Sorry, I just couldn't resist the dreadful pun. Must be too much christmas cheer. Mind you, this diamond python looks like it has been partaking as well. I've no idea what it has just eaten - a good sized snack whatever it was and I must have just missed it - it isn't hissing at me, it is trying to spit out a bit of stick - but I just hope it wasn't someone's christmas present.

Now it has successfully used my pup of Neo. 'Chirripo' to dislodge the stick from its teeth and is looking for a way back out of my yard through the chain-wire fence, but it keeps stopping to have a good look at the mesh then each time it moves on without even trying to go through. It quite clearly knows that it won't fit through with that nice big meal on board. Clever snakey! I guess I'll have it curled up somewhere for a few days.

And .... I just had to try and get a pic of it with its tongue sticking out. No broms in this shot to give me an excuse for posting it, but it is the best of about thirty. Still not great, but hey, you can sort-of see the tongue blurring into action. Boy does it move fast! Bye-bye snakey.

Cheers, Paul

It's great to see a Python in the yard isn't it? It looks like he's just finished his Christmas dinner and was maybe using the stick as a toothpick, but why didn't you get it out of his mouth for him?

For our overseas friends, they are non-venomous and won't hurt you unless you're a chook, frog, egg, rat etc.

You could have at least given him a leg up over the fence Paul, or are you a "Fraidy Cat"?

All the best, Nev.

Me a "Fraidy Cat"? Nah, I just didn't want to stress it out by picking her/him up with a big meal on board. It's probably just the regular neighbourhood one that sends the sulphur-crested cockatoos into hysterics every time it suns itself on someone's roof. It also seems to shed its skin every year in the next-door neighbour's Wisteria, so it knows its way around. Here it is a few minutes ago, after spending the night in the yard ..

.... having spent the night wrapped around my nice warm compost heap. What a clever snake! Christmas dinner should be digesting nicely.

I suspect that they know their way around their home range pretty well. I used to get a frantic call from my mate in neighbouring Bundeena about once every six months to come and get a big one out of his pidgeon cage. I'd go and catch it and let it go several kilometres away in the national park. This went on for quite a few years and I let it go in quite a few different places, but around six months later every time, snake in pidgeon cage again. I'm sure it was the same one. Like most animals, I reckon that there is probably a lot more to them than us humans think. Cheers, Paul

In foreign territory, I think they are very fond of climbing Schizolobium and stirring its close relative Schizophrenia...

K :)

He is much nicer than the snakes in my yard, I've seen a few Eastern Browns - they dissapear quickly amongst the Broms and mulch which causes me to dissappear for a while as well.

Cheers,

Rick

There's a few Eastern Browns in the bush around here but luckily I've never seen them in the yard - nasty, maniacal, toxic sods that they are. If I did, I'd disappear for a while too. Hmmm, they don't spend so much time in the trees .... maybe Gonzer's Schizolobium is a good idea after all!

Cheers, Paul