Snakes!

Samurai · 22nd January 2009, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by princezahed

You actually did that? Dint know. Are they holding up well?

Munnar will be the first chance to test it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aburagohain

@princezahed
are these boots available in bangalore please? has been a long long time wearing those, takes me back to the golden days spent in college, not studying that is

the price is really inviting, highly tempted to carry a pair in the back of the vehicle though opportunities would be hard to come by to step out in.

It is available in Madikeri near the bus stand.

Guna · 22nd January 2009, 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by princezahed

that is a rat snake.Its very common all over india. It can grow upto 2meters long and is often mistaken for a cobra due to its coloration.

...and often get killed by the people mistaking it for cobra.

princezahed · 22nd January 2009, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by aburagohain

@princezahed
are these boots available in bangalore please? has been a long long time wearing those, takes me back to the golden days spent in college, not studying that is

the price is really inviting, highly tempted to carry a pair in the back of the vehicle though opportunities would be hard to come by to step out in.

just be sure to give a good shake to the boots before putting them on, there's a quite good probability that the things one is wearing the boots for may already be sleeping comfortably inside!

Hi buddy. These are available here in Coorg. havent seen them in Bangalore so far. Maybe they are available there. They really are worth the money. Extremely light. Gives an extra sense of security when I go out wandering in the estate. I dont really have to worry what i step onto or bother about getting my feet dirty in slush.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikram_d

Thanks Zahed, now I know what it actually is. Still keep seeing these creatures once in a while. Sadly those occasions are decreasing in number now.

The numbers of snakes is dwindling at an alarming rate. Even here at our estate in Coorg I havent seen many snakes. Its really sad that they get killed for no reason.

vizard · 22nd January 2009, 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

God, that must have freaked out the guys in the car. How come a snake in a mall ? Where did it come from ? Or was it in the car bonnet itself and just decided to come out for that wind-in-your-face feel ?

Your BIL was clicking, cousin was screaming. So, who was driving ?

Well it was just my bro in law and sister in the car. He was driving. He's not Indian (though married to my sis and settled in Mumbai) and luckily had a good camera with him (which he carries most of the time.)

It probably got into the bonnet area and must have felt the hot engine when they drove and decided to scoot. It was on the car for about 10 minutes after they stopped and then slithered away.

Quite cool!

aburagohain · 22nd January 2009, 18:15

thanks princezahed, i think i might get them in the russel market army supply stores, will have to make a visit.

f450 · 22nd January 2009, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

I thought snakes dont mate with wooden branches

This wasnt the pic I took, it was taken from another album. And when I was shooting the snakes were not mating (why would I do that man)

The second picture seems to be taken in Kerala, from the photographers mouth. Lets forget about the snake, what if the person holding gets tired! Look at his left leg, hes almost on his toes.

LOL. sorry, I thought that was a snake.

Guna · 22nd January 2009, 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

OT:
When I was holidaying in Langkawi Islands, Malaysia; Wifey forced me for a snake park visit just to overcome my fear of snakes. Though afraid, I was alright seeing snakes not in captivity also. However one snake in captivity sent shivers through my spine, when it bit (or tried to bite) the fiber glass enclosure as I was trying to capture another's pic. If not for the fiber glass, it would have probably landed straight in my face. This was the snake that sent shivers, pic courtesy FlickR.

By the way, I was amazed how someone can handle such a snake from this picture, courtesy FlickR.

Amazing picture! But is it real or photoshoped? The ease with which the man is holding such a big snake, the stance look bit unusual.

princezahed · 22nd January 2009, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guna

...and often get killed by the people mistaking it for cobra.

Ya their defense of looking like a cobra actually has been a cause for its death quite often. People just dont leave any snake to live. If its a snake,it has to be venomous and has to be killed. Thats the common man's thinking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guna

Amazing picture! But is it real or photoshoped? The ease with which the man is holding such a big snake, the stance look bit unusual.

The picture is real. The King Cobra in the picture is supposed to be the longest one in captivity.

vikram18 · 22nd January 2009, 21:14

The Katraj snake park had a King in captivity that was 12 feet long. Guiness book had one listed at 18 feet, the longest in captivity. That was a long time ago though and it's probably dead by now.

