Call-outs

Postby Bushbaby » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:31 pm

Graeme wrote:Mole snakes started dying out a long time ago. While I firmly believe that development is the main reason, I will without prejudice put some of the blame on youngsters that flip anthills on a weekend basis to supplement their snake collections. I find that quite sad. When last has anyone seen a 5 foot speciemen?


I have never found a mole snake in an anthill. I've found a few other beasts though.
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Postby BushSnake » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:31 pm

Our country strives to become like first world countries yet instead of building up, we expand horizontally. Simple maths - JHB can be 3 times smaller if you build 3 times higher.

Even though people collecting snakes for their collections will have an effect on the populations, I doubt it will be noticable. Even if they keep the snakes it means they still have an interest in wildlife and that is good. People that just kill the snakes because they are snakes will cause far more damage not to mention development.

Urizen - do you really think you stay in Joburg? It sounds to me like a suburban garden bordering Pilanesberg Nature reserve. We've had mongooses near our house but no snakes and definitely no monitors, jackals, bokkies or gennets in the area. I'm jealous!
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Postby mm069 » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:00 pm

Urizen, where exactly do you stay? It sound wonderful.
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Postby phish » Thu Nov 15, 2007 6:32 pm

BushSnake wrote:do you really think you stay in Joburg?


Its interesting what can survive in built up areas. When i lived in JHB I saw White-Tailed Mongoose and Nile Monitors on the Braamfontein Spruit not far from central Jhb.

Here in Dublin, there are loads of Fox and Squirrels, even right in the city centre ... doesn't make up for the lack of reptiles though :-(
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Postby alexander » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:23 pm

we've got mongooses and porcupines around our area, as well as the invasive squirrels, seem to lack the larger snakes though.
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Postby Stefan » Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:10 pm

Molesnake i was thinking of building a biggish outside cage 4mx3mx2m for keeping a pair not as pets but to restock the wild population cuz we are having a rat infestation.
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Postby armata » Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:24 pm

Are not Environmenta Impact Assessments obligitory in all Provinces?

I was talking today re the cement mining in EC, now working three times as hard re 2010 world cup developments.stadia etc.

I just said out of the blue "soccer world cups come and go
but the albany adder will be gone forever"

me thinks there will be a lot of 'we told you so's' in the future.
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Postby MrG » Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:48 pm

I think if everyone on this forum could just publish one article per newspaper in their area we can make a difference. As I said before I have caught a lot of P.Cana this season and I have noticed that a lot are coming out just before it starts to rain.

The best was today when a stranger phoned me and said he was standing on the Hekpoort road just before Skeerpoort and there was a huge snake in the road and that he was worried that a vehicle might drive over it. Guiding him step by step and his wife stopping the a car while he used a stick to remove the Molesnake from the road into the veld made me feel good. Its great that others are also trying to make a difference.
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Postby Urizen » Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:45 pm

I stay in Buccleuch, on a 4 acre plot (one of the last many of the others have been turned into town houses), it borders a large ground of veld, which is teh border between us and President park, this area, is where they are building the gautrain. We have always had Rinkhals and Monitors, my dogs have often got sprayed and whipped in the face, we used to have crabs and barbal (spelling?) in the jukskei, but not its just dead bodies and washing machines. We used to get hedgehogs when I was a kid, but I think all the fires around us have killed those off along time ago. We get a couple of birds of prey, and some other birds that my dad likes.
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Postby Urizen » Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:48 pm

P.S. I love the jennets, when they are here, we never have rat problems at all. Oh and it can be wonderful, except for other wildlife on two legs which we conflict with quiet regularly, either from them exploring our property at night or throwing trash on our front property.
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Postby MacAdder » Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:05 pm

I have had more Cobra call outs this season than all the other species combined.
I did manage to get a 1,8 meter mole snake a week ago. What an absolute beauty of a specimen. This chap was trapped in a suburban back yard.
The owner of the property was concerned that the creature was going to eat her dog. :lol:
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Postby mm069 » Fri Nov 16, 2007 3:25 pm

Urizen, I know where you mean. It used to be an awesome area many years ago. My dad grew up close to there too and back then it was practically rural. Not anymore though.

I have also spotted on or two molesnakes around there, back when I was a kid about 10 - 12 years ago...
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