Snake tails

Molly eyeing the chooks

Strolling down the path in the early morning drizzle to let out the chooks I was confronted with the vision of a tiger snake sliding in front of me and the flying black and white legs of a border collie speeding across the top. Yikes! Molly was fleet and keen for the excitement of  watching chooks bursting out of their house. She didn't see the snake - I'm not sure if the snake saw or felt her - it disappeared behind some weeds without changing pace. The vision reminded me of comic strips with multi feet spinning on the spot - except it didn't feel funny. The last thing I wanted was a snake bitten dog.

Mille fleur hen and her chickens

We are  looking after Molly, one of Miske's puppies, over this long weekend. Once the dogs were safely back in the house I let out the chooks and checked beside the path for the snake. It was curled up just a couple of metres further down the path. With the day overcast and damp I figured we could safely call the ranger out to catch the snake, as the snake was likely stay put for a while. The ranger turned up after breakfast, duly caught the snake with his U-beaut catcher, popped it in a big calico bag with wired opening and drawstrings and took it away. His grand daughter had waited in his car during the catching as she wasn't wearing long trousers. Safety first demands leg and foot protection. She wants to be a ranger and she took a good look at the tiger snake once it was in the bag. It was about sixty centimetres long with a rich golden belly and the gold stripes just peaking around the sides, and dark blackish on top.

I remember when we were teenagers, catching the snakes with our bare hands by grabbing them behind the head, popping them in calico bags which we then put in the fridge for a while to slow the snakes down, before tipping them out on the ground to take photographs. The big ones were very strong and twisty, so you had to be confident when holding them. Putting them in the bag was the trickiest bit as I recall. You had to put the head with one hand, and with the other hand hold the head from the outside of the bag before letting go with the inside hand, then get the rest of the snake in the bag as you let go and let it fall in. I wouldn't want to try that now.

I had seen the tiger snake only two days ago on our verandah, sliding past the dog's bed then poking its head past our main sliding door. That was just too close for comfort. I called the dogs inside, put on some thick shoes then went stomping around the house to encourage it to move on. I found it curled up under the dog's bed. I imagined Miske or Molly sleeping on the bed with a tiger snake sleeping underneath. No..! I stomped and banged some more and the snake unwound and disappeared under our decking. I stomped the decking, and then stomped the decking some more. I stomped the decking the next day just to make sure. We didn't see it again till it turned up today. I'm glad it allowed itself to be quietly caught and taken away. And I'm glad neither of the dogs were bitten in their gallivanting around the garden.

Molly diving in the dam

As I have no photos of dogs running on top of tiger snakes, I give you dogs gallivanting in the dam instead. It is summer after all.