I was preforming the tsk us dog owners proabably detest the most, which is poop scooping. I don't have any fancy equipment, just the average garden shovel which I use to dig a suitable hole and then deposit the poop and cover.
Well yesterday I chose a random spot to dig a hole about 30cm deep and as I turned away I saw movement. My first thought being that's a big worm, then my brain questioned if it was a plant root as it was too thick for a worm, so I turned to look. I was just in time to see the tail end of a baby snake disappearing under the dirt. I had obviously disturbed it from it's hibination.
It was brown with a black ring around it's neck which I believe is what baby browns have.
Now I have lived in this house for nearly 20 years and I can count on one hand the number of large snakes we have had in our 3/4 acre garden, which is great considering that we have vacant land and a creek behind our block. However over the past 12 months we have seen about 4 baby snakes in the garden and one can't help but wonder how many siblings these snakes have and where in fact is mamma snake?
So the children have be warned to wear shoes whenever outside, just in case they come across one. We have all been to the snake shows where they tell you what to do when in the company of a snake, however I'm not sure which would kick in first for me , knowledge or instinct?
It's very well to know that you should either slowly back away or stand completely still [so that the snake thinks you're a rock and will slither over], but really in that situation, I think my flight response would be overwhelming!
So be warned, snake season is upon us.
5 comments:
We've had red belly black snakes in our backyard before. Our yard backs onto a train line that goes up the mountain and the rail contractors don't always keep the grass cut short *rolling eyes* We also have a lot of lizards and frogs and DH says that snakes like to eat lizards and frogs.
I'm always yelling at the kids to make sure they have their shoes on and to not go right down to the bottom of the yard. It scares me!
Oops! For some reason my comment posted twice...sorry!
I was actually thinking about snakes this week when weeding..and also washing the top of our front fence (requested by the body corporate.. so they can re-paint the top part white.. I didn't think it was my job to wash the fences here..but anyhow).. I had to step over bushy plant things and didn't know where my feet were ..or what was in the bushes and I thought about snakes! I do not envy your yard findings.. baby snakes.. oh blehh!! I'd worry too much I think after that. You're probably tougher in character than me in these matters. I hope you don't come across anymore!
I tried saving a cute greenish 'tree snake' from my cat once. I picked it up by its tail 'Crocodile Dundee' style and the little bugger bit me - that wasn't supposed to happen- and he had fangs -not a tree snake. I was seen immediately by the emergency hospital team ahead of loads of people including some serious looking bleeders. All very dramatic. Worst of all though, the snake had to die afterall so that it could be taken to the hospital for identification :-(
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