A California couple returning from a trip to the grocery store Thursday found a 9-foot boa constrictor under the hood of their car.
Animal control workers used a little cooking oil to loosen the red tail boa's grip on the car engine.
It's not clear where the snake came from. But animal control workers said they suspect it broke free from its owner's care.
Source
Photo: Billy Jones
An Israeli health and beauty spa is offering a snake massage for its customers.
Ara Barak claims her pet snakes make the ideal masseurs as their slithering causes a massage sensation when placed on a person's skin.
Ms Barak said she discovered her pet's 'therapeutic value' after noticing her friends became more relaxed after holding them.
No, thanks.
Source: Daily Mail
(via Life in the Fast Lane)
Ara Barak claims her pet snakes make the ideal masseurs as their slithering causes a massage sensation when placed on a person's skin.Ms Barak said she discovered her pet's 'therapeutic value' after noticing her friends became more relaxed after holding them.
No, thanks.
Source: Daily Mail
(via Life in the Fast Lane)
Visitors flock to the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in the Indian city of Chennai because of the remarkable beauty of Goya, an albino cobra.
Goya, who is a milky color with shades of pink, was a gift from Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka where they specially breed albino snakes.
The three-and-a-half foot reptile was the only one of his albino siblings to survive, and is now kept on his own in a specially constructed enclosure. Goya spends most of his day indoors due to his sensitivity to light, only venturing outside for his daily meal of five live rats.
Source: Telegraph
Goya, who is a milky color with shades of pink, was a gift from Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka where they specially breed albino snakes.The three-and-a-half foot reptile was the only one of his albino siblings to survive, and is now kept on his own in a specially constructed enclosure. Goya spends most of his day indoors due to his sensitivity to light, only venturing outside for his daily meal of five live rats.
Source: Telegraph
A mother visiting family on Long Island says was startled when she went to check on her seventh-month-old baby in the middle of the night and found a snake coiled around the baby's leg.Cari Abatemarco, who lives in Troy, New York, was visiting family in Brentwood last week when she says her baby's cry woke her up.
She says the foot-long snake just fell off her baby's leg when she went to grab the infant from the crib.
Her cousin grabbed the snake and held it until animal control officer arrived.
Animal control officials say the snake is a non-venemous California King, that's is not usually found on Long Island. Local police say they are not sure where the snake came from.
Source: Newsday.com
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents seized 411 bottles of illegal hooch Thursday at Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch in Palo Pinto County.But it wasn't your typical variety of moonshine: the bottles of vodka also contained 10-inch rattlesnakes.
Bob Popplewell, the owner of Bayou Bob's, received widespread attention last year when Texas wildlife officials decided to tighten regulations for the collection of turtles. He is believed to be largest buyer of turtles in the state.
He testified before Texas Parks and Wildlife commissioners that he shipped 12,000 turtles out of state in 2006 and another 30,000 in 2005. Popplewell said that most of the turtles are shipped to Asia where they are considered a delicacy.
There was no evidence that Popplewell was shipping the snake-infused alcohol from his business but the investigation is ongoing.
Source: Star-Telegram
Legend tells that St Patrick rid snakes from Ireland's shores as he converted its peoples from paganism during the fifth century A.D.The Christian missionary supposedly chased the reptiles into the sea after they began attacking him during a 40-day fast he undertook on top of a hill.
An unlikely tale, but Ireland is one of only a handful of places worldwide — including New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, and Antarctica — which have no snakes.
St. Patrick had nothing to do with Ireland's snake-free status, scientists say.
Most scientists point to the most recent ice age, which kept the island too cold for reptiles until it ended 10,000 years ago. After the ice age, surrounding seas may have kept snakes from colonizing the Emerald Isle.
Source: National Geographic
For years it was assumed that snakes couldn't hear, that they sensed prey by smell, taste, and in some species, special heat-sensing pits near the nose.
Basic experiments during the 1970s showed snakes could hear, but didn't explain how.
Now we know.
US and German research shows that snakes have two hearing systems, one via their jaws, providing valuable insight into snake evolution.
After a sound is picked up by a snake's jawbones, it travels into the cochlea, where nerves pick up the signal and transmit it to the brain.
By hearing through their jaw bone and through a traditional ear, snakes essentially evolved a second way to hear, say the researchers.
Source: ABC.net.au
Basic experiments during the 1970s showed snakes could hear, but didn't explain how.
Now we know.
US and German research shows that snakes have two hearing systems, one via their jaws, providing valuable insight into snake evolution.
After a sound is picked up by a snake's jawbones, it travels into the cochlea, where nerves pick up the signal and transmit it to the brain.
By hearing through their jaw bone and through a traditional ear, snakes essentially evolved a second way to hear, say the researchers.
Source: ABC.net.au
Where is St. Patrick when you need him?
* In East Manatte, a 13-foot-long, reticulated python, nicknamed the "Wal-Mart snake," was caught Monday in a culvert near Morgan Johnson Road off State Road 64.