The snake on the Swift dash is indeed the rat snake. It is non-venomous but has an extremely nasty bite. It is also India's fastest snake. True to it's name, it gets rid of rodents and thus rural folk never kill these snakes. It does look like a cobra and that's primarily why it gets killed by people. It can grow really long and I've seen skin shed by this snake measuring 8 feet!

Incidentally, the King Cobra feeds on other snakes, including these large rat snakes.

princezahed · 22nd January 2009, 23:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikram18

The Katraj snake park had a King in captivity that was 12 feet long. Guiness book had one listed at 18 feet, the longest in captivity. That was a long time ago though and it's probably dead by now.

The snake on the Swift dash is indeed the rat snake. It is non-venomous but has an extremely nasty bite. It is also India's fastest snake. True to it's name, it gets rid of rodents and thus rural folk never kill these snakes. It does look like a cobra and that's primarily why it gets killed by people. It can grow really long and I've seen skin shed by this snake measuring 8 feet!

Incidentally, the King Cobra feeds on other snakes, including these large rat snakes.

I see you have a keen interest in snakes. Good. Keep it up buddy

Speaking of the King, have you been to Agumbe, the King's haven? Its an awesome place. You should visit sometime.

DirtyDan · 22nd January 2009, 23:52

Back in the monsoons I came around a corner of an over-grown rural road in my Tata Spacio. I slammed on the brakes because there in the road in front of me about 20 meters was a rat snake. He was about 10 feet long and much bulkier than the one in the above photo but definitely a rat snake. He charged my Spacio, came to about 5 meters away and then went off into the undergrowth. He was very large, very quick and very nasty tempered. I guess he was partial to up market German cars. But I wonder what he would have done to a pedestrian that surprised him.

Anyway, Pic number 1 is how not to handle a rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are Amercan, not Indian. Indian snakes are deadlier. But I thought this pic was interesting nonetheless.

vikram18 · 23rd January 2009, 01:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by princezahed

I see you have a keen interest in snakes. Good. Keep it up buddy

Speaking of the King, have you been to Agumbe, the King's haven? Its an awesome place. You should visit sometime.

Actually I'm terrified of them! But I have a keen interest in loads of things, wildlife being one. I try to conquer most of my fears though.
On a trip to Goa last fortnight, some guys caught an Indian Rock Python, right outside the restaurant we were in. He was a baby, just about 5 feet long. Did go up and touch him. A friend has the photograph. Will put it up when I get it from him.

csentil · 23rd January 2009, 01:51

Most of the viper bites would cause that kind of damage. The are haemotoxic and will rupture all the blood vessels right from the area of the bite uptil the point where the venom has gone.

Basically the venom is digesting its victim even before its gone into the snake's stomach. Viper bites are extremely painful and people lose fingers/hands/arms/legs due to the effects of the venom in the case that help arrives late but early enough to save their life.

DirtyDan · 23rd January 2009, 07:46

Actually I am not sure if that is a rattler attached to that guy's face. It was labeled as such and is the right color and pattern to be a eastern rattler but its head looks more like a boa or python and I do not see the front mounted fangs.

shankar.balan · 23rd January 2009, 07:57

snakes are more scared of us than we are of them.

About 2 months ago, while taking my dogs out for a walk around 3pm outside my house, just as I opened the gate I saw a 4 foot long spectacled cobra slither out from under my car where it was lurking.
It came out and behaved quite sluggishly - i think it has just eaten a rat or something and thus was trying to digest its lunch. It reared its hood in a half hearted manner and I clearly saw the spectacles etc - hardly 3-4 feet away from me.
All three dogs pulled their leads and my labrador started barking and tried to dart towards the snake.
Luckily I was able to restrain the dogs and pull them inside the gate and close it.
The poor snake seemed quite confused and was trying to move off, so I made some noise, stamped the ground etc and allowed it to slither into the gutter from where it made its way to an nearby ant-hill where I believe it lives. Snakes generally love ant hills - they find them warm, cosy and comfortable, with the added incentive of being able to make a light snack whenever they feel like, of the ants themselves!

More recently, just 3 weeks ago, the BBMP chaps were re-laying a storm drain near my house - they uncovered a larger cobra - about 6 feet long and were about to kill the poor thing when I luckily saw the commotion - shouted at them to stop and they did. It also slithered off quietly into another gutter and then vanished underground.

We come across several types of snakes quite often on the golf course - cobras, rat snakes and others - yes rat snakes are deceptively similar to cobras and can be mistaken for them.
The caddies and others instinctively try to kill these snakes but thankfully, more often than not, I am glad to say that we are able to restrain them by educating them a little about snakes.

