Ken Gargett Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 for those who have followed this sad saga, and they can be immediately labelled as having way too much time, the latest round was fought on the battlefield this arvo. no clear winner yet. first visit was last year and photos were posted. a beautiful carpet python of around 7-8 feet, wonderflly coloured - quite brown and gold. was gently pushed off the balcony. reappeared a few day later to give me the shock of my life - was curled up around some pink fizz in the garage and did not want to go. no further sign last year. with the early arrival of summer, the snakes are back out in force and one was peacefully curled up on the balcony recently, draped half over rob's usual chair. it was a gorgeous greeny colour, quite docile, and a little miffed when pushed off the balcony. over the last week or two, have noticed quite a few pot plants knocked over on the balcony - could be possums of snakes. one had been knocked over last night and then this arvo, was stepping out on to the balcony wondering why i'd left a chair where i did, when i noticed a large python curled up in a corner. it seems that this is where he likes to reside. much as i think it a beautiful snake, living with a python at your feet is not really for me. rang lone pine, national parks, australia zoo etc to see if they wanted it. national parks put me on to australia zoo. australia zoo said they could not help as national parks would fine them. don't ya just love bureaucracy!! so i had to do something but did not want to kill it, just wanted to convince it that this was not a fun place for it. it slept through all this in a big ball. web said hot/boiling water does not kill them (does make them grumpy) so thought this might work. let it cool a little. it obviously caused some discomfort but not that much. i have two large heavy eskies, one on top of the other, near where it was an when it decided to moved, pushed them aside as though they were twigs. finally, it got tired of this and stretched out. BLOODY HELL. not my nice little docile carpet python. this one was 12 foot, if it was an inch. that puts it up near the known largest length - not quite but too close for me. it was a seriously long and fat snake. eventually i got tired of the games as well and pushed him, probably a her, off the balcony. this thing could easily kill and swallow a small child. hopefully it will stay away from the balcony for a bit. and the pink fizz. i should add that when i saw this thing unfurl itself on the balcony in one line, i felt a bit like ray schieder (sp?) in jaws - 'i'm gonna need a bigger balcony'.
Stalebread Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Wait a minute! How do you push a fat, 12 foot long snake off the balcony? I mean, did you just walk over to it and poke it with your toe? Did you get a broom? Didn't it put up any resistance?
Ken Gargett Posted September 18, 2009 Author Posted September 18, 2009 Wait a minute! How do you push a fat, 12 foot long snake off the balcony?I mean, did you just walk over to it and poke it with your toe? Did you get a broom? Didn't it put up any resistance? i'd softened it up with the hot water, though that seemed to be a minor discomfort only. i managed to poke and prod it to head down the far end of the balcony - the fence/railing has a gap of a few inches at the base, just enough for this to fit. and when he got to the where it was turn around or go over, he was sniffing about and i gave him a few shoves. i have what i believe is an african snake catcher's stick. found it in a river in the cameroons years ago and took it with me travelling for a year or so and to my amazement, aussie customs let me bring it in. a stick between 4 1/2 and 5 feet long, hard wood but relatively light, has been polished at some time and at one end, has a small fork (bit too small for this fellow). carpet snakes are largely docile - i saw one many years attack some blokes - mind you it was under their house, they had little kids and they had belted it with a shovel. they eventually killed it. but generally, quiet. apparently about 6 sub species and some more docile than others but they are highly prized by snake collectors for their nature and beautiful colouring. but i imagine if i walked out and stood on it, it would bite and it has one serious gob.
tugboat Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Hire that farmers killer rabbit for a month.
thechenman Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 12 foot snake could feed a lot of people...
Colt45 Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Not the first snake to go over your railing, but certainly the longest - by about twelve feet........
tigger Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 It's not that I don't take you at your word Ken, but this smacks of creating a mythology in order to win a campaign of some sort... By the time the ballots are counted, it will have morphed into you slaying a 17 foot King Cobra with one arm, whilst a young Sophia Loren in a Princess Leia slave outfit finds comfort on the other. You politicians disgust me.
Colt45 Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 You politicians disgust me. It does seem that he's become all, that in the past, he claimed to despise.... All hail the puppet prince!
