Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sandy" typed:
~misfit~ wrote:
Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Anne Welsh Jackson" typed:
"shazzbat" wrote:

I hope you'll all check your compost heaps carefully -
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk...ugh_allotment/
That snake looks suspiciously like a constrictor to me.

No way would I wind it round my neck! He must be mad!!

Looks like a Reticulated Python to me. I'm disappointed the article
doesn't say.

Wrong pattern for a Reticulated, it's actually a Burmese Python.

Yup, it seems you're right. Here's a pic of my Mum with a reticulated:

http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1223194641.jpg

Unfortunately it's not the first time, and no doubt won't be the last,
that one has been found roaming the UK countryside. People often find
they can't cope with such a large snake once it reaches adulthood and
subsequently struggle to rehome them so instead they let them go free.

Bloody idiots. It's a bit cold for pythons in the UK.

Fortunately, they're not a particularly aggressive snake although due
to the sheer size of them they can severely injure or kill a person,
and indeed have done, but mostly due to human error and stupidity.

Yep, there's plenty of that around that's for sure.

Cheers,
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)

On 5/10/08 09:21, in article ,
"~misfit~" wrote:

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sandy" typed:
~misfit~ wrote:
Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Anne Welsh Jackson" typed:
"shazzbat" wrote:

I hope you'll all check your compost heaps carefully -
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk...gardener_finds
_17_foot_snake_slithering_through_allotment/
That snake looks suspiciously like a constrictor to me.

No way would I wind it round my neck! He must be mad!!

Looks like a Reticulated Python to me. I'm disappointed the article
doesn't say.

Wrong pattern for a Reticulated, it's actually a Burmese Python.

Yup, it seems you're right. Here's a pic of my Mum with a reticulated:

http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1223194641.jpg

Unfortunately it's not the first time, and no doubt won't be the last,
that one has been found roaming the UK countryside. People often find
they can't cope with such a large snake once it reaches adulthood and
subsequently struggle to rehome them so instead they let them go free.

Bloody idiots. It's a bit cold for pythons in the UK.

Fortunately, they're not a particularly aggressive snake although due
to the sheer size of them they can severely injure or kill a person,
and indeed have done, but mostly due to human error and stupidity.

Yep, there's plenty of that around that's for sure.

Cheers,

A friend of ours had a ball python for years. Once or twice it struck at
her and caught her hand but the final straw was when it escaped from its
vivarium and she heard the dog screaming......... The snake has been
re-homed!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Rusty Hinge 2" typed:
The message
from "~misfit~" contains these words:

When *I* was an anklebiter I had a pet adder...

A pet *adder*? Wow! When I was a nipper I had a pet grass snake.....

I remember Dad hammering in tent pegs in South Wales when we were on
holiday
and scammpering off on his hands and kness hammering at the ground.
We all laughed until he held up a dead adder. They're venomous no?

Venomous?

More people die of wasp stings in a year than have died of adder bites
during the whole of last century. (8, IIRC)

Only *VERY* young children or people with a weak heart or an allergy
are at risk.

And now, adders are protected.

When I put my hand in the adder's vivarium it used to come and wind
itself among my fingers. It never tried to bite me. At first, and
until it had got used to the idea that I was the bringer of food and
warm hands, it used to 'strike' at my gloved hand, but with a closed
mouth.

I think it only took a week before it gave that up. While I sometimes
took grass snakes to school, I never took the adder...

Interesting, thanks Rusty. When I was young I was just told to watch out for
adders as they were venomous and could kill. When I was 11 we moved to New
Zealand and there are no snakes here so I guess I didn't spend enough time
in England to find out more for myself.

I really like snakes, I think I was the only member of my family to be
disappointed that there were no snakes in NZ. Completely different for my
father, he's phobic about them. If he wasn't we'd probably have migrated to
Australia instead of NZ. I can live without snakes, I'm pleased to be in NZ
rather than Aus (even though the rest of the familt have all ended up
there).

Cheers,
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)

Snip



Interesting, thanks Rusty. When I was young I was just told to watch out
for adders as they were venomous and could kill. When I was 11 we moved to
New Zealand and there are no snakes here so I guess I didn't spend enough
time in England to find out more for myself.


