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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / May 2004Big scare last night...
Well, the big scare really didn't involve me, but it was still quite scary. In the evening news, there was an item about a cobra being spotted in my neck of the woods. It wasn't in my subdivision but in the same area where I live. Witnesses said they saw the huge snake with it's jaws open to its widest capability and it was swallowing a cat! The cat was not moving or struggling, so it was already probably dead. Anyway, they're still looking for the snake. A family in the neighborhood said their cobra had died during the winter and they had buried it. Some of the authorities thought it might not have been dead, and had been revived by the warmth. I hate snakes, so this didn't sit well with me. I went to sleep, and guess what, I had a nightmare. I dreamt the damn cobra had entered my house and was going after Jazz. I grabbed him and ran out to the garage and closed the door between the garage and the kitchen, but the cobra was trying to get out through the door! Then I woke up. Man, my heart was beating a mile a minute. Did I mention I hate snakes? They haven't found the cobra yet. Jazz & his mama  SignatureIrulan from the stars we came, to the stars we return from now until the end of time > Well, the big scare really didn't involve me, but it was still quite > scary. In the evening news, there was an item about a cobra being > spotted in my neck of the woods. I knew that was near you! If it makes you feel any better, they don't think it was a cobra, but a non-poisonous python, but they are still big and can still cause death and problems. I hope they find it, and that whoever does find it doesn't kill it outright just because it is a snake. That would also be tragic. :( SignatureCheryl Do you live in the Dallas area? There is a cobra loose in a condo there. For real. They have no idea how it got there. It is illegal to own, so no one is going to step up and say it is theirs. Where is a mongoose when you need one? Head butts to all, Lisa. > Well, the big scare really didn't involve me, but it was still quite scary. > In the evening news, there was an item about a cobra being spotted in my [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Jazz & his mama In what area of Dallas? Hopefully, far far away from where we are....North North Dallas/Collin County...:-) Liz > Do you live in the Dallas area? There is a cobra loose in a condo there. For > real. They have no idea how it got there. It is illegal to own, so no one is [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > from the stars we came, to the stars we return > > from now until the end of time ":-)Liz" wrote: > In what area of Dallas? Hopefully, far far away from where we are....North > North Dallas/Collin County...:-) Liz Oak Lawn. They caught 1 last week but this second one is really sneaky. I'm scared to death of snakes. If I lived in this condo complex I would have moved out already. Bob SignatureSomewhere in Texas a village is missing it's idiot. ANYONE but Bush in 2004! Good...OakLawn is far far from me...... we had a Sonora Desert Snake get in(in our West Texas home) a couple of years ago.....It was HUGE! and scarey!(they aren't supposely poisonious but their bite is bad...they also eat small kittens and pups!)..It wrapped itself around the hall stool and when I was trying to herd it out in got into the water heater closet(which had a hole into the wall/attic!)When the snake guy got there he couldn't get it out...said there was stuff on the market to drive them away from a home but nothing that would get them out once there...Agggghhhh...He also informed us, that it most likely had been a pet that got mean and agressive and was released(he'd gone on two snake call a couple of times the week before), he also said that they usually paired up! Later that night we heard cats growling and Damn! there was another(different size)..we got that one out! All spring summer and fall we swore we could hear it in the walls and attic!!!!!(we assume he finally left via the dormer vent or froze when winter hit) I still get a creepy feeling(when at home there) that Mr/Mrs. Snake is still about! Bbbbbbrrrr...:-) Liz > ":-)Liz" wrote: > > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Somewhere in Texas a village is missing it's idiot. > ANYONE but Bush in 2004! > ":-)Liz" wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > sneaky. I'm scared to death of snakes. If I lived in this condo complex > I would have moved out already. With all the other snakes in Texas does one cobra make that much of a difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. Makes the dangly bits scrunch up thinking about it. >> ":-)Liz" wrote: >>> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. >Makes the dangly bits scrunch up thinking about it. IIRC, someone else said something about there being a pair of cobras. Sure hope they weren't mates, or there could be more little cobras in the future. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html >With all the other snakes in Texas does one cobra make that much of a >difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. >Makes the dangly bits scrunch up thinking about it. OK, now WAAAIIIITTTT just a minute. WHAT snake comes up through the toilet? For real? What does it *do* after it comes up through the toilet? This type of snake obviously dies, self-destructs and disintegrates once it's on the floor, right? Well? That's just the creepiest thing I've heard today. Sherry Sherry >> With all the other snakes in Texas does one cobra make that much of a >> difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > right? Well? > That's just the creepiest thing I've heard today. Earlier in the thread. Be glad you don't live in Guam. They have an imported brown snake problem there that would be all over the news if it happened in the continental US. These things will climb light poles and short out the power to a neighborhood. Spotting one is a common event. Worst of all, they will swim up a sewer pipe and appear in your toilet bowl. That doesn't happen often, but once is too much for me. Regards, Purrs, and Hisses, O J Gritmon seriously, one of my biggest fears is sitting on the toilet and something bitting my bum....... this thread is starting to freak me out too bad i cant stand to pee....... sandra > >> With all the other snakes in Texas does one cobra make that much of a > >> difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Regards, Purrs, and Hisses, O J Gritmon > >With all the other snakes in Texas does one cobra make that much of a > >difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Sherry Snakes can swim up through the pipes. Rats do it too. It's a good reason to keep the lid down. ;-) ------ Krista Okay, Hopitus is ready now to get blasted by all who share herpiphobia (or whatever fear of snakes is called).....we not only like snakes (don't own any: long ago deduced that snakes and cats don't mix well indoors: a snake big enough for a cat not to injure would not be a snake you would want around your cats, heh) but there is a large King snake who's been living in my backyard for years. He has never come into the house, by toilets or other routes. When we encounter each other, he and I, he slithers off toward the lake below and I just wish him well, always surprised to see him again after all this time. I like him a lot better than the d***** iguanas living back there. : > >With all the other snakes in Texas does one cobra make that much of a : > >difference? Now that snake that comes through the toilet, that's scary. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] : ------ : Krista "Hopitus2" <Hopitus2@att.net> had some very interesting things to say about Re: Big scare last night...: >Okay, Hopitus is ready now to get blasted by all who share herpiphobia (or >whatever fear of snakes is called)..... Ophidiophobia [I have that problem] Signature"Don't mess with major appliances unless you know what you are doing (or unless your life insurance policy is up-to-date)." - John, RCFL >"Hopitus2" <Hopitus2@att.net> had some very interesting things to say >about Re: Big scare last night...: [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Ophidiophobia [I have that problem] My Step-Mom can't even stand to see a snake on TV, either changes the channel or leaves the room. Some 41 years ago I stepped on a rattler. Though it scared me at the time, I didn't develope a strong fear of them. The snake struck me, but I was wearing cowboy boots and the fangs didn't make it to the skin. This was an area, in the California mountains, which was supposedly to high for snakes, but someone forgot to tell the snake. Anway, after all was said and done, it was one VERY dead snake. Mom (not my step-mom) ran out with a .22cal pistol and shot it several times, one neighbor came running with an ax while another neighbor came with a shovel, and between them they shot and chopped it into little pieces and buried it. While they were dispatching the snake, I had my hands full trying to hold onto my Rebel, my german shepherd, who weighed more than I did. Rebel knew something was scaring me and Mom, and he couldn't decide if he should attack the snake or the neighbors. BTW, Rebel was a great d*g, but he only listened to two people, me and my step-dad, and could only be counted on to obey me, which was a good thing that day. Anyway, today if I run across a snake I just give it a wide berth and let it get on with its business. IMHO, they hold a pretty important slot in nature's plan for controlling the balance of things. BTW, I went off on a rant a while back about the annual snake hunts held around here in SW Oklahoma. Sorry to say they managed to catch and kill a grand daddy of a rattler. So some other fool now holds the world record for killing the longest diamondback rattlesnake. ;-(( SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html I don't like them so much I resent people killing them (the poisonous ones). How long was it? It's just that there are lots of non-poisonous that do no harm, but everybody hates snakes of all kinds. At Pet Extravaganzas they have in Ft. Lauderdale sometimes, I always go over and handle the big constrictors if allowed. Snake owners are understandably touchy about who they let mess w/their pets. Personally, aside from their beauty I think snakes would be kinda non-loving pets. And I sure would NOT enjoy feeding them their mice or whatever living prey. : >"Hopitus2" <Hopitus2@att.net> had some very interesting things to say : >about Re: Big scare last night...: [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] : and kill a grand daddy of a rattler. So some other fool now holds the : world record for killing the longest diamondback rattlesnake. ;-(( > At Pet Extravaganzas they > have in Ft. Lauderdale sometimes, I always go over and