Or at least we think it was!
Driving up the main access road just south of us, ready to turn the corner on to our access road, Mary, who was driving, said, “What’s that ahead?”
“Ahead” was something on the road that leads to the woods we walk in every day. to me, it looked like a huge tree leaf and I said so. Mary replied that whatever it was, it was moving and she thought it was a snake.
So, naturally–we drove over to within 10 ft of it, maybe less.
She was right–it was a HUGE snake, and it quite clearly had just eaten. It was moving very, very slowly, as snakes do after just having dined out. It was headed to the property across from ours, which is densely overgrown and perfect snake cover (which is why we are fanatical about keeping our grounds cleared and trimmed, except for the swath of jungle in back of us). The head was exactly as I had read–lance-like and very small given the diameter of the body, which was distorted, of course, by whatever it had just eaten. We guessed it to be between 5 and 6 ft long.
We moved closer to see it as it crossed over into the drainage ditch on its way to cover. Side sort of rectangular patterns in a blue, top graying brown. Not that that makes too much difference–everything you read about the fer-de-lance talks about the highly variable color and pattern. We’re fairly sure that’s what it was, though, because there are just so many of them in the area.
Normally, they hunt at night and seek cover during the day. But they can be seen during the day in the open if they had a late breakfast. While they are most likely to strike at this time–having just eaten–they are the least venomous, having just used it all up! However, I have no desire to test this out.
What made it a little creepy for us is that on the way up the carretera, not 5 minutes below our turnoff, Mary saw another huge snake on the other side of the road. She couldn’t tell whether it was live or dead just that it was coiled at least somewhat.
I was delighted to get into our carport finally and then into the house!
Filed under: Potrerillos Arriba, animals
Oh Oh, Fer de Lance invasion!! Arkadio found one last week on our property hidden under some vegetation he was clearing out. Thankfully his reflexes are fast and he pulled his hand out, but did kill the snake and proudly showed it to us from it’s “final resting place” in the can he had placed it in. Same (more or less) coloring. Lance-like head, grey/brown on top — I didn’t check any further. Seems like they are setting up home both in the long grass opposite your property and the long grass at the back of our property, which is usually cut once a year, twice if we are lucky. Our invader was not as large as the one you saw, maybe 18 inches long — possibly the sign of a nest and young ‘uns. Marv keeps telling me when I go gardening, “Don’t stick your hand where you can’t see clearly” now I may actually take notice of his advice (will be the first time in 34 years!!)
Well, October is supposedly fer-de-lance month. Everyone I’ve ever talked with, Panamanians, long-time gringos, all say the same thing. But Darío used to say November was, too. According to the locals, the snakes mate in October and travel in pairs, which makes them doubly deadly. But I kind of doubt that a fer-de-lance, looks at the calendar, says “Gee, October 1, think I’ll look for a honey and make some whoopee together,” then on November 1, regretfully gives it all up again for another year (I’ve just read that they can lie 20 years). So, I’m cautious in November, too. Especially on walks in the pine woods–I’ve cut mine a little short for the next few weeks.
When Ernesto Santamaria’s brother (whose name I can never remember) mowed the property in front of us (Tom Pittí’s) a couple of months ago, he told me that it was to reduce the snake cover–and also told me that he had killed two snakes while doing so. Pittí’s property is now growing again, but is nothing like the Brunelles’ across the road from us. That’s looked dangerous to me for a while. But then I suppose you have nothing to fear unless you go waltzing in there during the day without boots.
It would make sense that Arcadio killed a young fer-de-lance given the time of year. My reading says they’re just as lethal as adults and sometimes more so, if they have gone too long without food. I mean I get grumpy when I’m hungry, but let’s show some restraint, I say!
Joyce
You would love the snake I cough in the CZ 25 years ago. As A young stud I mean young man I was working in the jungle and came a cross a 11-1/2 foot Boa and of course I had to have it so I ran it over 30 or 40 times and then once more for good measure then brought it back to my work center. When I walked in the shop door I had the snake coiled all around my body and all my Panamanian co-workers went running out the other side. It turns out they had and probably still have a fear of these monster snakes.
