[Nitin]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

Yeah, I know, just when you thought this thread would finally die a natural death some poopy head goes and adds something.

Just a note, scientists have just discovered the fossil remains of a gigantic snake they have named Titana Boa. It was found in Northern Columbia South America and lived 60 million years ago. It was at least 45 feet long and weighed at least 2500 pounds. It was capable of eating whole crocodiles or cow sized animals. No joke, Google it.

True. read about it on CNN.There's an image of it too,albeit an artist's rendition.Yahoo has a video of the whole thing,where an expert talks about how the snake grew so big.

[hvishwanathan]

Originally Posted by MuraliR

pardon me for going OT.
but a thread like this will gain the required mileage with photos.

here are a few from my end.

wow nice to see an indian spectacled cobra on our forum. these beautiful creatures are too fast when in the open

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by hvishwanathan

wow nice to see an indian spectacled cobra on our forum. these beautiful creatures are too fast when in the open

Are you sure it wasn't a Behram Dhabhar, a sub species of engineer snake? Not poisonous but has a nasty temper.

[beejay]

I usually park my Jeep on the porch giving easy access to freeloaders, like the neighborhood cat who likes to bask under the vehicle. This time round I have had a new guest and it did take me a while to send him away.

The guy was on the bonnet and shoot into the bonnet when it saw me. I opened the bonnet and he was lying near the radiator cap. I tried to grab him and he slid down someplace. All the wires looked like the snake to me. After a futile hunt I saw him coiled up in the wheel hub. I did not want to move the Jeep and waited patiently for him to leave. I then realized that this was not his priority. Mom crushed garlic pasted and threw it round the hub, he reluctantly left and I am sure this is not the last I see of him.

The porch is covered from all sides and does not have a gate, fixing a gate is not an option I have now. Now mom says I should stock garlic in the vehicle and this can ward him off. Any other takes.

At least some one loves my Jeep as much as I do.

[addyhemmige]

Looks like a rat snake. Was your engine bay hot? I guess it must have jumped onto your bonnet to warm itself.

Good thing you saw it before you moved the jeep. Otherwise you would definitely have had one messy jeep later.

I never knew garlic could put off a snake!!!

[santhosh_kumard]

Nice experience to have. Its a rat-snake , is it?.

[HappyWheels]

Garlic and snakes! A strange combo.

But say, how did you notice the guy? Are you in a practice to check before start of any drive? (Good practice I say! )

[pramodkumar]

I have also heard of the garlic myth, I usually park my car in a porch which faces our backyard. i have seen kittens running from my engine bay after i start my car. Being in company of a snake lover is a big problem, my house has a russels viper who is very elusive, my friend Jeni just loves snakes and wont let me kill it or relocate it, she says thats forbidden teritory for you, dont go there , however accidentaly i managed to kill one when i was trying to move it with a 12 ft metal rod i suspect its the same snake.


Pramod

[beejay]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Looks like a rat snake. Was your engine bay hot? I guess it must have jumped onto your bonnet to warm itself.


Good thing you saw it before you moved the jeep. Otherwise you would definitely have had one messy jeep later.

I never knew garlic could put off a snake!!!

I take my Jeep out two or three time a week, this time it was parked for a day. I usually start the Jeep every morning and evening and go for a small spin. Garlic works.

Originally Posted by santhosh_kumard

Nice experience to have. Its a rat-snake , is it?.

I guess it is.

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Garlic and snakes! A strange combo.

But say, how did you notice the guy? Are you in a practice to check before start of any drive? (Good practice I say! )

I check the Jeep before every run.

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

I have also heard of the garlic myth, I usually park my car in a porch which faces our backyard. i have seen kittens running from my engine bay after i start my car. Being in company of a snake lover is a big problem, my house has a russels viper who is very elusive, my friend Jeni just loves snakes and wont let me kill it or relocate it, she says thats forbidden teritory for you, dont go there , however accidentaly i managed to kill one when i was trying to move it with a 12 ft metal rod i suspect its the same snake.


Pramod

Was it a rat snake too.

[tj123]

No worries its a rat snake no doubt about it.

[?ushk@r]

OT: LOL.. never knew such thread like "Snakes" exists

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

I have also heard of the garlic myth, I usually park my car in a porch which faces our backyard. i have seen kittens running from my engine bay after i start my car. Being in company of a snake lover is a big problem, my house has a russels viper who is very elusive, my friend Jeni just loves snakes and wont let me kill it or relocate it, she says thats forbidden teritory for you, dont go there , however accidentaly i managed to kill one when i was trying to move it with a 12 ft metal rod i suspect its the same snake.
Pramod

OMG, you have a Russell's Viper in your house!!!!!!

