A surprise visitor to my obs

[pmrid]

It looked like a partly clear night (the first in several months) so I just popped over to the obs to roll the roof back and start some temperature stabilising going.

Had trouble with the ROR though and couldn't figure out why. After a fair bit of head scratching I spotted the problem. A 5 metre carpet snake snoozing after a feed of rabbit had stretched out along the main runner for the roof.

No time to take photos. I had a "snake stick " handy as I usually do these days and was able to catch it and drive it to a nice shady spot beside a river about 5 km away. I hope it adage about putting a waterway between you and the snake holds good. That's the second one of those in 6 months.


Peter

[creeksky]

Good on you Peter for taking it away, my neighbour shoots them!
I keep the lid on my dob just in case, accept when observing.
Had a baby black snake exploring the wood I am using to build a denver chair, it found it's own way out.:)

[CockneyNutjob]

Haven't heard that one before, but I do know most snakes are good swimmers ;0)

[PeterM]

Good onya Peter.
Curious what snake stick do you have? I bought a Raptor 500mm from this site http://www.snakehandlingequipment.com/ after we had 2 browns and a tiger in the Leyburn toilet building last year. Have you had to try it on brown or black snakes?
Thanks indeed
Peter

[pmrid]

I won't try to capture venomous snakes. Call me a woos (not sure about the spelling but I'm sure you can figure what I'm trying to say). Too bloody dangerous. We have browns and blacks mainly although there have been occasional taipans here over the years. But very few. The nasties tend to move off by themselves after a while so I make some noise, bank the ground/floor/whatever a bit and they will pick up on the vibrations and get the hint. Pity they're deaf. I waste some good expletives on them.

I use this stick only on green tree snakes, carpet snakes and the like.

It's just a broomstick with an eyehook near both ends and a loop of strong but light rope that is tied off at my end, fed down the stick to and through the bottom one then back the same way with a good metre or more of extra hanging out at my end. I form a loop at the snakes end big enough to move it over the snake's head then pull it sufficiently tight to prevent the snake from wriggling out. These snakes usually have enough of a head that once you get a loop behind their head they can't wiggle out - the snakes reacts to the tightened loop by rolling itself up on and around it which makes is easy to then lift the whole snake in a bundle and plonk it in a bin, box, bag, or whatever for removal.

Peter

[PeterM]

Thanks Peter
Hopefully wont have to try it on any snakes, but when they are in ya loo and ya gotta go... well we will see. Thinking taking course in venomous snake handling so we can move them humanely as getting a professional to remove from a Leyburn paddock would probably get a laugh... we are on their turf.
Peter

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Yeeesssthhh,
Like mammals, all snakes can swim.
I'd be keeping a Python if I were you: great ratters!!:D

[jenchris]

Think I'll not go to Leyburn again....
The only snake I want to see is Serpens.

[Kunama]

I don't miss the brown snakes of Jindabyne at all, I was out observing and felt something slide over my joggers. I was less sympathetic to their approach after that. With our dogs' kennels and neighbours kids play area being visited by 150cm browns their lifespan became somewhat shorter rather rapidly.

[RickS]

I thought you'd prefer a python to rabbits under the obsy, Peter :lol:

[pmrid]

Yeah, except that the bleedin' rabbits haven't been content to just huddle under the floorboards. They're out in the paddocks, digging and burrowing and doing the rest of the things that rabbits seem to do. I irks me that the council here takes no interest in the infestation - despite there being a $30K fine for having live rabbits in one's possession in Qld. It's a a policy not unlike that declaring the good old redclaw a pest species in southern Queensland but then limiting people to only 4 post for catching them and also making it an offence to have them live in your possession. The rationale behind that one is that if you have live redclaw they might escape into SE Qld waterways - where they now exist in massive numbers anyway. I love it!
Peter

[pixelsaurus]

This is exactly why I live here, and not over there. Nothing more dangerous than a spilled beer. :D

[chiaroscuro]

Hi Peter,

Could you video your next catch and release? I'd love to see how its done!:eye pop:

Luke

[pmrid]

you've gotta be kidding! Catching a 15 foot snake with 2 hands is hard enough.

peter