It weighed 34 pounds. I had the skin drying out on the roof and some blasterd bird or perhaps a cat got it and it was gone.
Oh, Greg, that is such a wonderful story!! Yes, I’ll bet the Panamanians still are afraid of boas. I’ve read that boas are deceptively fast and can surprise even professional snake handlers–and can be very dangerous.
Too bad about the skin!
Joyce
If I had to it all over again I would have let it go as like many folks I have adopted a more conservative approach to the environment and its creatures. The planet did just fine before us human started corrupting everything we touch in the environment. Perhaps I may be able to give back a little of what we humans have stolen from the planet some day.
This should serve as notice to all that we are in for a rough ride if we continue to turn our backs on the planet since our recorded history and probably before that.
This morning, as I was going on my walk keeping a weather eye out for large reptiles, it dawned on me that probably many people would wonder why we didn’t kill the snake yesterday. Answer: it never occurred to either one of us (or to Lucy and Fred who were in the back seat, totally disinterested). We could have run over it initially. But we were too fascinated and too awed by what we saw. When we got up closer–I would say within two feet–of the snake, it was already into the drainage ditch and “climbing” up the bank to the overgrown property where I have no doubt it has companions. Then, we couldn’t have. But it still never occurred to either one of us.
It’s actually rare anymore that you hear of anyone being bitten by a snake, thanks to the fact that most field workers–where you are most likely to encounter the fer-de-lance and other venomous snakes–wear boots. The snakes strike “downward”, and most bites are on the ankles and feet as well as wrists and hands for those who aren’t terrible bright who put their hands in areas that they can’t see.
Yes, Panamanians do kill them, and we would, too, if they were on the cleared part of our property. But we work hard at making the whole area, except for our swath of jungle, rodent-unfriendly and therefore snake-unfriendly. There really is no cover for them. Are there snakes in our jungle swath? Most likely. But we avoid that area in October and November, and there are whole sections we couldn’t penetrate anymore because it’s so overgrown.
The latest snake incident we’ve had was when Darío killed a coral snake last year, I believe. I don’t know where he was or what he was doing, but he showed us the snake after it had been decapitated.
I know that large and middle-sized snakes are important in rat and other rodent control, even the fer-de-lance. It eats small mammals like rats, lizards and birds. No, I don’t want it around the house! But no, I won’t kill one that is in its own environment, either.
Joyce
Dear Joyce,
Howdy, I can trade you a coral snake, a copperhead or a rattler for one fer-de-lance. With the drought subsiding, we are seeing much fewer sitings of those three, and we and the critters are much happier for it.. The rule of thumb of knowing what’s around you is good advice, I’ve watched my steps for years around here, as well, as where I’m reaching when working in the yard. My weapon of choice for moving them into the next world, is a machete, it’s humane and very quick. I have one on the front porch and the back porch, and they work great. Please watch yourselves when out in the wilds. Is the fer-de-lance your primary venemous snake there, do they migrate all the way to near the top of Volcan Baru? Enough on snakes, have a good evening and hello to Mary and hug the critters!
Take care,
Clyde
Hi, Clyde!
Well, you have your share of snake excitement! Yes, machetes are the best way, although I watched as Nedelka killed one by throwing a 2 foot pice of iron rebar, barra, at it!. We had just pulled up to her house and gotten out when she spotted the snake in her driveway–headed for her tied-up Dalmation puppy, or that’s what it certainly looked like to both of us. It was a small snake, and I have no idea what kind it was. But you don’t take chances around here.
I have no idea how far the fer-de-lance spreads in its range. There are other venomous snakes here, but the fer-de-lance is supposedly the most deadly of the lot and, it seems, the most numerous. Still, they are for the most part avoidable–you just have to take care, the way you do.
Joyce