handle the big > constrictors if allowed. Snake owners are understandably touchy about who > they let mess w/their pets. Personally, aside from their beauty I think > snakes would be kinda non-loving pets. And I sure would NOT enjoy feeding > them their mice or whatever living prey. I like snakes a lot, too. I'm sure they're not very affectionate, though - reptiles aren't really known for their sociability or for their forming of bonds. They don't even take care of their young. But they are beautiful and quite fascinating. But feeding them would get to me, too. You can feed them "snake pellets" - processed meat of some kind, I guess. And I think some people are successful at feeding their snakes dead mice, which is a step above feeding them live mice, but still gross. I think some animals are best left in the wild! Joyce >I don't like them so much I resent people killing them (the poisonous ones). >How long was it? It's just that there are lots of non-poisonous that do no [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >snakes would be kinda non-loving pets. And I sure would NOT enjoy feeding >them their mice or whatever living prey. Well, you know how things grow over the years ;-) I was 9 at the time and will turn 50 this year. At the time it was the first rattlesnake I'd seen in the wild. The way I remember it was about 3 feet long, so it was probably half that. As for killing it, since it was only about 25 yards from two houses. If it had just struck at a kid today, I probably would have reacted the same as Mom and the neighbors. If it could have been caught and taken somewhere away from houses, that would have been best. >: >"Hopitus2" <Hopitus2@att.net> had some very interesting things to say >: >about Re: Big scare last night...: [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >: and kill a grand daddy of a rattler. So some other fool now holds the >: world record for killing the longest diamondback rattlesnake. ;-(( SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html >On Sun, 25 Apr 2004 19:35:44 GMT, "Hopitus2" <Hopitus2@att.net> >wrote: [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >could have been caught and taken somewhere away from houses, that >would have been best. I have only killed one snake in my life, a cottonmouth that I found in a scrap-metal yard where I was working as a security guard. It had probably arrived inside an old car being brought in as scrap. I decided that I didn't want to take the chance that it would be under something on my next trip by, and bite me in the leg, so I found a large rock and tossed it onto the snake's head from out of striking range. This was in the city, not in the country. I sometimes encountered non-poisonous snakes in the scrap yard, and left them alone. I have seen poisonous snakes out in the country, and have merely kept my distance from them. Incidentally, one of the few bits of woods lore that I know is to be wary about stepping over fallen logs, or in front of stones with a sheltered gap underneath. This is the sort of place that a snake is likely to curl up in, and it will feel threatened if your foot suddenly appears in front of it, and possibly strike out at you in self-defense. In the same way, if you are walking through tall grass, it is best to move slowly enough to give any snakes time to move out of the way (after all, the primary purpose of the venom, from the snake's point of view, is for catching its dinner). SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria >I have only killed one snake in my life, a cottonmouth that I found >in a scrap-metal yard where I was working as a security guard. It [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >alone. I have seen poisonous snakes out in the country, and have >merely kept my distance from them. Same here, when I see them in the country I let them be - after all, out in the woods or countryside, they're the ones with a job to do - I'm just passing through. >Incidentally, one of the few bits of woods lore that I know is to be >wary about stepping over fallen logs, or in front of stones with a >sheltered gap underneath. This is the sort of place that a snake is >likely to curl up in, and it will feel threatened if your foot >suddenly appears in front of it, and possibly strike out at you in Which is exactly what I did wrong. Stepped over a log and practically on top of the poor snake. It didn't do anything, only defended itself from the dumb 9 year old kid (me) and the barking d*g. >self-defense. In the same way, if you are walking through tall >grass, it is best to move slowly enough to give any snakes time to >move out of the way (after all, the primary purpose of the venom, >from the snake's point of view, is for catching its dinner). SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > >I have only killed one snake in my life, a cottonmouth that I found > >in a scrap-metal yard where I was working as a security guard. It [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > >move out of the way (after all, the primary purpose of the venom, > >from the snake's point of view, is for catching its dinner). That is what we were always told when hiking. Make quite a bit of noise and don't move to fast in rattlesnake season. They are seldom a problem unless you inadvertently step on one that is sleeping. So be careful about putting your hands or feet where your eyes can't see. Jo Steve Touchstone <stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net> had