Daughter just emptied some peelings into the compost bin - onto an ADDER.
Don't like it!! Glad to see that no one has died from a bite since 1972.
I got a small bite once and I still love 'em. My mate got bitten by a small one the other day and I told him he had joined an exclusive club. Right proud I am ::)
YOUR COMPOST BIN MUST BE AT A GREAT TEMPERATURE ;D
IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE UNLESS IT WAS REALLY HOT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER, BUT THE MOUSE POPULATION MUST BE A LITTLE THIN ON THE GROUND.
WISH WE CULD GET ONE ON OUR LOTTIE. THEY ARE FASCINATING CREATURES :D ;D
Tim, I'm sure one day your daughter will look back on this as one of those "close to nature" adventures that are all too rare in today's sterilised and risk-free world.
When I was a lad me and my mate played on the railway line along the back of the house (didn't have motorways in those days, so the railway was best game in town); you could hear the steam train coming from miles away (and there was only one each way each day 'cos it was a freight branch line).Â
I remember one day in a summer holiday we were lumberjacks cutting down giant (well, maybe not...) sycamore saplings with our sheath knives.
We went hunting for slow worms most sunny days, and brought them home to show off to our relatives. We got very good at it, lifting tin sheets or wooden boxes or cardboard - whatever - and grabbing them behind the head like lightning.
One day I caught a great big slow worm that was darkly black and zig-zaggy sort of patterned; I took it home to show my mum and she had a purple fit!
I must have been aged about eight, I suppose. It would seem that I survived, and I'm sure the adder was more frightened of me than I was of it.Â
It is a memory that triggers so many other good memories.
Oooooh!!
goose bumps
plural noun
pimply condition of skin: temporary pimples on the skin brought on by cold or fear or by sudden excitement, and caused by the contraction of connective tissues papillae at the base of hairs
Tim, I too suffer from the same condition regarding ANY snake.
I found the remains of one down our plot a few weeks ago, well decomposed etc.
I am not kidding when I say it was as much as I could do to pick it up with gloves on......still thinking about it! And I promise I am anything but squeamish.
My fear of them is beyond rational explanation! ;D
They must be more scared of us than we are of them??
Don't worry Tim and Mothy....Snakes are more nervous of you, than you are of them...........Honest.
If you see a native snake, it usually means one of four things......
(1) It's sick, and can't get awayquick enough
(2) It's cold and wants warming up
(3) It's just eaten and can't move quick enough....or
(4) it didn't feel you coming.
Snakes automatically move away from vibration ( unless you smell like essence of mouse), and will stay hidden until movement and vibration have gone away.
Adders especially are mild mannered snakes, and you've really got to upset it before it will strike at you.
The best way to move it is to use a piece of hardboard to use as a shield to guide it away from your veggie plot to somewhere more convenient.
REMEMBER THEY ARE PROTECTED....SO DON'T HURT IT.
If all else fails.....and I'm not too far away...then give me a shout and I'll move it.
Cheers
Ruth
Terrified of spiders in the house, but snakes, LOVE "EM! Think they are the most gorgeous thing, and the great thing is, the kids love them to! ;D
Me too EJ :) Had boas and pythons crawling all over me at my son's play group the other day (a holiday visit from the local animal shelter people, not the usual state of the place!). They looked beautiful and felt wonderful - beats your average massage hollow! But I run screaming from anything at home that I can count eight legs on ;D  Odd things, phobias.
Thats great Tim. I haven't seen an adder in about 5 years - not thta I'd want one in the garden with the children around. We had a slow-wrom this year though which was nice and the children enjoyed handling that.
I really like snakes and used to keep them before I went to uni - had a couple of pythons and corn snakes.
I used to keep grass snakes when I was a kid. I'd like to have another but it would cause major palaver and probably a mass exodus of the rest of the family. Africans don't like snakes!
coma across adders at work quite often lovely creatures.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 30, 2005, 03:34:29
I used to keep grass snakes when I was a kid. I'd like to have another but it would cause major palaver and probably a mass exodus of the rest of the family. Africans don't like snakes!
same here would love to keep snakes but oh would have a hairy fit and properly file for divorce. have to make do with tropical fish instead that was hard enough to get her to agree too now she loves to sit and watch them for hours.
Yes, thats my problem as well. Kids like 'em, and to be honest think wifey would tolerate them (talked her into a garter snake once but the cat ate it :'().
Its more because no one will visit her - mum included!
lol take It the cat "liked it"
love corn snakes found this one on goggle
(http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2691/okateecornsnake1a0tw.th.jpg) (http://img247.imageshack.us/my.php?image=okateecornsnake1a0tw.jpg)