue team, always the first in when there's a problem etc......but....when it comes to snakes of any size, poisonous or not, I just cannot stand them, yuk. Talk about a killing frenzy, I'm ashamed of it later but that's the way I'm made I guess.
> Rats on the other hand , I think are quite sweet


Mice look sweet too but try your patience with their nibbling! I unrolled a kitchen paper towel roll to find a row of small holes all the way through! Same with a roll of binliners. And as for pooing in my underwear drawer... but no, I don't want a snake in there!


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Snakes do more good than harm they eat vermin so unless your really have a fear of them leave them alone they are more scared of you than you are of them and remember most snakes will slither off if you make enough noise and dont fotget we have nothing here like Australia America And Africa so live in peace with your slithery friends


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

tonyinspain said:


> Snakes do more good than harm they eat vermin so unless your really have a fear of them leave them alone they are more scared of you than you are of them and remember most snakes will slither off if you make enough noise and dont fotget we have nothing here like Australia America And Africa so live in peace with your slithery friends


I'm not fond of reptiles, human or slithery, but it's odd...since I've been working with the dogs at ADANA I no longer have the same urge to kill 'nasty' creatures that I used to have.

After all, they live and breathe, as do we.

But I did squash a baby cockroach that flew into our salon and settled on a sofa....

It's so true about keeping vermin down. We had snakes living at the bottom of our garden until we shifted a great pile of garden rubbish. There are rats everywhere here as there are goats a few metres away and our next-door neighbours have several chickens -but we've seen only two in our garden...both dead.


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> I'm not fond of reptiles, human or slithery, but it's odd...since I've been working with the dogs at ADANA I no longer have the same urge to kill 'nasty' creatures that I used to have.
> 
> After all, they live and breathe, as do we.
> 
> ...


Just leave them be they are more than likely harmless and will help to control the rats etc But they will try for a easy meal small chicks and broken egg yolks main thing is when collecting wood from the pile take a good look before you put your hands in and always wear good thick gloves in the garden stout boots not flip flops !!!!
Most bites are to the toes and fingers as their mouths are very small so thats the target .
And as ive said they are more scared of you than you are of them.
The poison is used to catch food so they really dont want to waste it on you so in most cases they will have left the area as soon as they feel the vibration of you walking rowards them the exception is when they are cold and sluggish but once warmed by the sun their off and for every one you see theirs ten you didnt so dont worry its very rare to be bitten here xxx


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

tonyinspain said:


> Just leave them be they are more than likely harmless and will help to control the rats etc But they will try for a easy meal small chicks and broken egg yolks main thing is when collecting wood from the pile take a good look before you put your hands in and always wear good thick gloves in the garden stout boots not flip flops !!!!
> Most bites are to the toes and fingers as their mouths are very small so thats the target .
> And as ive said they are more scared of you than you are of them.
> The poison is used to catch food so they really dont want to waste it on you so in most cases they will have left the area as soon as they feel the vibration of you walking rowards them the exception is when they are cold and sluggish but once warmed by the sun their off and for every one you see theirs ten you didnt so dont worry its very rare to be bitten here xxx


Very sensible advice, Tony and I shall follow it!

Btw, hope things are going better for you....You were very down a month ago....xx


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

No still down but not out yet i found out the bank has stolen 18000 euros and im fighting the courts to get it back some hope but life has to go on 
Ill not burden you with it but my solicitor says its right they have helped themselves so watch this space '() xxx


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

tonyinspain said:


> No still down but not out yet i found out the bank has stolen 18000 euros and im fighting the courts to get it back some hope but life has to go on
> Ill not burden you with it but my solicitor says its right they have helped themselves so watch this space '() xxx


Good luck xx


----------

