Snakes and their hiding places

@JudyEv (340229)
Rockingham, Australia
February 13, 2022 3:54am CST
In a recent post, Anna (@LadyDuck) commented about moving a bush with a stick to make sure there wasn’t a snake underneath. We once had a property in Western Australia’s south-west. It was a swampy area and a favourite haunt of tiger snakes. A bite from one of these can be deadly and they are also aggressive. We had the pasture cut and baled and quickly learnt to use a rake to turn the bales on their side before picking them up. All too often there would be a snake hiding underneath. In the ‘olden days’, hay was also made into sheaves. The photo shows a wagonload of badly stacked sheaves. A few minutes after the photo was taken, the load all slipped to the ground.
29 people like this
28 responses
@LadyDuck (471459)
• Switzerland
13 Feb 22
I also stump around wearing boots before mowing the lawn, one day a snake slithered through the grass in front of me and I almost fell into the brook to escape. A look at the photo made me think that the load risked to slip to the ground.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
13 Feb 22
When I was a kid, there were always snakes in our yard. I remember mowing one day and a big snake came rushing at me. I quickly turned the lawn mower around and the snake was gone... Mom wasn't happy about me killing the snake but I thought it was going to eat me!
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471459)
• Switzerland
13 Feb 22
@DaddyEvil - I was too scared, I got my hands off the mower handler, so it stopped, and I rushed out from the lawn. I sent outside my husband to check. We have snakes in this area, the brook runs along our garden, those are not dangerous snakes, but they can bite, they hiss, they scare me!
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
13 Feb 22
@LadyDuck We have dangerous snakes here. They're rarely found in the city but I grew up in the country.
3 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46968)
• India
13 Feb 22
The picture reminds me of some overloaded trucks we see on our highways as well as overloaded tractors. Things are a bit better now. So did you had any "troublesome" encounter with any snake? I think while being in a heavy concrete jungle, we could be slightly away from the nature but on a plus side, we are away from snakes and similar creatures. It is another matter that we have seen or heard about snakes creeping up in gated societies as well!
3 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46968)
• India
13 Feb 22
@JudyEv So did you use a stick or some other means?
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (46968)
• India
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv But it is better that snakes stay away from one's house.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
It's surprising sometimes just where snakes turn up even when you think there are none in the neighbourhood. I have killed a couple of snakes that were too close to the house for comfort.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51027)
• Canada
13 Feb 22
Snakes are good at finding hiding places. I do not remember ever seeing a snake in any of the fields that we had when I was growing up. We used to have about 1 sighting a year when we lived at our old place in the country. I researched what attracts snakes to your yard in our area, and when I did that I realized that we had done everything so we should have seen alot more then 1 snake a year. I suppose that the snakes hide to protect themselves under the bales, that way they don't become supper for a hawk.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
Yes, the bales made a good hiding place. Sometimes I think the snakes are there but we just don't see them.
3 people like this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Feb 22
I can see how that would happen. Snakes are sneaky creatures.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
They are indeed. For every one we saw, there were probably two or three more.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (16397)
• Raurkela, India
13 Feb 22
I too have snakes in my garden but they are herbernating in winter. From summer onwards they will start coming out. They stay close to the banana plantation and I don't disturb them.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
It's quite possible to live with snakes nearby and for them not to really be a problem.
• Nairobi, Kenya
13 Feb 22
They also like hiding in holes
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
Yes, some do make their homes in holes.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
13 Feb 22
Can't imagine how it would be after slipping to the ground. How much hard work needed to restore the same load. Snakes are very common in our village so at night, must be very careful while walking outside.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv At Village there must be dry leaves are scatted so if you step on a snake then damn sure it will bite. This kind of deaths happened many times. Usually at night time they are in search of their food. Otherwise snakes are not dangerous, they won't bite without any reason.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
@Sreekala They would certainly bite if you tread on them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
Reloading the wagon would be a very difficult task. I don't think snakes are such a danger here at night. For some reason, I've never been too concerned about them at night.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
13 Feb 22
Oh dear yes you would have to be very careful there. I had a house once..yes me..had a house with a lovely big rockery in the front..it had snakes in it.
