Yet another snake-scare.

[layne67]

A snake got into my house just now. As luck would have it, the husband wasn't around. I had no idea whether it was poisonous or not but I wasn't taking any chances. Called the neighbour to come and have a look and he came and got rid of the snake. No, he didn't kill it, he just tossed it away into the nearby jungle. Lucky he came. The neighbour, I mean, not the snake. I was on the verge of calling the fire-brigade and I really didn't want to do that. Especially if that poor thing was actually a harmless grass snake or something.

Here's a pic of the snake, caught in a net.



It's brown in colour, less than a meter long and about two centimeters wide. It didn't rear up its head so I guess it wasn't a cobra. But whatever it was, snakes creep me out, big time. Heh, can't help but think of the three snake-lovers on my flist. I found myself wishing that I could call any one of you brave ladies to help me out tonight!

Comments

[shirebound]

Yay for helpful neighbors!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Helpful and brave neighbours :)

[rinnuninnu.livejournal.com]

Scary, but great you had a neighbour there to help you.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have known what to do by myself :/

[rinnuninnu.livejournal.com]

I would be totally clueless too.

[montmorency.livejournal.com]

Snakes creep me out, too, although they can be fascinating as well. In the wild I don't mind seeing them. But in my house? ARGH!!!! Good on you for just having the poor little thing taken back to the jungle.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I love watching them on the Discovery Channel. They're fascinating. And 'Snakes on a Plane' was fun to watch. But a real, live, slithering snake? Eeeeps.

[aredhelebenesse.livejournal.com]

Awww, you have always such totally interesting creatures in your house! What a luck your neighbour could help you to let it back in the jungle! The poor thing was surely not really voluntary there. But I think even if you'd called the fire-brigade and the snake was harmless, they wouldn't have laughed or charged anything. Better you are a bit too careful than too careless and something bad happens. Great that you could bring it back.
I guess a snake would be helpful in my house too, since my cats are to lazy to catch mice!

*huggles*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Heheh.

*sends snake to Hina via UPS*

To help the kitty catch the mice :D

[aredhelebenesse.livejournal.com]

Awwwww, you're so ... good to me! *sobs gladly*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*

:D

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

Snakes don't creep me out, but I can understand why they creep out other people. I'm glad you were able to get it successfully removed (without harming it of course :)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

There's a belief over here that if you kill a snake, its partner will come after you ...

[violettefemme.livejournal.com]

Oh NOES!

I would have been glad to help you. That definitly doesnt look like a cobra, but you can generally tell if a snake is poisonous or not by the shape of its head. In an area like yours where the chances are that it could be poisonous, i probably would have done the same thing, caught it in a net or a bag or something like that and let it loose far away.

But well done you for keeping a cool head!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

But well done you for keeping a cool head!

omg I wasn't keeping a cool head at all! I was panicking like crazy and I kept thinking that it might be a flying snake or a spitting cobra or something equally worse. I wonder why it came in the first place. I thought that snakes in the wild usually avoid people at all cost.

[violettefemme.livejournal.com]

Don't be nervous... you know how things work there and you probably already observe so many cautions that you don't even notice them anymore... i'll go over some more just in case...

While it is true that snakes avoid people at all costs, they are also curious creatures and natures escape artists. When you live in an area where dangerous snakes also live, its a good idea to make sure the screens in your windows and doors are completely whole and there aren't any holes or gaps and that the screens close exactly right. Often times snakes will just come in through the small holes in places like that while your airing out your house. Having good maintainance on things like that will help a lot. Also, you never never leave doors open while you are carrying things in. For instance, here, we often prop open the screen door so that we can carry groceries in more efficeiently. That is because in western pennsylvania, we only have a few species of poisonous snake, and they are only in the woods. My family lives in the subburbs.

However, snakes can find other ways to come in. There is pretty much nothing you can do about that. they go in under the foundation and find cracks sometimes, my grandmother once found a rattlesnake in her bathtub! It had come up SOMEHOW, through the drain we think.

All you really need to do is think a bit about the things you do and there will be no need to worry. For instance, keep the floors off your house very clean. there are a few reasons for that. 1st and most obvious, no clutter equals an ability to see a snake better. it cant curl up in dirty laundry ont he floor and hide if there is no dirty laundry on the floor. secondly, if your house is clean and ther is no food laying around, there is less chance for you to have rodents. AND if there is less change for rodents, there is less of a chance for snakes. pretty simple.

You want to check any room that you put the baby on the floor in really quick before you set him down. He is the most at risk from posionous snake, because he is so small.

You may want to invest in the strips that go on the bottoms of your doors in the house if there are any gaps bbettwen the doors and the floor. That way, should you get something like a spitting cobra in your house, god forbid, you could run, check out the babys room, put the baby in his bed and close the door and there is no way the snake could get in there. having things like that enables you to trap the snake in one room with whoever is dealing with it. and that is a good thing.

The best thing to do for you, i'd say, is invest in a snake bag; its like a net without holes (usually canvas like material) on a long handle, and a pair of really dorky wrap around sunglasses. In an area where you have spitting cobras, ESPECIALLY if you cant pick one type of snake from another... its good to deal with them on a long range and the glasses will protect your eyes from flying venom.

Finally, it may make you feel better to call your local hospital and ask what kinds of anti venom they stock. Also, you should drive to that hospital once to see how long it takes you to get there. Keep a digital or polaroid camera handy, if god forbid you or someone else gets bitten, try and get a picture of the snake that did it. If you aren't good at recognizing species, it could save someones life to have that picture, because hospitals have to know what kind of snake it was in order to pick the right anti-venom.

