We regularly find all manner of amphibian life hiding in dark corners of the house trying to escape the clutches of Merlin as he trawls through the garden looking for beasties to play with.
Last week the shower tray was overnight resting place for a small toad, Salamaders are regularly seen to disappear behind the curtains but its the first time I've had to deal with a foot long reptile!
Merlin was becoming very anxious about something beneath the sofa, so fully expecting to find a tail-less lizard of some variety I bravely went to investigate. My surprise was pretty vocal when on pulling back the sofa I found a snake wriggling away in side-winder fashion. I have to admit that I wasn't cool, calm or collected, in fact I squealed like a girl!
It wasn't a happy snake - I wasn't too happy either!
We couldn't leave it in the house, imagine going to sleep knowing theres a snake inside the room! So armed with a large plastic crate with a lid and the broom I persuaded it into captivity and then onto the rocks behind the shed.
I'm sure it wasn't one of the venomous varieties and would only give you a nasty suck at worst but "SNAKES - under the sofa!!!" Its not a good look.
After some research today I reckon it was a Macroprotodon cucullatus cucullatus - the false smooth snake. They eat salamaders and grasshoppers and kill by constriction not venom so I don't think there was too much danger. It possibly could have constricted my big toe but not much more, and so long as it was my left one that wouldn't be too much of a loss!
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