Not a real combat, we think, but quite an annoying encounter – for the snake.
The birds around our house continuously watch and guard us against intruders such as snakes. They make a racket and fly and flutter around it until the snake has enough of it and moves away. This time it was only one bird, a fiscal shrike which called our attention. The little raskal was attacking the snake – surely not in earnest, but with quite some dedication.
Nothing much happened, but the Boomslang definitely was pretty annoyed and reared and struck again and again, to no avail, of course.
Here it notices our presence – the photographer – and considers its options.
We have had a number of encounters with boomslange – one time curled up in our bathroom among the towels. It had retreated there to moult, eyes all glazed over. We gently shoohed her (?) into a bag and let her free outside. These snakes – though highly poisonous – are non-agressive and usually retreat quietly if encountered. They are on average 1,2 m growing up to 2 m. This one we calculated to be about 1,3 m+. It seems it has been living around our house for the last three years or more.
So much for now.
With love
Colleen & Walter
Betty’s Bay, 1 Feb, 2011
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