Mr Peales Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Jeez Ken, Take some pics next time. We want to see these things. Maybe some video reviews of your guests? Golden brown with a uniform sheen, I would give it a 91, 93 with a few more years on it. -P
jquest63 Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Are there any python wranglers in the house? Hot water and a long stick sounds brave but very risky.
Ken Gargett Posted September 18, 2009 Author Posted September 18, 2009 Are there any python wranglers in the house? Hot water and a long stick sounds brave but very risky. not sure i had much choice but would welcome any ideas. starting to feel a bit like david attenborough. yesterday morning i had a cormorant diving in the creek, not sure what for. the ducks have been having a whale of a time, so to speak. and this morning, no snake but i saw a big fat eel in the creek, possibly celibrating the eels' win last night (local rugby league for non aussies). and something i could not see made one hell of a splash. about to start charging admission.
El Presidente Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 If you have time to boil water you have time for a Nice Colt....Nice
Ken Gargett Posted September 18, 2009 Author Posted September 18, 2009 If you have time to boil water you have time for a Nice Colt....Nice i have the reject from 'annaconda' on the balcony and my first thought was making certain you get to see a photo. are you serious? i might toss a few dead rats around shortly before you next arrive and see if your first reaction is art.
jquest63 Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 not sure i had much choice but would welcome any ideas.starting to feel a bit like david attenborough. yesterday morning i had a cormorant diving in the creek, not sure what for. the ducks have been having a whale of a time, so to speak. and this morning, no snake but i saw a big fat eel in the creek, possibly celibrating the eels' win last night (local rugby league for non aussies). and something i could not see made one hell of a splash. about to start charging admission. I don't know if this helps, but found it thrilling
Ken Gargett Posted September 19, 2009 Author Posted September 19, 2009 I don't know if this helps, but found it thrilling not certain letting loose tigers would solve the problem and to be fair, that python is a touch larger than mine.
Habanos2000 Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 not sure i had much choice but would welcome any ideas.starting to feel a bit like david attenborough. yesterday morning i had a cormorant diving in the creek, not sure what for. the ducks have been having a whale of a time, so to speak. and this morning, no snake but i saw a big fat eel in the creek, possibly celibrating the eels' win last night (local rugby league for non aussies). and something i could not see made one hell of a splash. about to start charging admission. Ken... wake up.... you fell asleep in the zoo again....
Tampa1257 Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 Ken, this is all BS without a Photo. STFU with your whineing until you can prove your very unlikely story, Yawwwn
Ken Gargett Posted September 19, 2009 Author Posted September 19, 2009 Ken, this is all BS without a Photo.STFU with your whineing until you can prove your very unlikely story, Yawwwn ah, tampa, how sad that life has come to this, where one member of the forum is not believed unless he can produce corrobatory evidence. does a man's word mean so little? nexxt time i am doing battle with oversized wildlife, i'll do my best.
Tampa1257 Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 Ken, just saying that until you started providing photos of your fishing skills, no one believed you tall tales.
Ken Gargett Posted September 19, 2009 Author Posted September 19, 2009 Ken, just saying that until you started providing photos of your fishing skills, no one believed you tall tales. which should convince that between the pirate capt and myself, one of us tells the truth!
SmokinAl Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 Ken, this is all BS without a Photo.STFU with your whineing until you can prove your very unlikely story, Yawwwn I've got one that size in the workshop (we've named him Bruce Snakestein for no particular reason). He's bigger, heavier and stronger than I am. The bastard is so big, he beeps when he reverses. We relocated him about 1k into the bush behind me, he was back 3 days later. I'd suggest naming him and keep in mind he will keep other snakes away. As an added bonus, no danger of anyone busting into your wine cellar and turning it over if you've got a guard snake.
cvm4 Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 As long as he doesn't see you as food, then keep the bastard! It might hurt your game with the ladies once they realize you don't have a 12ft. snake on your person
Jimmy2 Posted September 19, 2009 Posted September 19, 2009 Kill the dam thing!! Get a hammer and bash its head in or chop its head off with the big bladed knife. Ken you never killed anything before ? Wish i was their i would take care of this problem..
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