[meconi]

I went cycling a few days back to an agricultural campus area near my place called GKVK . Did a few off roads there as the campus is really beautiful and through some real dense forest area . Was feeling a bit adventurous and spiritual as there weren't anyone in my horizon across for almost a km.

One of these turns I came up across a pretty massive snake that was brown/yellow and seemingly basking away in the morning glory of the sun - I turned 360 degree and cycled away as fast as I could to the closest tarred roads I could find - my heart pumping away.

I mentioned it to the guard who I saw somewhere there and he indicated that its a usual sight - and these snakes aren't aggressive unless you maybe step on them or in my case cycle over them. Lesson learnt to avoid such roads and a close shave I might say!

[am1m]

Originally Posted by meconi

...and a close shave I might say!

Yes, a close shave indeed...for the snake! Thankfully you saw it it time and didn't run over the poor creature.

But seriously, unless one steps on a venomous snake, attempts to handle one, or just gets unlucky, no snake is going to come after a human to cause harm! The presence of snakes in a well-vegetated area like GKVK is absolutely normal.

[condor]

On our recent trip to Sringeri about a week back, our family friend was telling about his experience there, a few decades ago. The forests were thicker, and population sparse. Their house in the hills and adjacent to it, the arecanut plantation. For nature's call, one had to go to the far end of the backyard and snakes were common, sometimes in the tiles of the roof.

On one such occasion he had gone to attend to nature's call, in the open, near a tree. He goes to a spot, and stands there. Happens to look down and he sees a cobra with hood spread, about 6-7 inches from his foot. Almost anyone else would died out of fright - or even an attempt to withdraw that foot would have made the cobra attack. But he is a zoology professor, and knew about animal behaviour.

He remains cool, no movement whatsoever. Both looking at each other. After about a minute, the snake goes away.

The secret he said, is to remain totally calm. A frightened person starts sweating, and amongst all that is happening in his body, the body also releases pheromones. And this is picked up by the predator - which will then see the person as another prey. Prey when cornered or challenged by a predator release this, and this smell is what is picked up by the predator.

He remaining absolutely calm avoided that situation.

But then how many of us can be like that when we are confronted ?

I have chanced upon two in the last few months. One zipped past me, about 6 feet in front of me. It was FAST. Another one last year - I was climbing a stone-walled ledge. A coconut tree in front. As I put my foot on the ledge and started to rise up, a cobra sees me and rushes away into the growth.

[rahulananda]

I have had couple of encounters with the slitherers back in my younger days. Once in the bathroom of our old house and other encounters at my grandparents home backyard. My grandma says crushed garlic and Tulsi leaves are snake deterrents. Apparently the chemicals released by garlic and tulsi confuses the snake and they avoid that area. Don't know how far it's useful, but my grandparents used to spray the corners of the house with crushed ginger juice daily and have never spot them inside.

[TrackDay]

Today morning we had an uninvited guest in our house. This baby snake was in the work area of our house where we keep the washing machine. Ended up calling the forest department guys, who sent a person to capture it. Even the forest guy could not confirm the exact breed. The skin pattern is similar to a viper or python. My house is in a gated residential area (Kerala), however there is a land behind our villa compound which is not exactly maintained well. Previously even a cobra was spotted there. Any idea on what it is ?

[Amsdoc]

These are sand boas..... non venomous. but can be aggressive and bite if you handle them. Harmless snake and are good control of vermin in your neighbourhood.

[Latheesh]

Found it in our backyard and it is ~ 2m long. Hope it belongs to a rat snake.

[Satish Pari]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Found it in our backyard and it is ~ 2m long. Hope it belongs to a rat snake.

Does look like a rat snake's skin. But a word of caution, cobra's and rat snake's also look similar. So do be careful. If there are local snake rescuers in your area, do confirm with them.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

TPreviously even a cobra was spotted there. Any idea on what it is ?

It is a python. Seen a lot of these in my old office grounds.

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Found it in our backyard and it is ~ 2m long. Hope it belongs to a rat snake.

