Another snake in my cottage...
I was washing my dishes in my kitchen and placed some dirty ones in the wash water to soak. I then went to my kitchen table to work on my Sodoku puzzles while the dishes were soaking, when suddenly Puppy started whimpering. Usually I ignore him but this time there was a certain tone to his whimpering that caught my attention and as I began to turn around to see what he was whimpering at, he suddenly started barking incessantly, looking directly under the bench where I kept my wash basin.
By now, after at least four years living here, I know that's a sign I've got a visitor and I immediately tensed up. I peered under the bench where I keep my rice bucket and some odd pots and pans and immediately saw a snake's face hoovering there, watching Puppy and I...
This isn't just one of Jeeem's typical snake postings though...this son-uv-a-gun was a good six to seven feet long...closer to seven.
I've got most of the "snake eviction" on video but for the last week I've been online hassling with the Canon Support techs, as I can't seem to get my pictures off my camera. But, as soon as I do I'll post the video for you. I might have to dump some of my previous shots taken in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia during my last visa run, as I've found in the past that if the memory card is full, I can't upload photos until I take a few off...and that video surely filled things up fast.
Puppy was a pain in my ass during the whole event, as I'd have the snake almost to the door and Puppy would come in and lunge at it, forcing it back inside...but eventually I managed to keep Puppy back and usher the snake outdoors. As I poked and prodded with my trusty mop handle, brave little Boo Boo was sitting up on the stairs watching everyone. Oh, and Chok? Ha! Nowhere to be seen. Chok got one glimpse at the size of that thing and she was GONE.
Besides the reticulated python that I posted about previously, which I found up the road in the village, this is undoubtedly the largest snake that's been inside my cottage to date. I've been searching online for days, for a picture and name of the snake as well as a picture of a new bird I saw the other morning out on the Mangosteen tree just outside my upstairs window, but, I'm having better luck with the bird...a Chestnut winged Cuckoo, I think.
The snake had a large neck in proportion to the rest of its body, and two small projections on its lower jaw behind its mouth...almost like little gills..like on a mud puppy or salamander. Weird. Not sure if the thing was poisonous or not but I surely wasn't taking any chances. Easily six feet and most likely six and a half from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. A good three inches in diameter too.
Scary.
I had the chance to smash it several times, but I've given that up...I figure Karma will kick me right in my ass for that. Besides, the thing was just looking for a cool place to hang out and I've come to the conclusion finally, that I've got to learn to co-exist with these visitors of mine in a more friendly manner. Lately, although it's the hot, dry season, we've had almost monsoon-like rains here, which I've read have been worse in the deep south of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Severe flooding there. The Tong river up the road did flood last week, but then it really doesn't take much for that river to reach flood stage.
As a consequence I've found a dozen or so scorpions in the bathroom, as well as a couple centipedes...but have wondered where my bathroom frogs went???
After my snake eviction, I figured the mystery out.
-Jeeem-
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