Now, I'm sure that many of you fellow snake relocaters have had those moments where you think that the snake is long gone, and what story can I use to get out of this. It's winter for Pete's sake! Snakes generally are not out now... Well, in my flu-riddled daze, I couldn't think of anything as a valid excuse, so took the 50km drive out to Enyati. Gladly so as it turns out...
On arriving at the home, and descriptions of a large, grey and brown snake, I was led to a 3m high wall behind the garage, that was the "cliff" to the next yard 3m higher than their property. The Durban boys should get the idea of those wall types...
Well, at the top of said mini cliff was an old tree stump, with gnarled roots digging into the sandstone and shale wall. No liquids to entice any snakes out, and no signs of a snake anywhere. So, the owner/father and I proceeded to break down the retaining wall, and practice our mining capabilities. The father and I were digging away, and removing large amounts of dirt and rock, when I started to see shiny clearish pieces of what looked like ventral scales. Stopping the mining, I picked up one of them, and on inspection, it was a single ventral scale, and there were several of them lying around the dig site... The individual scales were around the 3-4 cm width mark, and my original thoughts were that it was a rather large snouted cobra... But still no more signs of any recent snake habitation...
After about an hour of digging, and about half a ton of dirt and rocks, I see something big, and grey-ish start moving in a tunnel... As the head shot out, and back down another tunnel, I grabbed a tail, and hoped that it couldn't turn around at any point in said tunnel, and nail me... the snake was incredibly strong, and I had to redo my hold several times, to prevent it from disappearing down another hole. This was met with the cloaca being emptied with a most horrible smelling dirty liquid... I was not impressed, but refused to relinquish my grip, despite the all-encompassing stench.
After a few precarious, and dangerous moments of having to dig another wheelbarrow amount of soil and rocks out, I was eventually rewarded with this fellow, playing dead... First time one has ever shammed death for me, AND musked me! But then again, it's the first time I've ever had to hold onto the tail of these beasties.
This is a big one, and the second largest I have found here... I will get some decent shots tonight. He/She seems to be quite a chilled chappy, and in my amateur opinion appears to be a gravid female, but I am probably wrong, and I have just the right marshy area for him/her to go to, once I can get a chance to drive the 40+km to release it near where it was captured. It is the sole inhabitant of my quarantine room, so as to prevent any forms of contamination before release...
Without further ado, the beastly...
Shammed Death from capture, all the way back to quarantine...
The red lid is 7cm wide, for size reference...She took immediately to the water in the green bowl, and warned me off with her tongue out and down, typical.
After her impromptu swim, and warning, she posed quietly for this wonderful headshot...
And then allowed me to get a facial close-up, before disappearing into a hide.
I will upload some release shots as soon as I can get to the release, and get some shots.
Enjoy!
