Snake snacks

Snake with possum in belly
(Image courtesy of Simon Grainger)

So it's been a bit of a snake-week. First my mum rings me up to tell me the dog just wandered obliviously past a 2m long python while my parents were screaming at her to RUN AWAY, then I actually have to hang up from that conversation to take a call from the owners of an 8 week old kitten whom they have just pulled from the jaws of death (another python). Other than being in shock (to which I replied, "Well, if something just tried to eat me I'd be in shock too!), the kitten was okay, and they brought her into the clinic the following morning to have a wound on her leg checked. After the call I rang my mum back and we wondered how anyone could let their little kitten outside at night in Australia and NOT have something try to eat it.

Turns out the cat wasn't outside, the snake was inside...under the dining room table...hoping that no-one would notice it trying to make a meal out of their pride and joy. The owner said she had never even touched a snake before and they were all panicking so she just "did what they do on TV" and grabbed it by the neck behind the head, twisting it as far as she could until it let go of the kitten's paw, while her husband uncoiled its body from the rest of the cat, which takes more than a little strength as those buggers are STRONG. They are now getting a builder in to completely snake-proof the house. I would hope so - imagine if one of those found you while you were sleeping! Small vets could disappear without a trace...

And this isn't the only case we've had. A few weeks ago another client brought their 9 week old fluffy puppy in to be checked out after he had pulled it out of a python's grip. To be fair on the snake's part, it DID look a little like a rabbit. Apparently he had to hit the snake with a boogie board to make it let go of the pup. I know it's a horrible situation but I can't help chuckling every time I picture the guy whacking a snake with a boogie board. The pup was fine but no doubt traumatised for life and I don't see it ever learning to fetch sticks.

I was also told about a guy who had five chickens in a pen and a python managed to get through the wire. When he went to check on the chickens the following morning the only sign of life in the pen was one snake too fat to fit back through the wire due to five chicken-sized lumps in its belly.

So the moral of the story is to keep an eye on any pets that are small and fluffy and look like tasty snake-treats, or otherwise just have a python as a pet and hope no bigger snake comes along looking for dinner.