[vonBaloney]

Doing some shedding

[noelcmn]

Some images from the snake show at the Orphanage where I also work. Great fun, wonderful learning experience for our children. When this Burmese Python starting to creep out of its box, great consternation occurred, with some kids and staff running away.
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The harmless Corn Snake was very popular with the brave


As was the Milk Snake


Some images of the kids with the snakes- this young lady overcame her fears, but it is evident here she is not comfortable


My work colleague that was one of those that ran away at the sight of the Python. I thought she was going to faint, but eventually she braved it and here is her victory sign. But it is one thing to handle a small harmless snake, a four+ meter Python is another story . She went nowhere near it.


To give an idea of its size


This young lady is interested in Veterinary Science, so she loved the opportunity.

[OrchidJulie]

Some images from the snake show at the Orphanage where I also work. Great fun, wonderful learning experience for our children. When this Burmese Python starting to creep out of its box, great consternation occurred, with some kids and staff running away.

Burmese pythons! Oh, they are a scourge here! The state of Florida has a bounty on them, professional python hunters go out into the Everglades to trap and kill them. The snakes have decimated most of the mammals in the Everglades -- all the rabbits, raccoons, possums, even some deer. There's even a video (sorry, I don't have the link, but you could probably Google it) of a battle between a HUGE python and an equally large alligator...gruesome, neither survived it. <ick> But years ago, at my former workplace, we found a python on the property, actually it was about two feet from the office back door... not a huge one, as Burmese pythons go, this one was maybe 7-8 feet. We trapped it and put it in a large dog crate, in the shade, waiting for a reptile guy to come get it... and we learned, in the process, just exactly which staff members were afraid of snakes and which weren't. The fellow who was the supervisor of the farm's outside workers was so terrified of this python that he wouldn't come within 100 feet of the crate. For the record, I am not afraid of snakes, although I don't want anything to do with the venomous ones. Corn snakes and the like are no problem, I wasn't afraid of the python, either.

[swanlefitte]

I can't blame people for an ingrained sense of fear.
Florida has about 44 species of snake, 6 venomous. In the entire US only about 5 deaths a year.
South Africa has 130-160 species. At least 10 venomous. Like the egyptian cobra which can kill an adult elephant in 15 minutes. The spitting cobra. The Black Mamba which moves 20km/h and is 100% lethal without anti venom. The Puff Adder which injects up to 3x lethal dose. The Gabon Viper with 2" fangs. There are around 18 deaths a year in SA.
However about 20,000 deaths a year in Africa due to unavailable treatment.

[KC0PET]

---------- Post added 07-22-21 at 07:29 AM ----------

Burmese pythons! Oh, they are a scourge here! The state of Florida has a bounty on them, professional python hunters go out into the Everglades to trap and kill them. The snakes have decimated most of the mammals in the Everglades -- all the rabbits, raccoons, possums, even some deer. There's even a video (sorry, I don't have the link, but you could probably Google it) of a battle between a HUGE python and an equally large alligator...gruesome, neither survived it. <ick> But years ago, at my former workplace, we found a python on the property, actually it was about two feet from the office back door... not a huge one, as Burmese pythons go, this one was maybe 7-8 feet. We trapped it and put it in a large dog crate, in the shade, waiting for a reptile guy to come get it... and we learned, in the process, just exactly which staff members were afraid of snakes and which weren't. The fellow who was the supervisor of the farm's outside workers was so terrified of this python that he wouldn't come within 100 feet of the crate. For the record, I am not afraid of snakes, although I don't want anything to do with the venomous ones. Corn snakes and the like are no problem, I wasn't afraid of the python, either.

Another intriguing invasive species issue. There are quite a few related videos and photos on the web. You piqued my interest!

[OrchidJulie]

---------- Post added 07-22-21 at 07:29 AM ----------



Another intriguing invasive species issue. There are quite a few related videos and photos on the web. You piqued my interest!

Their numbers are estimated to be in the many thousands in the Everglades... there are no predators (except the python hunters) to keep the population in check. Some of the hunters have resorted to tagging the females in order to lure the males. Whatever works, I guess.

[cooks333]

An American Alligator living the good life on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

[OrchidJulie]

An American Alligator living the good life on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Excellent portrait!

[pepperberry farm]

one of the many ornate box tortoises that hang out here:

[pepperberry farm]

skink

[ramseybuckeye]

I had already posted one of the photos in the wildlife thread, first time I've ever saw a timber rattlesnake in the wild.

[macronaut]

Water monitor getting some sun

[macronaut]

Skink with the Irix 150 macro

[macronaut]

This lizard was arching its back to make a statement but I could not translate

[macronaut]

Bobtail lizard saying aargh!