Snakes.

[AlphonseCapone]

7 hours ago, tian447 said:

 

Why does the Daily MAIL feel the need to CAPITALISE random words throughout EVERY single thing THAT is ever written for their DESPERATE rag of a news/media OUTLET?

 

Because they're dicks. 

[King prawn]

A friend of mine kept a load in their spare bedroom. One time he was using tongs to feed them frozen mice. He opened a drawer and a snake jumped out .. I shat myself and stumbled backwards, fell and landed on the mouse.  

 

I didn’t mind holding one at the Butterfly farm. 

[Auld Reekin']

8 hours ago, Jamstomorrow said:

But perhaps not better than snake and kidney pie.

 

 

6 hours ago, highlandjambo3 said:

Back in the day when I were a sojur, my unit were due to go on a 6 month tour of belize in Central America, to prepare us for the tour about 25 of us were sent out to Brunei in south east Asia to complete a jungle warfare instructors course.  The idea was the 25 of us would be trained up in all things jungley and then deliver this training to our unit.  Of course we were all a bit apprehensive, the closest thing to a jungle we had seen was the woods in Germany.  Anyway, quite a tough course to complete but, our exposure to anything that wanted to bite or eat us was literally non existent, with the exception of stirring up a hornets nest when all 80 of us looking rough and tough, then we descended into a gang of screaming schoolboys crashing through the jungle in an attempt to flee......these things were literally the size of your thumb......very funny afterwards but not at the time.

 

So, for myself in the space of 4 years, I spent 12 months in Belize followed by 12 month is in Sierra Leone (West Africa) and, during that spell, I spent a lot of time in the jungle and seen about 4 snakes, all heading away from me.  It got to a point where I was fairly “meh” about being bitten by anything.  Don’t get me wrong there are plenty out there but we’re a bad lot and they want nothing to do with us.  We make enough noise and smell to deter all kinds of wildlife so, the chances are you may be quite close to something but it’s likely just out of sight.  Of course don’t go sticking your hands down holes or under rocks.

 

I think our presumption that everything wants to bite or eat us is driven by a fear we have, bit like bats after watching Dracula films, we just have this self induced fear.  

 

I've never been in a jungle, or even in the tropics, but I'm pretty sure that the things that would really freak me out and drive me nuts would be the sheer volume of small, sneaky, unobtrusive, parasitical wildlife (no - not h1b5 fans - happily very rare in the equatorial regions) that really do actively seek out our company throughout the day and night. I'm thinking of mozzies and all of the other biting insects, leeches, ticks, the flies that are after you to lay eggs under your skin, and all the flies and sweat-bees and the like that are attracted by your sweat. Doubt I'd be able to cope with that for any length of time.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Auld Reekin'

[highlandjambo3]

39 minutes ago, Auld Reekin' said:

 

 

 

I've never been in a jungle, or even in the tropics, but I'm pretty sure that the things that would really freak me out and drive me nuts would be the sheer volume of small, sneaky, unobtrusive, parasitical wildlife (no - not h1b5 fans - happily very rare in the equatorial regions) that really do actively seek out our company throughout the day and night. I'm thinking of mozzies and all of the other biting insects, leeches, ticks, the flies that are after you to lay eggs under your skin, and all the flies and sweat-bees and the like that are attracted by your sweat. Doubt I'd be able to cope with that for any length of time.

It is a bit of a mindset that can only be overcome by some experience, yes the little biting buggers are more problematic and uncomfortable than the obvious predators lurking round every corner.

A few basic tips if your ever going into the jungle/rainforest:

 

1.  Try to smell as natural as you can, don’t use soaps or any type of deodorants for 3 days prior to going in, hot water is all you really need to wash.
2.  Ensure clothing is tied off at the cuffs & ankles, buttoned up as far as you can towards the neck and, make sure you have a hat with a fairly large rim, anything dropping off the trees should roll off you.  Cover any exposed skin with a strong repellent.

3.  If you enjoy garlic on your food then eat loads, it will come out with your sweat and help.

4.  Look before you grab any branches when climbing or descending, these are often swarming with ants.
5.  If your going to be laying on the ground (for whatever reason 😉)  get a pile of bootlaces tied together to make a continuous loop which you can lay on the ground, it must be big enough to go round the area with you sitting/laying in the centre.  Carry this lace loop in a plastic tub with screw top and, make sure it is soaked in repellant.  Very simple and very effective, nowt crawling will want to cross this loop to eat you......

I didn’t do this but did see some of the more “paranoid” guys use this effectively.
 

Oh and enjoy the experience 

 

[Auld Reekin']

6 minutes ago, highlandjambo3 said:

It is a bit of a mindset that can only be overcome by some experience, yes the little biting buggers are more problematic and uncomfortable than the obvious predators lurking round every corner.

A few basic tips if your ever going into the jungle/rainforest:

 

1.  Try to smell as natural as you can, don’t use soaps or any type of deodorants for 3 days prior to going in, hot water is all you really need to wash.
2.  Ensure clothing is tied off at the cuffs & ankles, buttoned up as far as you can towards the neck and, make sure you have a hat with a fairly large rim, anything dropping off the trees should roll off you.  Cover any exposed skin with a strong repellent.

3.  If you enjoy garlic on your food then eat loads, it will come out with your sweat and help.

4.  Look before you grab any branches when climbing or descending, these are often swarming with ants.
5.  If your going to be laying on the ground (for whatever reason 😉)  get a pile of bootlaces tied together to make a continuous loop which you can lay on the ground, it must be big enough to go round the area with you sitting/laying in the centre.  Carry this lace loop in a plastic tub with screw top and, make sure it is soaked in repellant.  Very simple and very effective, nowt crawling will want to cross this loop to eat you......

I didn’t do this but did see some of the more “paranoid” guys use this effectively.
 

Oh and enjoy the experience      

 

 

Erm, yeah, I'll try...

 

Good tips though!   

[highlandjambo3]

1 hour ago, Auld Reekin' said:

 

Erm, yeah, I'll try...

 

Good tips though!   

Forgot to add......don’t eat yellow snow 👍

[Auld Reekin']

1 hour ago, highlandjambo3 said:

Forgot to add......don’t eat yellow snow 👍

 

Don't snort the yellow "snow" in Belize, surely?