Snake Bite!

[Dalene Steenkamp (Coetzee)]

Incredeble!

Could this be due to altitude or humidity or temperature?   Come on all you entomologistical pro's - shine the light on this topic for us, please.

[Claire Mc Cullagh]

probably is the weather - thats why there are so many Irish all over the world.  The weather here is that crap that anyone one with any sence moves to a better climate.  hahahaha swim

[barb (Fry)]

As you asked - the original reason was due to the climate but not as you know it now ---

snakes can't swim across the water (icy North sea), that surrounds Ireland, and this is the reason there are no snakes
(New Zealand also has no snakes for the same reason).
you can go back some million years to when snakes evolved - at that time Ireland was under water and later covered in ice for periods of time so snakes would not have survived the evolution period in these locations as they need warmth.  The reason there are no snakes on the pole regions.

[Carl Wrbka]

In South Africa, not even your pets are safe anymore. With apologies to all cat lovers.

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Dave Hurrell, a doctor in Oranjemund was bitten by a dwarf adder - early 80s if I remember correctly.  He was trying to photograph it - I remember his thumb nail falling off and his finger swelling to a nice fat sausage shape but luckily for him it was a baby.

[Michael Alexander]

Is'nt he bit old to still have a baby thumb?

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Oh, very !  Baby adder! 

[Michael Alexander]

Gee! AUnty CHerry... you're sparking today.....must be a friday thing....   :emot19:

[Florrie van Zyl (Muir)]

Terrick used to keep snakes, mostly harmless ones and I got quite used to handling them. Just couldn't stand the feeding ritual, little mouse etc. One night he didn't put the lid on the snake house properly and we were watching TV when my daughter got up to get a coldrink and nearly stood on the house snake and screamed. Hubby ran to switch on the light and I decided I had to grab the snake before it got under the fridge and then you struggle to get hold of them. I grabbed the snake too far back and he must have got a fright and whipped up and bit me. Just felt like pin pricks with two tiny little cuts and almost no blood. Posting a picture of his then girlfriend and the neighbours daughter holding one of his snakes, an Albino Burmese python. They don't have a venomous bite but the bite is very painful as they bite with back teeth and rip a bit.