"Reticulated pythons grow to be the longest snake in the world. Up to 33 feet has been reported," local wildlife rehabilitator Justin Matthews said, adding this female, 13-foot-long snake appeared to be approximately 4 years old. "The snake at this age could be potentially dangerous if someone did not know what they were doing and if it got wrapped around their neck. What it basically adds up to is 30 pounds of squeezing pressure per square inch."
* In St. Augustine, there's a new addition to an alligator farm but it's not an alligator... it's another kind of reptile, a 21-foot, 9-inch python. The snake was captured by villagers on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.
Farm officials say it may be the largest snake in captivity.
In Everglades National Park, a snake wrangling tale sounds like a Three Stooges routine.
A 6-foot python sought refuge by slithering up into the engine compartment of tourist Ron DeLong's Ford Explorer.
DeLong attempted to grab the python with the curved end of his walking cane but failed as the snake slithered through.
With the snake now wrapped around his engine, DeLong drove 15 miles to the park's main entrance to get help.
A park ranger, two biologists and a firefighter opened the hood and tried to yank the snake out, but the python just gripped the engine more tightly.
Tasering the snake proved to be an unsuccessful tactic as the python began to contract and excrete bodily fluids all over the four responders.
Our four heroes then disassembled the undercarriage of the vehicle until they could reach the snake. They slapped some duct tape on its mouth and uncoiled the snake from the engine, then killed it.
After putting the car back together again, they brought the snake to the lab for study.
* In East Manatte, a 13-foot-long, reticulated python, nicknamed the "Wal-Mart snake," was caught Monday in a culvert near Morgan Johnson Road off State Road 64."Reticulated pythons grow to be the longest snake in the world. Up to 33 feet has been reported," local wildlife rehabilitator Justin Matthews said, adding this female, 13-foot-long snake appeared to be approximately 4 years old. "The snake at this age could be potentially dangerous if someone did not know what they were doing and if it got wrapped around their neck. What it basically adds up to is 30 pounds of squeezing pressure per square inch."
* In St. Augustine, there's a new addition to an alligator farm but it's not an alligator... it's another kind of reptile, a 21-foot, 9-inch python. The snake was captured by villagers on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.Farm officials say it may be the largest snake in captivity.
In Everglades National Park, a snake wrangling tale sounds like a Three Stooges routine.
A 6-foot python sought refuge by slithering up into the engine compartment of tourist Ron DeLong's Ford Explorer.
DeLong attempted to grab the python with the curved end of his walking cane but failed as the snake slithered through.
With the snake now wrapped around his engine, DeLong drove 15 miles to the park's main entrance to get help.
A park ranger, two biologists and a firefighter opened the hood and tried to yank the snake out, but the python just gripped the engine more tightly.
Tasering the snake proved to be an unsuccessful tactic as the python began to contract and excrete bodily fluids all over the four responders.
Our four heroes then disassembled the undercarriage of the vehicle until they could reach the snake. They slapped some duct tape on its mouth and uncoiled the snake from the engine, then killed it.
After putting the car back together again, they brought the snake to the lab for study.
* A western Pennsylvania man who mailed a bloody cow's head to his wife's lover has been sentenced to probation and community service.
* A drunk man in Munster, Germany, was bitten on the face by a dog after he began chowing down on food from the animal's dish.
* Vietnam has seized more than a ton of ratsnakes found aboard a Vietnam Airlines flight from Bangkok. Last month, the airport authorities also seized 1,550 pounds of snakes aboard a Thai Airways flight to Hanoi.
* Raccoon meat has made its way to Chicago's upscale Moto restaurant, where chef Homaro Cantu created a dish that makes the raccoon look like road kill, complete with a yellow stripe down the center of the plate.
"It was a real eye catcher," Cantu said. "The fact that the dish looked like it was run over was really cool."
* A drunk man in Munster, Germany, was bitten on the face by a dog after he began chowing down on food from the animal's dish.
* Vietnam has seized more than a ton of ratsnakes found aboard a Vietnam Airlines flight from Bangkok. Last month, the airport authorities also seized 1,550 pounds of snakes aboard a Thai Airways flight to Hanoi.
* Raccoon meat has made its way to Chicago's upscale Moto restaurant, where chef Homaro Cantu created a dish that makes the raccoon look like road kill, complete with a yellow stripe down the center of the plate.
"It was a real eye catcher," Cantu said. "The fact that the dish looked like it was run over was really cool."
Police arrested a New York resident Tuesday who was walking down the Montauk Highway with this Burmese python wrapped around his body.Curtis Dewberry, 35, was charged with animal cruelty and failure to protect the public against dangerous wildlife. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 1 year in jail or a $1,000 fine. Dewberry pleaded not guilty.
Source: Newsday
The gigantic python that slithered its way into Columbus' heart on a visit last summer is there to stay.The animal, thought to be the world's longest captive snake, will call the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium home permanently.
Fluffy's Columbus stint was supposed to last from April through Halloween. Zoo Director Emeritus Jack Hanna had arranged the loan from python breeder Bob Clark in Oklahoma City, who'd raised Fluffy from a hatchling.