Yeah, going by the length it is a rat snake. It is very rare for a cobra to be that long.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by Samurai

It is a python. Seen a lot of these in my old

Amsdoc is right. It's a Sand Boa. Much smaller than a python

Yeah, going by the length it is a rat snake. It is very rare for a cobra to be that long.

More than the length the hexagonal scales are a better indicator of it being a Rat Snake I think. Cobra has oval scales

[meerkat]

This unwelcome guest invited itself into a ground floor bedroom in our old house. And it was not alone! I prevented a smaller one (with similar looks) a few hours afterward from sneaking in through a window in the same room.

Just a few days back, I'd found another one (apparently of the same kind) wrapped around on the bars of a closed window in the ground floor kitchen. I'd managed to shoo it away through another window nearby. I'd kept all windows closed afterwards, but it (or another one?) appeared nevertheless on the same window the next afternoon as well (I don't know how)! I again managed to shoo it away through another window. Thankfully, for the next few days I didn't find any more of these unwelcome guests.

Now the one in the photo appeared in the bedroom, and I couldn't get rid of it this time! It had somehow managed to sneak in and hide into some gap underneath the mattresses and the beds (a pair). I couldn't find it even after removing almost everything from the top of the beds. So, for all I know, it might still be hiding somewhere underneath the mattresses! I'm not really freaked out, since I don't think it is a poisonous kind, but I've left a mosquito net on top of the bed since!

The funny thing is, some mongoose families have made our garden their home, and we haven't seen any snakes around in recent years. Until now!

During this pandemic I'm not particularly keen on inviting external assitance if I can help it. Nor am I keen on exterminating the critters on sight, or get rid of all close by tree branches unless I have to.

So a positive identification would help (hope the low resolution doesn't make it too difficult), and if non-poisonous, I may as well decide to live with the critters, like we've acceped the mask! :-). Thankfully, there are no kids around. Any other suggestions?
.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by meerkat

So a positive identification would help (hope the low resolution doesn't make it too difficult), and if non-poisonous, I may as well decide to live with the critters,

Looks like a Bronzeback Tree Snake, non-venomous. https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1331752

Must be sliding in from a nearby tree, looking for something, possibly some frogs or lizards that are getting in and these snakes are sliding in after them?

They're active during the day.

[meerkat]

Originally Posted by am1m

Looks like a Bronzeback Tree Snake, non-venomous. https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1331752

Must be sliding in from a nearby tree, looking for something, possibly some frogs or lizards that are getting in and these snakes are sliding in after them?

They're active during the day.

Thanks. That's a very useful website.

The appearance and the description seem to fit. The one I'd intercepted before it could sneak in through the window, did seem to have landed there from a mango tree branch nearby. I'm not sure though, if the snakes followed some frogs or lizards into the house. It's not yet the season of frogs, although plenty of them do land inside the house to pester us during the monsoon (but, thankfully, never had snakes following them into the house before). Are such snakes interested in the common lizards on the walls? Then it's a puzzle why snakes haven't ever entered the house after them before!
.

[mazda4life]

Originally Posted by meerkat

Then it's a puzzle why snakes haven't ever entered the house after them before!
.

Also, why dont you try planting some Ruta Graveolens Plant ( Nagadala plant in Kannada). Its odor would keep some of these snakes away. In my hometown we have some below the window sill to keep our slithering friends at bay.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by meerkat

Are such snakes interested in the common lizards on the walls? Then it's a puzzle why snakes haven't ever entered the house after them before!

These slender looking snakes eat a lot of things, sometimes it's astonishing. A naturalist friend once showed us a video she had shot of a really thin Vine Snake swallowing a Red-Whiskered Bulbul whole, head-first! Hard to pinpoint why snakes come inside a house. But it's usually chasing prey or to regulate temperature.

Originally Posted by mazda4life

Also, why dont you try planting some Ruta Graveolens Plant ( Nagadala plant in Kannada). Its odor would keep some of these snakes away.

I don't think there is any scientific basis for that. Anyway, always good to have more plants around.