Snakes

Morobe’s famous snake man

I am from Widuru, in the Labuta Rural LLG of Nawaeb district, Morobe Province.

My grandmother is from Widuru. She went to what was traditionally known as Bukim, while people these days call it Buingim. You go past Busurum, Ee’c and then there’s Bukim.

My interest in snakes began in 1988 after I researched on a 100-year-old story of how our ancestors charmed a python and it stayed in a haus man. This happened before the early missionaries came.

This special python was a messenger.

Snakes crash through roof of house in Australia

David Tate found one snake in his bedroom and another in the living room on Monday. They weighed 22kg (3.4 stone) between them.

Snake catcher Steven Brown said they were of "exceptional size".

It's thought the two male snakes could have been fighting over a female snake which has not yet been located.

The carpet pythons measured 2.8m (9.1 feet) and 2.5m long.

Mr Tate said he had previously seen snakes basking in the sun on his roof.

"When I came back...there was a large slab [of ceiling] on the kitchen table," he told The Courier-Mail.

New Reptile Precinct to open!

The Park hopes to showcase up to 30 different individual animals from snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, to turtles and frogs.

This will be the only place where people will be able to see venomous snakes on public display.

The Park hopes to use that space as well to educate people on the importance of snakes.

POMNP general manager Michelle McGeorge said they also want to teach people how to protect themselves so that they are not in harm’s way.

Researchers embark on disseminating information on snakebites

A group of researchers in PNG who aim to reduce the number of snakebite cases, which at the moment stands at an estimated 1000 per year, sees this as an important tool.

Charles Campbell Toxinology Centre is a collaboration of the University of Melbourne (UoM) and the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) with the primary focus to improve the treatment of snakebite in PNG though their research. 

What to do with snakes…

Most people would want to kill the snake or call someone else to kill it.

But Susan Fari, wildlife officer with Port Moresby Nature Park, says you should walk away from it.

She says the reason behind most attacks is because they were disturbed.

“They’d only attack if they are disturbed or feel threatened. For a python, they don’t go around looking for prey, they ambush them - meaning, they sleep at a particular area and await their prey.

The Indian tribesmen catching giant snakes in Florida

Masi Sadaiyan and Vadivel Gopal, members of the once-nomadic Irula tribe, are armed with crowbars and machetes. Wearing fleece jackets and baseball caps, they slash and wade their way through the largest subtropical wilderness in the world to hunt down Burmese pythons.

Beware of snakes lurking in the grass

 The only specialised snakebite centre based in Port Moresby, urges people to be careful when out and about, during the months of December to April.

Loop PNG Lifestyle had an interview with Diana Barr, Technical Support Officer with Australian Venom Research Unit, in CCTC and here’s what she had to say:

 “This period is the wet season which brings high rainfall together with high temperatures resulting in a vegetation growth spurt.

“Rats feast on the abundant food supply in people’s gardens. Consequently, snakes move in to feast on rats.