The 24-foot-long snake with the watermelon-size girth wowed zoo visitors and helped make last year's 1.53 million attendance the second highest on record, Fingerhut said. The biggest year was 2006, with 1.56 million visitors.
So when Nov. 1 rolled around, zookeepers weren't happy about packing up Fluffy for her flight back to Oklahoma City. Then, they got a reprieve. The cargo company scheduled to ferry the 300-pound reticulated snake had gone out of business, and Clark was having trouble finding a substitute.
In the end, the zoo purchased Fluffy for $35,000.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch
Another day, another bizarre world record for Jackie Bibby, the "Texas Snake Man." Bibby spent about 45 minutes in a see-through bathtub with 87 rattlesnakes Monday, fully clothed, shattering his own record by 12 snakes just in time for Guinness World Records Day, which is Thursday. A Guinness official certified the record.
I think last year's feat was better!
Last year he set a Guinness-certified record by holding 10 rattlesnakes by their tails in his mouth at once.
But wait, there's more!
The Texas Snake Man also claims to hold non-sanctioned records for climbing into a sleeping bag head first with 20 rattlesnakes and going in feet first with 112.
I think last year's feat was better!
Last year he set a Guinness-certified record by holding 10 rattlesnakes by their tails in his mouth at once.
But wait, there's more!
The Texas Snake Man also claims to hold non-sanctioned records for climbing into a sleeping bag head first with 20 rattlesnakes and going in feet first with 112.
A 38-year-old Brooklyn woman got quite a surprise when she used her bathroom Monday morning.The New York Daily News is reporting that Nadege Brunacci was washing her hands when she glanced at the toilet and saw a 7-foot python staring back at her.
A man in Oregon nearly died after a pet rattlesnake that he put in his mouth while drinking with some friends bit him inside his throat.Matt Wilkinson said when he put his eastern diamondback rattlesnake down his throat, he immediately noticed a shot-like sensation.
Wilkinson, who nearly died from the incident, is still recovering from the bite.
"They said I had enough venom in me to kill between 12 and 15 people," Wilkinson said. "I still love snakes but I will take a little more care in handling them," Wilkinson said. "It is kind of my own stupid fault."
Really - Duh!
(via)
Turns out, even beheaded rattlesnakes can be dangerous. That's what 53-year-old Danny Anderson learned as he was feeding his horses Monday night, when a 5-foot rattler slithered onto his central Washington property, about 50 miles southeast of Yakima.
Anderson and his 27-year-old son, Benjamin, pinned the snake with an irrigation pipe and cut off its head with a shovel. A few more strikes to the head left it sitting under a pickup truck.
"When I reached down to pick up the head, it raised around and did a backflip almost, and bit my finger," Anderson said. "I had to shake my hand real hard to get it to let loose."
Anderson and his 27-year-old son, Benjamin, pinned the snake with an irrigation pipe and cut off its head with a shovel. A few more strikes to the head left it sitting under a pickup truck.
"When I reached down to pick up the head, it raised around and did a backflip almost, and bit my finger," Anderson said. "I had to shake my hand real hard to get it to let loose."
A flight from Egypt to Saudi Arabia nearly turned into a real-life version of "Snakes on a Plane."
Airport authorities in Cairo detained an Egyptian man Thursday because he was allegedly trying to smuggle 700 live snakes onto a plane.
Authorities were told about the live snakes by the man after he was asked to open his carry-on bag. The man opened the bag and asked the officer not to come too close, probably because two poisonous cobras were among the snakes hidden in the small cloth sacks.
The man said he had hoped to sell the snakes in Saudi Arabia.
Airport authorities in Cairo detained an Egyptian man Thursday because he was allegedly trying to smuggle 700 live snakes onto a plane.
Authorities were told about the live snakes by the man after he was asked to open his carry-on bag. The man opened the bag and asked the officer not to come too close, probably because two poisonous cobras were among the snakes hidden in the small cloth sacks.
The man said he had hoped to sell the snakes in Saudi Arabia.
Google Inc may be famous for instant searches, but it took a bit longer to find a 3-foot python that escaped in its massive Manhattan offices.
The pet of one of its employees, "Kaiser" got loose over the weekend, prompting a search that ended when the snake was found Monday night, according to company spokeswoman Ellen West.
"We are pleased to report that Kaiser was located in the office," West said in a statement. "Kaiser was taken home by his owner and is no longer in the building."
The slippery snake was reported Monday by Valleywag.com, a technology gossip Web site. Valleywag said the gray and brown reptile was brought to the building by an employee who didn't want to be away from it during the work day. It was dangerous to mice but not humans, Valleywag said.
The pet of one of its employees, "Kaiser" got loose over the weekend, prompting a search that ended when the snake was found Monday night, according to company spokeswoman Ellen West.
"We are pleased to report that Kaiser was located in the office," West said in a statement. "Kaiser was taken home by his owner and is no longer in the building."
The slippery snake was reported Monday by Valleywag.com, a technology gossip Web site. Valleywag said the gray and brown reptile was brought to the building by an employee who didn't want to be away from it during the work day. It was dangerous to mice but not humans, Valleywag said.