It is very dangerous to keep such a snake in the vicinity of people. I'm assuming it is in your backyard. If it is still there, please relocate it (if you can) or get it relocated by snake handlers.

Any snake lover would understand that relocating it would have been in the best interests of the snake and the people living nearby. If it is found by someone else it will definitely be killed.

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by beejay

Was it a rat snake too.

It is indeed a russels viper, i still have the carcass nicely dried up, one can still see the bandings

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

OMG, you have a Russell's Viper in your house!!!!!!

It is very dangerous to keep such a snake in the vicinity of people. I'm assuming it is in your backyard. If it is still there, please relocate it (if you can) or get it relocated by snake handlers.

Any snake lover would understand that relocating it would have been in the best interests of the snake and the people living nearby. If it is found by someone else it will definitely be killed.

That is true. These are very unpredictable and dangerous snakes. In kerala we dont have snake catchers who do it because of their love for snakes, they are mostly daredevils who might put themselves in risk. My friend Jeni has good experiance handling non venomous snakes but i was not confident of her handling this one. one rainy night i came face to face with this snake (i guess) while chatting with a friend on phone. I quickly called snake Shyam, who is a great friend and asked him what to do he asked me if i am sure its a russels, and i said yes as i could clearly see the bandings with my tourch. he asked me to look for a really long and steady stick and lift it and relocate it with out risking any one, i found an metal rod about 12 ft, when i tried lifting it i accedently damaged its head. He was very slow probably he had a heavy meal or it was because iof the rains. i just left him there and next morning i was sure he was dead, since then i have kept the carcass in a cardboard box (its dried up now). I assume he is the same snake, but my maid said she saw a bigger and longer one after that with the same patterns, maids usually make up stories, with improper waste disposal systems in kerala most of the people use their backyard for dumping edible waste, which leads to rats and this leads to snakes, there are a lot of burrows in my backyard. next morning we checked each burrow by poking a long stick and could not findy any one in there so i assume my home is snake free, but its only till my next encounter. Every one knows there are snakes arround but we Mallus have learned to coexist with them .


Pramod

[xtremedeep]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

It is indeed a russels viper, i still have the carcass nicely dried up, one can still see the bandings
Pramod

Hello Pramod.

We have similar problem of snakes rather dangerous ones getting inside our farm vehicles/other vehicles. We once had a rather nasty one inside our 63 Willy's, my sister thought it is some rope and actually picked it up, and then sensing it is a snake threw it out (having a open jeep helps in non OTR situations as well ).

OT : We are still undecided who was more shocked my sister or the snake.

As killing snakes in our farm is out of question (some doodle doo about sarpa dosha), we have been using common toilet cleaning acid to drive them away. It is simple, carry a bottle of it and if you are parking it in a bushy place in the night sprinkle it around the vehicle (ofcourse not on it). I think it works, because we have been doing that for last 16 yrs and our snake counterparts have never ventured close to any vehicles since, I did see one on my RD which was parked 20 ft from the acid treated jeep but never on the treated vehicles. Hope this helps.

cheers !!
Deep

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by xtremedeep

Hello Pramod.

We have similar problem of snakes rather dangerous ones getting inside our farm vehicles/other vehicles. We once had a rather nasty one inside our 63 Willy's, my sister thought it is some rope and actually picked it up, and then sensing it is a snake threw it out (having a open jeep helps in non OTR situations as well ).

OT : We are still undecided who was more shocked my sister or the snake.

As killing snakes in our farm is out of question (some doodle doo about sarpa dosha), we have been using common toilet cleaning acid to drive them away. It is simple, carry a bottle of it and if you are parking it in a bushy place in the night sprinkle it around the vehicle (ofcourse not on it). I think it works, because we have been doing that for last 16 yrs and our snake counterparts have never ventured close to any vehicles since, I did see one on my RD which was parked 20 ft from the acid treated jeep but never on the treated vehicles. Hope this helps.

cheers !!
Deep

You from kerala as well?(some doodle doo about sarpa dosha) since you said this. Anyways, let me know where your farm is? if you are in kerala i can have a rescue and rehab arranged. But the issue is again if your farm is in a froest area then you will have visitors.

Pramod