some very interesting things to say about Re: Big scare last night...: >>>Okay, Hopitus is ready now to get blasted by all who share herpiphobia (or >>>whatever fear of snakes is called)..... >>Ophidiophobia [I have that problem] >My Step-Mom can't even stand to see a snake on TV, either changes the >channel or leaves the room. I can't even stand to touch a printed picture of one. Of course, I'm not as bad off as one of the alt.recovery.clutter regulars. He can't even type the word "snake"! He calls them "limbless things". Signature"Don't mess with major appliances unless you know what you are doing (or unless your life insurance policy is up-to-date)." - John, RCFL Man, that's pretty severe. Limbless things. : Steve Touchstone <stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net> had some very interesting : things to say about Re: Big scare last night...: [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] : not as bad off as one of the alt.recovery.clutter regulars. He can't : even type the word "snake"! He calls them "limbless things". Hi All, There's one thing that snakes are good for in a city environment that you might not have expected. I had taken my pet snake out to visit a friend in Queens NY (still part of NYC) and would be leaving there by car while my SO, who was with me, would be taking the subway back to our place in Manhattan. Once on the subway she was subjected, as women all too often are, to some character sitting down next to her and making unwanted advances. She put up with this for a while, long past the point that anyone should have accepted a polite, "No thanks!" She found a solution though, she took out my six foot indigo snake from his carrier and wrapped it around her neck and arm. Mr. Sleaze took it on the lam and she had vacant seats next to her for the rest of the ride. Regards and Purrs, O J Gritmon Hi All, There's one thing that snakes are good for in a city environment that you might not have expected. I had taken my pet snake out to visit a friend in Queens NY (still part of NYC) and would be leaving there by car while my SO, who was with me, would be taking the subway back to our place in Manhattan. Once on the subway she was subjected, as women all too often are, to some character sitting down next to her and making unwanted advances. She put up with this for a while, long past the point that anyone should have accepted a polite, "No thanks!" She found a solution though, she took out my six foot indigo snake from his carrier and wrapped it around her neck and arm. Mr. Sleaze took it on the lam and she had vacant seats next to her for the rest of the ride. Regards and Purrs, O J Gritmon > Okay, Hopitus is ready now to get blasted by all who share herpiphobia (or > whatever fear of snakes is called).....we not only like snakes (don't own [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > all this time. I like him a lot better than the d***** iguanas living back > there. I don't dislike snakes, but I would probably kill one if it got into the house. My parents' RB cat Patty was bitten by a non-poisonous snake once; she was rushed to the vet and ended up okay, but TED said because the kitties are so small even a non-p snake bite can be lethal to a cat. ------ Krista >> Okay, Hopitus is ready now to get blasted by all who share >> herpiphobia (or whatever fear of snakes is called).....we not only [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >said because the kitties are so small even a non-p snake bite can be >lethal to a cat. If the snake in question was non-poisonous, it is difficult to see how this could be true, unless you are talking about blood loss and/or infection at the bite site. Perhaps he had in mind lesser doses of venom, such as would make a human sick but not be life-threatening, but would be large enough to kill a cat. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria > If the snake in question was non-poisonous, it is difficult to see > how this could be true, unless you are talking about blood loss > and/or infection at the bite site. Perhaps he had in mind lesser > doses of venom, such as would make a human sick but not be > life-threatening, but would be large enough to kill a cat. I believe that is, in fact, what he was talking about; a non-poisonous snake's venom can still sicken a human, and the same amount that can make us sick can kill a cat. I plan to just take his word for it. ;-) ------ Krista >> If the snake in question was non-poisonous, it is difficult to see >> how this could be true, unless you are talking about blood loss [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >his word for it. >;-) Non-poisonous snakes (which happens to be most varieties of snakes) don't have venom. That is why they are called non-poisonous. Some non-poisonous snakes squeeze their prey until it suffocates; other types kill their prey by blood loss or swallow their prey while still alive, in which case it presumably suffocates inside the snake. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria John is correct re the lack of venom. I've been told that nature's anesthesia goes into effect on the soon-to-be-swallowed mice in that type snakes jaws......mouse is in severe shock, which probably kills it along w/suffocation factor. It's just a fact: people don't like snakes, whether they have venom or not. They do have fangs, though, and what would be an annoying venom-less bite to us hoomins might be enough to shock a smaller mammal to death. : -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- : Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] : =bH3F : -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > John is correct re the lack of venom. I've been told that nature's > anesthesia goes into effect on the soon-to-be-swallowed mice in that type [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > annoying venom-less bite to us hoomins might be enough to shock a smaller > mammal to death. Hmmm. I dunno what the vet meant, then. I'd thought that some non-p snakes had venom, just not deadly. Maybe he was just kidding. ------ Krista >Hmmm. I dunno what the vet meant, then. I'd thought that some non-p >snakes had venom, just not deadly. Maybe he was just kidding. I could sort of picture that. Venom of that class would not poison prey, but would make it high, cause a rash, or just induce unconsciousness and paralysis through a placebo effect? :) Usually the only real danger from getting bitten by a non-poisonous snake is that you might hurt yourself. Until recently the received intelligence from the experts was that there were only four species of venomous snakes in the US; rattlesnakes, coral snakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads. The most common bite is from the copperhead, but supposedly there are no verified cases of humans dying from a copperhead bite. Recently they discovered that the hognose snake, also called puff adder, has rear fangs and venom. However they apparently only use the venom for paralyzing prey as there is no record of a human ever dying or even getting sick from a hognose bite. > John is correct re the lack of venom. I've been told that nature's > anesthesia goes into effect on the soon-to-be-swallowed mice in that type [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > annoying venom-less bite to us hoomins might be enough to shock a smaller > mammal to death. Down here we have rattlers, cottonmouth moccasins, and coral snakes (rare). I don't think those copperheads live around here, but I believe they're common in western US. : Usually the only real danger from getting bitten by a non-poisonous : snake is that you might hurt yourself. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] : > annoying venom-less bite to us hoomins might be enough to shock a smaller : > mammal to death. Someone posted about this snake yesterday, I do hope they catch it soon I too hate snakes, my Daughter freakes out even at itty-bitty worms Jean.P. > Well, the big scare really didn't involve me, but it was still quite scary. > In the evening news, there was an item about a cobra being spotted in my [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > from the stars we came, to the stars we return > from now until the end of time >Someone posted about this snake yesterday, I do hope they catch it soon I >too hate snakes, my Daughter >freakes out even at itty-bitty worms Jean.P. Be glad you don't live in Guam. They have an imported brown snake problem there that would be all over the news if it happened in the continental US. These things will climb light poles and short out the power to a neighborhood. Spotting one is a common event. Worst of all, they will swim up a sewer pipe and appear in your toilet bowl. That doesn't happen often, but once is too much for me. Regards, Purrs, and Hisses, O J Gritmon > Be glad you don't live in Guam. They have an imported brown > snake problem there that would be all over the news if it happened in > the continental US. I just mentioned this in a post yesterday. The brown snakes have no natural predators in Guam and their population has exploded. Yes, they are very destructive. However, I thought that in more recent years, the people there had started to resolve the situation. Joyce Great balls of fire, thats too scary for me! Jean.P. > >Someone posted about this snake yesterday, I do hope they catch it soon I > >too hate snakes, my Daughter [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Regards, Purrs, and Hisses, > O J Gritmon >Well, the big scare really didn't involve me, but it was still quite scary. >In the evening news, there was an item about a cobra being spotted in my [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >Jazz & his mama What a horrible thing to happen; and then the nightmare. I think I would be having nightmares, too. I hope they catch it very soon. And purrs for the poor kitty. CATherine lrulan said: > Well, the big scare really didn't involve me, but it was still quite scary. > In the evening news, there was an item about a cobra being spotted in my > neck of the woods. It wasn't in my subdivision but in the same area where I > live. I can understand it being scary. Witnesses said they saw the huge snake with it's jaws open to its > widest capability and it was swallowing a cat! > The cat was not moving or struggling, so it was already probably dead. > Anyway, they're still looking for the snake. A family in the neighborhood > said their cobra had died during the winter and they had buried it. Some of > the authorities thought it might not have been dead, and had been revived by > the warmth. Hmmm. A cobra in the area, and a family in the neighborhood supposedly buried their DEAD cobra. Yeah, right. I would bet they just let it loose. I would notify animal control or other authorities about them personally. What happens if someones kid is next? Poor cat. |
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