They are venomous, and *can* kill, but bites are rare, and deaths are
extremely rare. A girl of about 10 was bitten in Bournemouth earlier this
year when she trod on one, and her leg swelled up and turned black, but I
believe she made a full recovery.

Here -

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture001.jpg

is the one I saw at the back of Sainsbury's Ferndown, last year.

Steve

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "shazzbat" typed:
Snip

Interesting, thanks Rusty. When I was young I was just told to watch
out for adders as they were venomous and could kill. When I was 11
we moved to New Zealand and there are no snakes here so I guess I
didn't spend enough time in England to find out more for myself.

They are venomous, and *can* kill, but bites are rare, and deaths are
extremely rare. A girl of about 10 was bitten in Bournemouth earlier
this year when she trod on one, and her leg swelled up and turned
black, but I believe she made a full recovery.

I think that's why I remember them as venomous. I used to walk along side a
railway track to school and apparently they'd sun themselves in the area
(not that I ever saw one) so we were warned.

Here -

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture001.jpg

is the one I saw at the back of Sainsbury's Ferndown, last year.

That is one beautiful animal. Thanks.
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sacha" typed:


[snip]

A friend of ours had a ball python for years. Once or twice it
struck at her and caught her hand but the final straw was when it
escaped from its vivarium and she heard the dog screaming.........
The snake has been re-homed!

Hmmm, hardly surprising although I'd be more likely to have the dog
re-homed. ;-)

Cheers,
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)

On 5/10/08 11:32, in article ,
"~misfit~" wrote:

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sacha" typed:


[snip]

A friend of ours had a ball python for years. Once or twice it
struck at her and caught her hand but the final straw was when it
escaped from its vivarium and she heard the dog screaming.........
The snake has been re-homed!

Hmmm, hardly surprising although I'd be more likely to have the dog
re-homed. ;-)

Cheers,

I'm glad she didn't. We gave it to her!


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

~misfit~ wrote:
Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sandy" typed:
Wrong pattern for a Reticulated, it's actually a Burmese Python.

Yup, it seems you're right. Here's a pic of my Mum with a reticulated:

http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1223194641.jpg

Without wishing to contradict you, the snake in the photo also looks
suspiciously like a Burmese Python to me, and not a reticulated python ;-)

Also, anyone who valued their life certainly would not be sitting there
posing with a retic wrapped around their neck!!!

These snakes have a completely different temperament to other large
boids and can cause a LOT more damage to a person due to the structure
of their jaw/teeth, and also the way in which they restrict and kill
their prey. An attack from one of these snakes would more often proven
fatal than not. Retics really should NOT be kept in captivity by anyone
but the most experienced of snake handlers, and preferably in purpose
built reptile houses.


Unfortunately it's not the first time, and no doubt won't be the last,
that one has been found roaming the UK countryside. People often find
they can't cope with such a large snake once it reaches adulthood and
subsequently struggle to rehome them so instead they let them go free.

Bloody idiots. It's a bit cold for pythons in the UK.

It's too cold for /any/ snake, other than our native species, to survive
for long periods in the wild in the UK. Possibly why the guy in the news
article found the snake on his allotment as it would most likely be
living in a compost heap somewhere close by.

"Sandy" wrote in message
...
~misfit~ wrote:
Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sandy" typed:
Wrong pattern for a Reticulated, it's actually a Burmese Python.

Yup, it seems you're right. Here's a pic of my Mum with a reticulated:

http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1223194641.jpg

Without wishing to contradict you, the snake in the photo also looks
suspiciously like a Burmese Python to me, and not a reticulated python ;-)

Also, anyone who valued their life certainly would not be sitting there
posing with a retic wrapped around their neck!!!

These snakes have a completely different temperament to other large boids
and can cause a LOT more damage to a person due to the structure of their
jaw/teeth, and also the way in which they restrict and kill their prey. An
attack from one of these snakes would more often proven fatal than not.
Retics really should NOT be kept in captivity by anyone but the most
experienced of snake handlers, and preferably in purpose built reptile
houses.


