If you are unlikely to want to see these images, please come back to my Blog tomorrow.
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Tonight I received a call from a good friend saying that they had discovered a Tiger Snake inside their lounge room tonight, and that, naturally, the Snake had been killed.
Now I know not everybody will agree with this action, but even I, as a naturalist, can understand why a family with three kids in the house (2 visiting city kids) and 4 adults (2 city folks) and 3 dogs would take abrupt and decisive action to remove a venomous snake from within the house.
My position is that, regardless of whether or not everyone agrees, I can understand why this action was taken. But given that my involvement was "ex post facto", I might as well try to show something about how to identify a real Tiger Snake.
Hence this post.
This Tiger Snake was reasonably thin, but it was 90 cm long.
I have seen much thicker Tiger Snakes, but not many in Robertson.
To see the details of these images better, please click on each image, to enlarge it.
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| Fine markings (banding) of this Tiger Snake |
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| Mouth open showing tongue. |
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| Scale pattern on top of head |
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| Upside down view of snake's mouth. The fangs are just visible protruding from the tissues of the roof of the mouth. The tip of the tongue is also just protruding from lower jaw. |
5 comments:
I totally agree with your comments about the need for this action in these circumstances.
One point to bear in mind is that reptilian brains seem to take a fair while to catch up with the rest of the body's death. I have seen an Eastern Brown Snake's jaws continuing to spasm 15 minutes after the snake was killed.
So readers should be very cautious about manipulating recently dead snakes!
Martin
thanks Denis. i feel sorry for the snake but appreciate your care in providing these photos and description.
warmly, naomi
I have received an emailed comment from my brother Brendan. There was apparently a problem with the Comments function - Sorry.
I can always be contacted via email, from the "contact" address on my Blogger Profile page.
Brendan's comment was relating to a kid having been bitten by a Red-bellied Black Snake (on the far South Coast):
"In the report in the paper WIRES stated that the best way to move a snake on was to squirt it with the garden hose. Makes a lot of sence to me. The water can be used to direct the snake in an "away" direction; the animal is not harmed and the squirter remains at a safe distance."
Brendan.
Makes sense to me, too. Denis
Not applicable to all encounters with the Slithery Things, but would work with many situations around houses - for parents concerned about kids and pets.
It would have been appropriate to Matt's Copperhead at his front door.
Denis
I just realised you added me your list of nature bloggers. That is very kind. Thank you. I hope I can maintain the standard. I have no plans on getting up close with tiger snakes, that's for sure but I enjoyed your post and photos.
Cheers, Megan
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