Yesterday, whilst cutting grass on my ride-on mower, I saw a diamond python, in the grass. What really made this special, is that this was almost certainly the most beautiful snake that I have ever seen. The colours and patterns were perfect, and most spectacular. Although I have seen this species on previous occasions, I have never seen one as brilliant as this one. It was close to five feet, (150cm), long. Would have loved to take some photos, but as usual, when these thing happen, - no camera. Thought I would share my delight with you!
Snake encounter
- Thread starter Terry Thomas
- Start date
Lafone
Well-Known Member
That’s really cool. I’d read a couple of BBC articles in the past about these being removed to a safe place from peoples gardens or homes. Really pretty looking snake. Must be amazing to see one (particularly that big) just hanging about in your garden!
Without wishing to turn this thread into a competition, but as a matter of interest to our non-Australian members, I would like to record that 2023 has been a record year for snakes sightings at the Darling Downs Zoo.
As harvestings have progressed in the local cropping lands the resident rodents have been displaced and have moved in to the safe haven of the zoo. The snakes that feed on them have followed. We have lost count of the number of Eastern Brown Snakes and Spotted Black Snakes that have called the zoo home for varying lengths of time. Despite the extremely dry weather this year we have also hosted quite a number of Red-bellied Black Snakes.
We don't discourage the snakes as they perform a useful role in keeping the numbers of said rodents under control.
Our keepers are well versed in how to conduct themselves in the vicinity of a snake and [most] are comfortable enough now that experience has shown them that these species are not man-eaters. If left alone they are content to live and let live.
Our visitors take much more convincing!! There are times when we have had to make great show of hooking up a snake and removing it in order to reassure a visitor that their lives are not in danger.
The reactions of some of our zoo residents are very interesting. I remember watching, with some trepidation, a family of Common Marmosets repelling an Eastern Brown that was trying to enter their enclosure. They were actually hitting it's head with their hands and eventually succeeded in their objective without harm to any of them. Our male Serval has an enviable record of killing Browns and Blacks, and then eating them. He actually "fishes" for snakes with his paws - luring them from surrounding rocks in to his enclosure. By contrast, our Hamadryas Baboon families are terrified of snakes and will scream at them and flee to the uppermost points of their enclosures. Regrettably our Maned Wolves have no snake handling skills at all and we lost a beautiful breeding female a couple of years ago to Brown Snake bite.
Pictured below are a couple of pics from last week of an especially beautiful Spotted Black Snake contemplating his next move.
As harvestings have progressed in the local cropping lands the resident rodents have been displaced and have moved in to the safe haven of the zoo. The snakes that feed on them have followed. We have lost count of the number of Eastern Brown Snakes and Spotted Black Snakes that have called the zoo home for varying lengths of time. Despite the extremely dry weather this year we have also hosted quite a number of Red-bellied Black Snakes.
We don't discourage the snakes as they perform a useful role in keeping the numbers of said rodents under control.
Our keepers are well versed in how to conduct themselves in the vicinity of a snake and [most] are comfortable enough now that experience has shown them that these species are not man-eaters. If left alone they are content to live and let live.
Our visitors take much more convincing!! There are times when we have had to make great show of hooking up a snake and removing it in order to reassure a visitor that their lives are not in danger.
The reactions of some of our zoo residents are very interesting. I remember watching, with some trepidation, a family of Common Marmosets repelling an Eastern Brown that was trying to enter their enclosure. They were actually hitting it's head with their hands and eventually succeeded in their objective without harm to any of them. Our male Serval has an enviable record of killing Browns and Blacks, and then eating them. He actually "fishes" for snakes with his paws - luring them from surrounding rocks in to his enclosure. By contrast, our Hamadryas Baboon families are terrified of snakes and will scream at them and flee to the uppermost points of their enclosures. Regrettably our Maned Wolves have no snake handling skills at all and we lost a beautiful breeding female a couple of years ago to Brown Snake bite.
Pictured below are a couple of pics from last week of an especially beautiful Spotted Black Snake contemplating his next move.
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As I said, this was the most beautifully coloured snake, not just the colours, but also the perfect patterns of diamonds, that I have seen. We have the odd carpet python now and then, and for a time we had them living in our roof. We always check before walking out of the front or back doors, due to brown and red-bellied snakes, that seem to like to sit on the cement paths. We also see green-tree snakes every now and then. At times I have had to catch a snake that has managed to find it's way into our house. These are always released. I have never been bothered by snakes, but do pay them lots of respect, especially the venomous species. Never has a snake attacked me, although often approached quite closely, usually to take a photo.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Living somewhere where snakes are essentially captive or in zoos (apart from adders or escapees) it’s fascinating to hear about daily life with them living all around you. I was reading whistling kites bird thread and I think I might be one of the tourists highly surprised by snakes just wandering about!
I am not particularly scared of snakes but have only seen wild ones on holiday or in places like Belize for work and that daily careful eye out for snakes that are your wildlife is really Interesting.
Was reading about cobras and people co existing filmed for planet Earth the other day
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/31G32ZKp5TcHS6Y5GL7rdHr/living-alongside-cobras