Unfortunately it's not the first time, and no doubt won't be the last,
that one has been found roaming the UK countryside. People often find
they can't cope with such a large snake once it reaches adulthood and
subsequently struggle to rehome them so instead they let them go free.

Bloody idiots. It's a bit cold for pythons in the UK.

It's too cold for /any/ snake, other than our native species, to survive
for long periods in the wild in the UK. Possibly why the guy in the news
article found the snake on his allotment as it would most likely be living
in a compost heap somewhere close by.



But with milder winters, almost frost-free in the south, and a nice warm
compost heap, and a ready supply of food, like the rabbits to be found on
many allotments, who knows? Come to think of it, at least two cats have
gone missing from neighbouring houses recently......

Steve

shazzbat wrote:
"Sandy" wrote in message
It's too cold for /any/ snake, other than our native species, to survive
for long periods in the wild in the UK. Possibly why the guy in the news
article found the snake on his allotment as it would most likely be living
in a compost heap somewhere close by.



But with milder winters, almost frost-free in the south, and a nice warm
compost heap, and a ready supply of food, like the rabbits to be found on
many allotments, who knows? Come to think of it, at least two cats have
gone missing from neighbouring houses recently......

Steve



Well yes, it certainly isn't /impossible/ and during the cold winter
months they would hibernate anyway, probably in a compost heap or
similar. Indeed I have successfully hibernated a number of snakes in an
unheated garage without any ill effect.

The problem it would face wouldn't so much be the cold, but lack of heat
as we don't have sufficiently high temperatures for long enough periods
to enable it to thermoregulate and digest food efficiently.

A snake the size of the python that was found wouldn't even need a
regular supply of food. It could quite adequately survive on 3-4 meals a
year, assuming it could obtain prey of a decent size i.e. large rabbit
or cat, even a small dog or lamb etc would suffice.

I don't think we could ever know whether a snake would actually survive
long term in the UK as almost all reported sightings of an "escapee"
result in them being captured. Certainly in the USA they survive quite
happily, where they also have a huge problem of people "letting them go
in the wild" to the extent they are actually becoming a problem in
certain areas as they're not an indigenous species.

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sandy" typed:
~misfit~ wrote:
Somewhere on teh intarwebs "Sandy" typed:
Wrong pattern for a Reticulated, it's actually a Burmese Python.

Yup, it seems you're right. Here's a pic of my Mum with a
reticulated: http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1223194641.jpg

Without wishing to contradict you, the snake in the photo also looks
suspiciously like a Burmese Python to me, and not a reticulated
python ;-)

Well, you could be right and that would explain why i thought the snake in
the OP was a retic. All I know is that my mother was on holiday travelling
around Australia, she visited a reptile park and, knowing that I'm
interested in snakes, sent me that picture. She'd been told by the staff at
the park that it was a reticulated python.

Also, anyone who valued their life certainly would not be sitting
there posing with a retic wrapped around their neck!!!

Makes you wonder. As I say, it was a 'get your photo taken with a bloody big
snake' thing that probably cost her $20 and there were probably snake
handlers just out of shot.

These snakes have a completely different temperament to other large
boids and can cause a LOT more damage to a person due to the structure
of their jaw/teeth, and also the way in which they restrict and kill
their prey. An attack from one of these snakes would more often proven
fatal than not. Retics really should NOT be kept in captivity by
anyone but the most experienced of snake handlers, and preferably in
purpose built reptile houses.


Unfortunately it's not the first time, and no doubt won't be the
last, that one has been found roaming the UK countryside. People
often find they can't cope with such a large snake once it reaches
adulthood and subsequently struggle to rehome them so instead they
let them go free.

Bloody idiots. It's a bit cold for pythons in the UK.

It's too cold for /any/ snake, other than our native species, to
survive for long periods in the wild in the UK. Possibly why the guy
in the news article found the snake on his allotment as it would most
likely be living in a compost heap somewhere close by.

Indeed, very likely.

Cheers,
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)