Just dont be nervous... look, it doesnt happen all the time and your right 9 times out of 10 snakes avoid people at all costs. But by observing some simple precautions, you can make sure you and your family are safe and that you are prepared in case it happens again, which should ease your mind quite a bit.

:-)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of buying the net like the one my neigbour has. I don't think we have any snake-bags sold here but then I haven't been really looking for it. My windows are all completely screened but yes, I'll have to check for the holes and gaps.

Thank you, love, for the useful tips. Now I can IM you the next time one comes along! ( I've added you on my Yahoo IM )

*hugsessss*

[arabia764.livejournal.com]

Oh yuck!

I loathe snakes, you're one brave lady for not standing on the table with your skirt over your head screaming.








Or is that only *my* reaction to snakes?

[layne67.livejournal.com]

That's what I felt like doing!

But the neighbour was there and hubby wasn't around :P

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for your neighbor!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Heheh it's him or the fire-brigade. What a drama it would be if it was the latter, and just for one tiny little snake which may or may not be poisonous!

[mochness.livejournal.com]

Oh my :|

*big hugs* I'm glad you're fine! I'd die if I had to handle that on a somewhat regular basis :S

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the neighbour got it. If the snake disappeared, I wouldn't be able to sleep at all, imagining it to be everywhere!

[majblomma2000.livejournal.com]

Fortunately this never happen up here in Scandinavia. We don't really have any dangerous snakes. I'm glad you got some help to help it back into the wild again. :)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

The thing is, our house is in the wilds.

I wish I could snake-proof my house.

*sighs*

[violettefemme.livejournal.com]

i suggested a few things up above, but if you would like to IM me sometimes and ask some questions or email me, i can give you a lot of good tips for Snake-proofing. its not something that can be done completely, but there are things you can do...

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

omg!! That must have been very disturbing!! *hugs*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Hee, a little drama to spice up our night :D

[aina-baggins.livejournal.com]

Aww, what a little darling! :D

As you know, I love snakes, but you did the right thing. If you don't know whether they're venemous you should be very careful and get them as far away from your home as you can.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I wish there's a way to know at a glance whether a snake is poisonous or not. It was quite placid, just coiling itself on the sill near the ceiling, not moving at all and the kids were making quite a racket. Maybe that meant that it was harmless?

[honeyandvinegar.livejournal.com]

If you send me a plane ticket, I'd visit.
If you were having a party I could get to, I'd come in a jiffy.
If you needed a hug and I could get to you, I would.
If you have a snake in your backyard, trust the damned neighbors, cos' you'll get our message machine. Ask anyone who's gotten our message machine. No. Way. :D:D:D
...but if it were in a cage or terrarium?? COOL! Just... it doesn't need my toes as a snack. Nay no.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

LOL

Actually I was quite hesitant to call my neighbour, I didn't want to put him in a difficult position, you know, in case snakes freak him out, too. But my 10-yr-old was like, "No no no no" when I wanted to call 911. Heh.

[aprilkat.livejournal.com]

Good for the neighbor! *shudders*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I was very impressed, the way he coolly caught the snake in the net, as if it was just a butterfly or something.

*shudders with you*

[lisabellex.livejournal.com]

Eek! I'd have kept my distance, too.

:)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Awww, now you're never going to visit me here :/

[lisabellex.livejournal.com]

I would LOVE to visit you! Or have you visit me... no snakes here!

:D

[melyanna-65.livejournal.com]

This is scary enough, dear!

I must admit that I love snakes and I would not be afraid of them if I were sure they are harmless and not poisonous (although, of course, I never found one in my home).

I think you did well by asking for help, good you have a kind neighbour who helped!

*hugs*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Actually it was my son who called the neighbour. I wanted to call the firemen but he said it would be terribly embarassing if the snake turned out to be non-poisonous, or the snake disappeared by the time the fire-brigade arrived :/

*hugs you right back*

[annwyn55.livejournal.com]

Heh. I like snakes, and got used to them sneaking into the house on a regular basis. In the Phil, mind. AND monitor lizards coming up the sewer pipe just as you're about to sit down. LOL.

That superstition about the snake's mate coming after you is widespread in Asia. Remember Rikki Tikki Tavi?

Yep, I am so behind on my f-list. :)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

We used to have those huge lizards coming a -visiting but not any more. I remembered when I first saw one at my backyard years ago, I was really shocked to see what looked like a small dragon!

Rikki Tikki Tavi

Oh God, I'm really embarrass to have to tell you that I needed to google that up.

*is soooooooo provincial*

But what an interesting story that is.

btw, in case you missed, a couple of posts down for our little game :)

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

I read in one of Famous Five books, that if their tongue is quivering, it means they are full and not in the mood of looking for a victim. :D But I'd not wait until I could see the tongue. I'd RUN!

Poor you.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oi! I'm not going anywhere within 6 feet, no, make that 12 feet, to a snake to see whether its tongue is quivering or not :P

[suzy-74.livejournal.com]

OMG! There should be a way to keep snakes away. *shudders* I'm glad your neighbour could get rid of it.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

It's alarming because we never know when the next one will be coming :(

Hopefully NEVER.

*Eeeps*

[wynterhawk.livejournal.com]

aww. can I have it??

[layne67.livejournal.com]

My fourth life-line re-snakes :DD