Stalking Snakes And Reptiles

There are few regions in the world that haven't been colonised by snakes and other reptiles

. Snakes can be even found in cities, although it is only the friendlier ones that tend to survive human wrath. However, if you want to find a few of the more uncommon snakes, you could try in parks and fields, on beaches or in rivers and ponds and even in the sea, depending on where you live, naturally, as sea snakes are inclined to inhabit warmer, tropical waters.

You will need to be alert and train your eyes to spot even the slightest movement. Wear clothes of dull, drab colours and move slowly, stopping often to listen for movement in the grass or bushes. In the beginning, you will have many false hopes, until you learn to differentiate between the sounds of the various animals that live or hunt in the grass.

Snakes are difficult to find. Most of the adventurous snakes get killed by frightened (and often ignorant) humans, but a good tip is to look for relatively damp areas in arid regions and, conversely, dry spots in damp areas. Look for where their prey might congregate. For example, near water for toads and frogs. Watch for frightened lizards or birds fleeing for their lives. And listen for geckos warning each other of the presence of a predatory snake.

If you have to move anything, at least don't damage it and make sure you put it back as you found it. Two useful tools while out looking for snakes are binoculars (for tree snakes) and a snake-hook, which should also be used for moving bits of debris so that you don't risk getting bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. A camera, a torch and a notebook and pen are quite, depending on how seriously you take your interest in herpetology.

You could also take a rule or tape to measure your specimens and a few plastic bags and boxes to hold them while you are doing it. However, do not kill anything and do not take anything home with you either! Besides it not being right to wander into their territory and cause mayhem, it is often against the law too. Be very wary of picking up any snake that you cannot 100% positively identify as non-poisonous. You could be a long way from anywhere and will probably not have any anti-venom with you. Since many snakes can kill within 30 minutes, you would almost certainly die.

To summarize, go looking for snakes by all means. However, take it easy and slowly and wear camouflaged clothing. Moreover, wear strong, climbing boots to afford you some protection where you are most vulnerable and do not move anything you don't have to. Use a snake-hook to move things if you have to; a tape, torch, camera, notebook and pen to record your experience and/or findings and a couple of clear plastic receptacles just in case you feel that you need to pick something up.

I hope you enjoy your search for snakes and other reptiles, but remember that they are not friendly and they are certainly not pets and be wary of bites especially when your search is not taking place in the grounds of a hospital!

by: Colin Jones

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