A TALE OF A SNAKE

Sometimes  late last year,(by October to be precise around  5:30 PM)  as i was preparing to leave the office, my phone  rang  and immediately i picked it up it was a lady’s voice from the other end crying screaming and at the same time trying to talk to me. I asked her if she could leave where she was at that time and move to somewhere else and calm down then call  me back  later,which she did .When she called  Back,she began by telling me that her enemies were after her  and her families, that  they just sent a snake to kill them.

            Interestingly she normally comes home before her husband,and while she was trying to prepare dinner for the Family, she brought down one of the cartons she placed on the kitchen cabinet   (apparently to pick up something) there and then a black  but medium sized cobra was there looking at her and she immediately dropped the carton and ran outside with her children. She called her friend and her friend gave her my number to call me which she did.

                      Now,the question is, Was the snake actually sent by her enemies to kill her? I f no,where did the snake appear from and  how did it get into the carton that was placed on the kitchen cabinet. The answers are simple.The snake wasn’t sent by anybody. The snake came looking for food.Then how did it get into the carton placed on the cabinet? The first question i asked the woman was the contents of the carton .Dry fish she said which she regularly takes  outside to dry in the sun.Haa! i told her that was how it got into your kitchen. You took the carton outside and the lizards were coming aroud to hunt on the flies that were being attracted by the dried fish and  the snake in turn was attracted by the lizards and it eventually ended up in the carton which you picked it up in the evening without knowing that an unwanted guest was already relaxing inside.

 

                   ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SNAKE.

Snakes belong to the animal class reptiles.  This group also includes crocodiles, lizards, and turtles.  Reptiles are cold-blooded animals that raise their body temperature by lying in the sun or lower it by crawling into the shade.  Their body temperature changes to the temperature of its surroundings. They are carnivores. This means that they only eat meat. Many people think that all snakes kill their prey by biting it and injecting the prey with poison. This isn't true. Cobras, vipers and other related species are the only snakes that use venom to hunt. Most of them  simply swallow their prey whole. Large snakes, such as the python, will strangle their prey to death and then swallow it whole. Snakes can eat other animals 75 to 100 percent bigger than their own size,  

            There are over 3000 species of snakes all over the world. They live almost everywhere, in deserts, forests, oceans, streams, and lakes. Snakes live on the ground, in trees, and in water apart fro places where the ground stays frozen year round like north of the Arctic Circle or in Antarctica and also countries like New Zealand, Ireland,Iceland,Norway etc. Most snake species lay eggs, but some species give birth to live young. Snakes lay their eggs in a warm location. With the exception of some python species, eggs and young are not cared for by the male or female..

         WHEN YOU SPOT A SNAKE

            When you spot a snake around your home, there are so many factors that could have led to that visitation. Is either the snake is looking for food, for a warmer environment, a mating partner or maybe the snake is just passing through your compound. So, try as much as you can avoid getting close to it. If the snake is only about a meter away, freeze at first and see the snakes reaction - it will likely look for an escape route. If it is cornered, back away slowly. If it is already inside your house, you can call a professional (either a pests controller or a professional snake catcher)to get it out.   

 

 STEPS TO KEEP THEM AWAY

Do not encourage overgrown weeds or grasses

Avoid debris such as wood or rock piles on the property.

Seal small gaps under doors or decks, etc.

There are also several kinds of snake repellents that you can buy that are not hazardous that you can  place along the outside of the fence to keep them away. 

Stay Alive, Stay Healthy: From Somplus Ltd (Environmental And Facility Mgt Services)