More snakes are killed un necessarily due to misconceptions and the irrational fear that humans generally have, of reptiles.

22nd January 2009, 18:15	#110
aburagohain BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 153 Thanked: 2 Times	thanks princezahed, i think i might get them in the russel market army supply stores, will have to make a visit.
	() Thanks

22nd January 2009, 21:14	#114
vikram18 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: pune Posts: 607 Thanked: 27 Times View My Garage	The Katraj snake park had a King in captivity that was 12 feet long. Guiness book had one listed at 18 feet, the longest in captivity. That was a long time ago though and it's probably dead by now. The snake on the Swift dash is indeed the rat snake. It is non-venomous but has an extremely nasty bite. It is also India's fastest snake. True to it's name, it gets rid of rodents and thus rural folk never kill these snakes. It does look like a cobra and that's primarily why it gets killed by people. It can grow really long and I've seen skin shed by this snake measuring 8 feet! Incidentally, the King Cobra feeds on other snakes, including these large rat snakes.
	() Thanks

22nd January 2009, 23:52	#116
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,101 Thanked: 1,644 Times	Back in the monsoons I came around a corner of an over-grown rural road in my Tata Spacio. I slammed on the brakes because there in the road in front of me about 20 meters was a rat snake. He was about 10 feet long and much bulkier than the one in the above photo but definitely a rat snake. He charged my Spacio, came to about 5 meters away and then went off into the undergrowth. He was very large, very quick and very nasty tempered. I guess he was partial to up market German cars. But I wonder what he would have done to a pedestrian that surprised him. Anyway, Pic number 1 is how not to handle a rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are Amercan, not Indian. Indian snakes are deadlier. But I thought this pic was interesting nonetheless. Attached Images Last edited by GTO : 23rd January 2009 at 14:55. Reason: Best to remove, DD
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 01:51	#118
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,350 Thanked: 39 Times View My Garage	Most of the viper bites would cause that kind of damage. The are haemotoxic and will rupture all the blood vessels right from the area of the bite uptil the point where the venom has gone. Basically the venom is digesting its victim even before its gone into the snake's stomach. Viper bites are extremely painful and people lose fingers/hands/arms/legs due to the effects of the venom in the case that help arrives late but early enough to save their life.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 07:46	#119
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,101 Thanked: 1,644 Times	Actually I am not sure if that is a rattler attached to that guy's face. It was labeled as such and is the right color and pattern to be a eastern rattler but its head looks more like a boa or python and I do not see the front mounted fangs.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2009, 07:57	#120
shankar.balan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,533 Thanked: 24,962 Times View My Garage	snakes are more scared of us than we are of them. About 2 months ago, while taking my dogs out for a walk around 3pm outside my house, just as I opened the gate I saw a 4 foot long spectacled cobra slither out from under my car where it was lurking. It came out and behaved quite sluggishly - i think it has just eaten a rat or something and thus was trying to digest its lunch. It reared its hood in a half hearted manner and I clearly saw the spectacles etc - hardly 3-4 feet away from me. All three dogs pulled their leads and my labrador started barking and tried to dart towards the snake. Luckily I was able to restrain the dogs and pull them inside the gate and close it. The poor snake seemed quite confused and was trying to move off, so I made some noise, stamped the ground etc and allowed it to slither into the gutter from where it made its way to an nearby ant-hill where I believe it lives. Snakes generally love ant hills - they find them warm, cosy and comfortable, with the added incentive of being able to make a light snack whenever they feel like, of the ants themselves! More recently, just 3 weeks ago, the BBMP chaps were re-laying a storm drain near my house - they uncovered a larger cobra - about 6 feet long and were about to kill the poor thing when I luckily saw the commotion - shouted at them to stop and they did. It also slithered off quietly into another gutter and then vanished underground. We come across several types of snakes quite often on the golf course - cobras, rat snakes and others - yes rat snakes are deceptively similar to cobras and can be mistaken for them. The caddies and others instinctively try to kill these snakes but thankfully, more often than not, I am glad to say that we are able to restrain them by educating them a little about snakes. More snakes are killed un necessarily due to misconceptions and the irrational fear that humans generally have, of reptiles. Last edited by shankar.balan : 23rd January 2009 at 08:05.
	() Thanks