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Post by Cherry on Jun 26, 2012 5:30:41 GMT
This is a farm Geranium. I expect if they were in a suburban situation they would have to be taken away. Anyway, they are gone in a few hours. I think crows or buzzards take them. They go for a long walk and then have to fly into the edge of the woods next door when I throw them. It is a horrible job, but if they went in the bin they would smell terrible.
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Post by Geranium on Jun 26, 2012 5:34:26 GMT
::)Oh, I agree - you couldn't dispose of them in your household refuse. I don't envy you the task, though. I'm a bit squeamish where dead creatures are involved.
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Post by Rosie on Jun 26, 2012 8:20:05 GMT
I remember driving up past Tomatin in the highland and there had obviously been a mole man around as there was at least 20 dead moles hooked onto the barbed wire stock fence.  |
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Post by jrae on Jun 26, 2012 14:49:45 GMT
Speaking of rodents at first I was happy to discover that field rats had disappeared from the spare barn. Late this evening as we were storing some old logs in there an "ulupong" (phil cobra) dropped from the rafters, it was already hissing and trying to spit venom because we had disturbed it. I think all of us almost had a heart attack. One of our feral cats is dead tho, the most inquisitive one who always follow people around as it had attracted the snake's attention when it started growling and hissing. Someone managed to grab a machete and sliced the snake's head off while it still had it's fangs in the cat. I don't think I'll let my kids or the helpers kids go play around the property anytime soon as I was told that cobras are usually in pairs esp at this time of the year (mating season). We haven't seen the other one yet. We did call in people from the Wildlife Bureau who had the gall to inform us that although they would search for the possible mate and nest tomorrow, we'd be fined for killing one. Sure, it's an endangered species but I was thinking in a situation like that we couldn't be blamed for killing the snake.  |
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Post by grindle on Jun 26, 2012 14:56:34 GMT
 I think I would have been terrified, not a nice thing to come face to face with
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Post by jrae on Jun 26, 2012 15:01:52 GMT
I used to hear stories from the old timers about how ulupongs of all sizes would come out during the monsoon season. A neighbor from the other side of the hill even lost a brother because of those snakes, never thought we'd have a close call with one tho, it's not something I'd care to repeat. I hope it didn't have time to make a nest and find a mate.
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Post by grindle on Jun 26, 2012 15:06:44 GMT
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Post by Cherry on Jun 26, 2012 18:58:23 GMT
That is a real horror story Jrae. I actually got goose pimples when I was reading it. Well written too. If the Wildlife Bureau could find the nest, you could deal with the snake in your own time.
We were brought up with snakes round about and I still don't like to see the long grass moving suspiciously. Our snakes were always hung over the fence to warn others. A springer spaniel which I had to leave behind when I left Australia and the dog's mother were both killed by one snake. They are very dangerous in the mating season.
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Post by jrae on Jun 26, 2012 20:02:38 GMT
I couldn't sleep coz of it and it's now early morning, time to start picking veggies for delivery. I've decided after discussing it with hubby and getting calls from neighbors that the best way to avoid any more close calls with snakes is to just be more observant, the past few days most of our poultry was acting odd and such, I guess jittery birds means that it's snake mating season.
The poor cat was a big help and I probably will keep feeding the stray kitties in here. I was told by neighbors that the Bureau people are useless when it comes to these things, they have been known to send interns to do the snake search/capture. Someone did put the dead snake in some sort of trap as the old timers say that if it already has a mate it's partner would eventually look for the dead one and end up in the trap (if we're lucky). I really hope it works.
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Post by esther on Jun 27, 2012 4:41:43 GMT
That is an awful story jrae I don't like snakes - I would beat the Olympic running record - and that is with my dodgy knees  |
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Post by Geranium on Jun 27, 2012 5:36:46 GMT
Me too - at least we only get harmless grass snakes here.
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Post by Cherry on Jun 27, 2012 6:15:23 GMT
It will take all your nerves to go back into the barn to feed the kittens. Was the dead cat their mother? I would call that a life changing experience as you will always be on the watch for snakes. My closest experience was when I was at central school which was nearly two miles away. I was running through a shortcut when my foot was just about to come down on a brown snake. I managed to push my leg further even though I was running so that I did a long jump, and then kept running all the way to school. |
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Post by Lou78W on Jun 27, 2012 6:15:43 GMT
We get adders up here. OK as long as you don't disturb them snoozing in the sun  ...they are mainly round the drystone walls. The only poisonous UK snake, I think. We saw quite a few in the Yorkshire Dales when we lived there. SteveN will know  |
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Post by Cherry on Jun 27, 2012 18:44:42 GMT
Do you remember that I saw an adder here last summer.
We had them in Scotland and one bit a puppy which was 8 weeks old. Her face swelled up badly, but she was given and anti-biotic and this worked.
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Post by SueA on Jun 27, 2012 19:16:06 GMT
That's a really frightening experience jrae, poor cat & lucky you!
I've only ever seen adders a couple of time once on holiday, I think it was somewhere like Corfe Castle & once on a walk somewhere & a grassnake only once that I can remember. I think I'd be permanently terrified if I lived somewhere close to dangerous snakes!
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I think I would have been terrified, not a nice thing to come face to face with 
I wouldn't have thought twice about killing it, your poor cat didn't stand a chance. Hope you only had the one.
...they are mainly round the drystone walls. The only poisonous UK snake, I think. We saw quite a few in the Yorkshire Dales when we lived there. SteveN will know 
