Ron&Gill wrote:Fig, don't tell me you didn't kak yourself, like, just a little bit. You didn't walk up to it and tickled it under the chin and coo-chi-coo-ed it, did you? I can just see it... Fig playing the flute... and Mrs Fig holding the bag... Sod that, where's my spade...
LOL!!! I feel very strongly that all living things, including those that see me as lunch, have as much right to be here as I do. So all my labourers are under standing instruction never to kill
anything. Of course, most of them respond like Ron does, so what I say is irrelevant; the spade has usually done its work before the guy can think about his response.
I've been aware of this particular rinkhals for a few weeks now, since the cat chased it out of the kitchen and under the wood pile, so I knew that sooner or later we'd meet face to face. On Saturday I was working in the barn and had to go back to the workshop to get some tools. Lucky, my dog, went in ahead of me, as she usually does, and immediately started her distinctive warning bark, so I knew there was a snake or other wildlife in there and approached cautiously, to find the rinkhals already raised, with its hood flattened, just to the left of the doorway. Yes, I did get a fright even though I was expecting it.
I shooed Lucky away and tried to chase the snake back out the door, but it just retreated further into the workshop, to where I couldn't see it. At that stage Rui arrived to deliver something, so I had to leave the snake. After Rui left I could hear it moving around in the workshop, but I had to finish the job at hand in the barn, so left it again. Later there was no sign of it and I hoped it had moved on (knowing it hadn't). I must admit that when it retreated further into the workshop I did drop my principles for a moment and seriously considered bringing the shotgun to bear on the problem; I just couldn't face the thought of knowing that the rinkhals might pop up at any moment while I was working.
Luckily it showed itself again on Sunday (thanks for the warning again Lucky!) and we went on a mission to catch it. The first challenge was to get it out of the workshop but, as I already wrote, car exhaust fumes did the trick.
There is a two-metre Mozambican spitting cobra resident in my barn. The only action I take against it is to make lots of noise whenever I go in there. I trust that it is keeping the rat population in check.
Another story: on my ex-in laws plot in North Riding, there lived a very big rinkhals which was there for about 15 years before the property was sold. Both my children grew up with that snake sharing the living space, as well as a pack of dogs, several assorted cats, and even a free range pet rabbit. Apart from one incident, that snake never caused any harm. It would occasionally find its way into one of the houses, always to be shooed out or, if it wouldn't move, caught in a bag and thrown out. On one occasion it gave birth in the main house; woohoo, dozens of tiny rinkhalses to collect and dispose of.
In the summer we would often come across the snake somewhere in the grounds. All the people, including children, knew to keep away, and so did the dogs and cats, and the snake itself was keen to keep out of our way (as almost all snakes are; they know humans just bring trouble). The snake was never a problem. The only real incident occurred when my ex-brother-in-law, who couldn't see in front of his face without his glasses, went into the walk-in pantry one morning without his glasses and came face to face with the now cornered rinkhals, which then attacked, and spat him full in the face and eyes. He washed his eyes out with lots of water and didn't even go to see a doctor.
So please don't kill snakes, folks. They keep vermin at bay and they mean you no harm. In general, snakes will go to great lengths to keep out of your way. If you do come across one, they will almost always beat a hasty retreat if you let them. Rinkhalses especially are very docile and only attack under extreme provocation.
I have heard that black mambas will attack without warning or provocation (I've also heard that's a myth), and puffadders are extremely dangerous, apparently because they sleep very deeply and will often not detect your approach. Since they like to sun themselves in pathways, they often get stepped on, leading to a bite. A puff adder's strike speed is 7m/s and they can bite three times in a second, and their venom is extremely cytotoxic, leading to horrific injuries. Apart from those two, ALL other snakes just want to get out of your way.
If we regard it as our right to kill everything that poses any kind of threat to us, there will come a time when the only living animals on earth will be humans, domestic livestock, rats, cockroaches and flies.
myself if I have to bump into a Rinkhals in my garage!!
Lizards plenty, my dog has a great time with them.
And there is one other one but lets not go there
