Snakes
I’ve always been afraid of those scaly, wriggly, slithering, satanic reptilians. I mean even Slitherin housed an evil bunch of would-be reptiles. Yes I’m talking about snakes!!!
How I came to this is not entirely clear to me. I know I was also not too fond of spiders, that’s because I was once in a bungalow at a game park when a giant (well big anyway) one leapt from the top corner of the room into mid-air, landing who knows where as I was running, terrified, for the door. Okay, so that was a while ago, spiders are okay by me now, do lots of good stuff ridding us of otherwise pesky mostly winged, what are they here for, pests. I get many are out there doing things vital to our survival, pollinating things and so on, some however I don’t get.
Growing up in South Africa snakes are something we get familiar with. The list of the most venomous vipers to be had is extensive including cobras, (spitting or otherwise), adders, mambas (no not the dance). Growing up in suburbia the issue was not about actually getting face-to-face with them, more about being taught how to be terrified by them, to best avoid contact.
Having now spent time out on a farm I can assure you, out here, snakes are for real. Slithering about seemingly effortlessly, traversing obstacles, able to go where few would follow. That slithering motion alone should give one pause when encountered, a good idea to get familiar with who’s who, which can do damage, best left to their own devices, feeding on one varmint or another partaking in the naturally harsh food chain.
Not too many I know think snakes are cool, would like to hang out with them. Most have been fed the same line I was, snakes = evil. Like so much we were taught, the rhetoric was, at best, misinformed. We, as a species, have little patience with things we don’t understand, particularly those we perceive as a threat.
In the span of a few weeks we encountered three rather large ominous looking puff adders. While these can be lethal they are not overly aggressive, could be said they are more scared of us then we of them. Unlike Cobras or rattlers they don’t get into defensive/aggressive positions, instead attempt to hightail it. That doesn’t mean they can’t get riled up. Keep in mind they are the fastest striking of all snakes found out here so don’t be an idiot, tread with caution. Since they were in an inhabited area they were caught, taken out into the bush and released. A few days after one was released I drove past it as it made its way across the road presumably to greener pastures.
One afternoon I went into the bedroom, looked at the window and was a little surprised to find myself being stared at by some rather large eyes attached to the small head of what I was to learn was another highly venomous scaly being. It just sat there quietly, a longish black elegant creature, thankfully a glass window separated us. Given my predisposition I should have turned a lighter shade however, having seen the Harry Potter movies, I knew I was safe on this side.
The next encounter of a larger boomslang (tree snake) making its way into the ceiling was a slightly more exciting one. They apparently like to feed on, amongst myriad other things, bird eggs. When they’re around the birds get understandably edgy, chirping away, agitated. Numerous attempts to extricate him, a male with black upper body and bright yellow underbelly, were not met with success. He holed up, head peeking out, waiting for the coast to clear. Finally he took leave and we quickly shot some expanding foam into the hole blocking any future attempts for him to take up residence, would not be a welcome addition once inside.
Lots of stuff happens in threes, synchronicity and all. Once again, outside the same bedroom window another appeared. May well be the same guy, seems he likes it here, birds have been nesting. He was hanging out in a small tree, large cute eyes, head in the shadows. He’s pretty long, probably a bit over a meter.
These guys are not aggressive so they get to stay. Doesn’t mean they can be considered a family pet, cute as they are, left alone they will go about their business without bothering anyone.
Given all these encounters I’ve learned to temper my instinct, innate or otherwise, appreciate them for what they are, keeping a safe distance, letting them be, another of those often misunderstood creatures with whom we share this phenomenal planet.
