Saving Snakes

Category: 1. Typhlopidae - BLIND SNAKES | Date: Nov 29 2007 | By: admin

Today we collected a very nice specimen of the rare Yellow Backed Blind Snake Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus in Watamu. We have found them in the area before but not much is known about them. The last one we had we got to eat the small white termites and also it occasionally would eat ants eggs. We decided to keep this one to try and learn some more about them.

Photos by Royjan Taylor

Technorati : Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus, Yellow Backed Blind Snake

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Category: 4. Colubridae - TYPICAL SNAKES | Date: Nov 29 2007 | By: admin

This is actually a comment just in in from one of our Blog readers.

Couple of months ago, saw a vehicle in Tsavo E, NP run over a Sand Snake…I got out of my vehicle and tail caught the snake which was heading into the brush. Its skin was torn but I don’t think the ribs were broken. Otherwise, it was very lively and strong, about a metre long. Besides the dark speckles, it had an orange head and black and yellow stripes…so I figured it was a Speckled Sand Snake? Hope it was able to heal itself from this rude encounter with the Land Rover.

KatherineHerzog

Thank you Katherine! Good to hear that there are others out there willing to help save snakes. Yes the Speckled Sand Snake Psammophis punctulatus is probably the most common sand snake found in Tsavo East. The ones there belong to the southern race Psammophis punctulatus trivigatus and differ from the nominate race, found in from the horn of Africa through to the Sudan, in having the extra yellow stripes along the back. Below is a photo of one we caught on one of our Catch and Release Snake Safari’s with clients in Watamu earlier this year.

Photos by Royjan Taylor

Technorati : Psammophis punctulatus, Speckled Sand Snake, Tsavo East

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Category: F. OTHER STUFF | Date: Nov 29 2007 | By: admin

Today I thought I would introduce you to the Bio-Ken experience. This is a program that we created here at Bio-Ken for our visitors that do not have a specific research project. It accommodates students of all ages that wish to come and work with us to gain some practical experience in working with reptiles and especially snakes which we are internationally recognised for. We are well known for our high standards in reptile husbandry and snake bite treatment and Students from all over the world come and stay in Naja House our research accommodation at Bio-Ken Snake Farm. More info can be found on our web site www.bio-ken.com under research. Walter Schere is a student with St Lawrence University (USA) and is currently doing the Bio-Ken experience for a month, he has been here for about two and a half weeks now and this is from his Journal yesterday.

28 November 2007 (Day 17)

Today was an extremely exciting day because Ferry and I had arranged to go on a Vine Snake hunt to a place that Royjan had suggested. Royjan also the gave the go ahead to do this trip. We left at 7:30 and hiked down the road and took a right down a small dirt road. On the road we met Dengris (a local old snake man who is actually good at finding snakes). He reeked a bit of palm wine and didn’t speak to much English. We headed into the bush after that. We all split up looking from the ground to the sky. Dengris spotted a spotted bush snake, which we eventually caught. I missed it by two cm on the first shot but missed. Ferry got it after that with a snake noose. I held it and it bit me pretty good. Hadn’t been bit by snake in a while. Forgot it didn’t hurt at all. We released the snake there. We hiked quite a bit longer before we hit the “Jimba cave”. At the trail head we let a chameleon loose and waited for a bit to see if it would attract either a boomslang or a vine snake.

We hiked down to the cave afterwards. Nothing like I was expecting it to be. We were in a low (height) forest/bush land and all of sudden there was a huge cave that just went down. Ferry and Dengris had to ask permission to enter (Hodi…) because this was a real witchdoctor’sw cave. There were three or four chambers to the cave, the ceiling had some holes to let light in. A huge buttress tree had grown straight out of the cave through a massive hole. We caught a couple jumping frogs in the cave. In the cave we had to give a couple coins into a dish as a thank you to the higher spirits.

We hung out a bit more at the cave entrance setting the chameleon loose again. Still nothing. After that try we headed off to another small forest. Took us a while to get there. We set the chameleon loose there and waited for almost an house, still nothing. So we headed home, which happened to pass by Dengris house. Ferry climbed a coconut tree to get us some mondafu (young coconut). Had to dehusk the coconut and chopped the top off. The coconut milk (more like) water tasted ok, nothing great. Ate some of the flesh inside, which was a weird substance, kind of of jelly like. Came back to the Snake Farm and ate some leftovers for lunch.

Bonnie and I finished putting the metal bars away and tidying up the back of house area. Sanda seemed pleased with the end result which was nice. There wasn’t to much more going on after that. Fed two of the baby bush vipers but the one didn’t eat. Still to skittish. Dengris came back and told us there was another snake call for a “python”. When we got to the village and the young girl showed us where she had seen it it was no where to be found. Did a lot of good walking today. Pretty tired now. Ferry, Katie, and Alison are coming over for dinner. Were having samaki, skuma wiki, and ugali. Should be a delicious meal.

Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Walter Schere

Photos by Alex Maluta

Technorati : Bio-Ken experience, Jimba, Naja house, Research

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