1 person likes this
• Arvada, Colorado
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv In summer heat they thrived in it
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
@RebeccasFarm I can believe it. The rocks would get lovely and warm.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
Snakes would love a rockery. An ideal home for them.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
13 Feb 22
I'm not surprised that fell off! We're lucky not to have much in the way of dangerous wildlife here.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv Also I think Douglas Adams, in his book 'Last Chance to See'. I seem to remember quite a bit of detail about all the poisonous animals and how you were bound to die because there was no chance of getting any antiserum in time, even in species where some was available.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
People think Australia is full of dangerous creatures but many have never seen a snake. I blame Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
@Fleura Gosh, that sounds very pessimistic. I'll be too afraid to step out the door soon.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
13 Feb 22
Here they seem to hide in rock walls and sun themselves on the lawn. I wear tall Wellies with shorts in the summer.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv That’s why they invented long sundresses
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
@DianneN Oh, of course! Is that what they're for??
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
My fried did that and ended up with very funny-coloured legs - white then brown then white again.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19364)
• London, England
13 Feb 22
There's a hazard I can do without! I saw picture today of an Australian house and there was a huge spider on the wall. I quite like spiders, but don't think I could be quite so sanguine with that huge beastie!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
Probably the big ones are more harmless than the little ones! lol And they say the venom from a daddy-long-legs is poisonous but their fangs can't penetrate the skin.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Feb 22
@Ronrybs It might be an urban myth.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19364)
• London, England
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv I shall never look at Daddy Long Legs in the same way again!
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55035)
13 Feb 22
Snakes are creepy and can be very deadly. We lived on an island for five years during my childhood. We encountered quite a few - never got bitten though.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
They are creepy and I find them unpredictable. I can never work out just which way they might go next.
1 person likes this
@Rashnag (30592)
• Surat, India
13 Feb 22
Beautiful old image. Glad to know about it. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Take care
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Feb 22
Thanks. I hope you have had a good weekend too.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (28882)
• Lichfield, England
15 Feb 22
Yes, you can tell what it's going to do on the picture. That's another good reason not to go and live in Australia. Spiders, the heat, monsoons, Bush fires and now snakes too!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Feb 22
Not to mention beautiful white beaches with oceans full of sharks!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Feb 22
@sharonelton You will have to ask the surfers that. I guess they just love surfing.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (28882)
• Lichfield, England
15 Feb 22
@JudyEv Oh, no! I forgot the sharks! Why do you have surfers when your oceans are full of sharks?!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47344)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Feb 22
Yeah, I was gonna that didn't look like a stable load.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47344)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv Well, I'm not doing it either.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
I'd hate to have to reload all that hay.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (139942)
• Philippines
13 Feb 22
With this, it will surely be the hiding place of snakes and the like.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (139942)
• Philippines
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv I agree. I had seen some when visiting my granny in the countryside.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
Snakes like haystacks and heaps of stones. Of course, there would probably be a lot of mice and rats near a haystack.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
13 Feb 22
I hate snakes!! I dread seeing one.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
17 Feb 22
@JudyEv lol they were Al’ job lol
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Feb 22
@BelleStarr As long as one of a couple can cope I guess.
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
I don't like them but I can cope with them. I have to as Vince can't!!
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
14 Feb 22
Omg, I'm scared of snakes. The mere mention makes my skin crawl
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
I am sure there are many who feel the same as you do.
@LindaOHio (178877)
• United States
13 Feb 22
I'm glad that most of the snakes we see are garter snakes.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
They're the harmless ones, aren't they?
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178877)
• United States
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv Yes. They just eat insects and grubs and stuff like that.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
13 Feb 22
I have many snake stories. I try to forget.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340229)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Feb 22
You could make a discussion about them - get your stories out in the open. Then they might be easier to forget.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
14 Feb 22
@JudyEv Maybe one day.
1 person likes this