Snakes in Thailand
And they don’t all live in the long grass
The snake sunning itself beside the pond was not a cobra but, nevertheless, it was about two metres. I was not going to go near it and tried to get the dogs to move away. Unless cornered, snakes will normally keep out of your way. Just be careful if walking in long grass that you don’t accidentally disturb them.
Some snakes have keen eyesight; others don’t. This is why you often see them moving their heads from side to side to get better focus. They sense movement more from any ground vibration when you try to walk away than anything else. The best advice is to stand still, hold your breath, and not make any sharp change of direction.
Easier said than done. If you don’t pose a threat to a snake, it may slide away. Make a mental note of its colour and other distinguishing features. If you are bitten or sprayed with venom, it would become critical information for the hospital in its choice of serum.
If their young are threatened, you could be in a dangerous and tight spot. Snakes have been known to chase a car that has driven over a snake’s batch of eggs.
Having said that, you are more likely to encounter snakes in their professional capacity in lawyers’ offices than anywhere else. (This latter remark, made in jest, annoyed a lawyer in the States and he took the opportunity to write a negative review on Amazon. Our “woke” culture unfortunately produces some thin-skinned characters who can’t recognize a joke when they see one,)
