# First Freeloader for this Summer



## GBWhite (Dec 3, 2018)

Found this guy/gal behind the TV cabinet in our lounge room with a belly full of something or other this morning. It was pretty hot here yesterday (40 deg C) and a muggy night last night must have got it on the move. Obviously came in through the dog door looking for a cool place to chill....


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## Benno87 (Dec 3, 2018)

That is awesome. Wonder what it had just gorged itself on? Lol


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## Yellowtail (Dec 3, 2018)

My intruders have not succeeded in feeding on my animals yet but they try, I've stopped taking photos because it's happening almost every hot night. The cockies are so used to them they don't panic just screech in a particular way to get my attention to remove them.


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## LilithLeChat (Dec 3, 2018)

@Yellowtail, the one on cockie cage is beautiful, what is it? Jungle?


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## Yellowtail (Dec 3, 2018)

LilithLeChat said:


> @Yellowtail, the one on cockie cage is beautiful, what is it? Jungle?


It was a lighter colour than most but just a Mt Tambourine coastal carpet and it was much more aggressive than they usually are, did not like being removed at all.


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## cris (Dec 4, 2018)

Last year I walked into my dragon enclose to almost stand on big fat carpet python with either a full grown ringtail or small brush tail inside. They fat critter was too heavy and snapped the zippy ties that hold the mesh on the roof together. Had a brown snake try to get in the door recently, not posting the pics here though...


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Dec 4, 2018)

cris said:


> Had a brown snake try to get in the door recently, not posting the pics here though...


Few spent shell casings in the photo?


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## cris (Dec 4, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Few spent shell casings in the photo?



Nah, I didn't have a semiauto. There are times when spending your later childhood shooting hundreds of toads in the neck vertebrae translates into practical self defense skills. The snake was not attacking me, but was cruising directly towards me and about to get in the door. It is one of those cases that would be translated into a snake deliberately targeting a person to kill them by the average person. All it really wanted to do is invade my home.

It would be illegal for me to tail it to move it away, as I don't pay to be authorized to do such a thing. My only legal option was to blast it. Interestingly, the local lacies didn't eat it until it started to rot and only ate the tail end.


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## GBWhite (Dec 5, 2018)

cris said:


> Nah, I didn't have a semiauto. There are times when spending your later childhood shooting hundreds of toads in the neck vertebrae translates into practical self defense skills. The snake was not attacking me, but was cruising directly towards me and about to get in the door. It is one of those cases that would be translated into a snake deliberately targeting a person to kill them by the average person. All it really wanted to do is invade my home.
> 
> It would be illegal for me to tail it to move it away, as I don't pay to be authorized to do such a thing. My only legal option was to blast it. Interestingly, the local lacies didn't eat it until it started to rot and only ate the tail end.



I would have removed between 300 - 400 Browns from homes and businesses by tailing them over the 10 years that I lived in Inverell and there was a heap more that I would come across out in the scrub. I didn't charge anyone and just did it as a community service. The cops, council & other emergency services had me on speed dial...hahaha.


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## Yellowtail (Dec 14, 2018)

Just found this little cutie Stephens Banded after my mice so I let him have one before I send him on his way.


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## LilithLeChat (Dec 14, 2018)

@Yellowtail, did he take a pre-killed mouse or did he kill it himself? I’ve no idea whether venomous snakes accept dead prey.


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## Bl69aze (Dec 14, 2018)

LilithLeChat said:


> @Yellowtail, did he take a pre-killed mouse or did he kill it himself? I’ve no idea whether venomous snakes accept dead prey.


Ofc they take dead stuff, shake it a few times and they think it’s alive 

Lookup viperkeeper, he feeds culled rats and mice too venomous all the time


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## Yellowtail (Dec 14, 2018)

It was freshly killed from a batch I had just gassed and I shook it a bit till he struck at it, he took a 2nd one I dropped in there after that photo with no hesitation. I think he had targeted the smell of my mice and was ready to feed, my bottom shelf mice tubs were perfect for him. I always thought SBs were mainly nocturnal like their other close relatives but this was middle of the day in a brightly lit garage, not sure if it was hanging out in there for a while or just came through open door. I'll be more careful where I put my hands in future, a guy died from an SB bite in northern NSW recently.


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## GBWhite (Dec 14, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> I always thought SBs were mainly nocturnal like their other close relatives but this was middle of the day in a brightly lit garage, not sure if it was hanging out in there for a while or just came through open door. I'll be more careful where I put my hands in future, a guy died from an SB bite in northern NSW recently.



They are mainly nocturnal Yellowtail but as you found out they will venture out during the day. We get them all the time around here in Bellingen and they often show up in sheds during the daytime. I've also collected Broad Headed Snakes basking during the middle of the day in October and November. A couple in full sunlight and others at the entrance to crevices.

All Hops are potent little kritters. That guy you are referring to that died happened here in Bello a couple of years back during a big flood. He didn't treat the bite correctly and he was cut off because of the flood so emergency services were delayed getting to him. From memory it was the second death recorded from a Stephen's Banded bite. I remember Eric Worrell spending a week in hospital after a Broad Headed bite and I've had 2 friends nearly croak it from Broad Headed bites as well. Also had a couple of mates hospitalized for a few days from Pale Head bites.

That's a nice looking Stephen's there too.


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## Yellowtail (Dec 14, 2018)

I released it late this afternoon and covered it with bark, had a look an hour later and it had not moved. They are a beautiful little snake and this one was not at all aggressive, someone who was not aware how potent they are could easily treat them casually and get tagged. It was interesting to see it make multiple bites on the already dead mice.


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## RoryBreaker (Dec 15, 2018)

GBWhite said:


> All Hops are potent little kritters. That guy you are referring to that died happened here in Bello a couple of years back during a big flood. He didn't treat the bite correctly and he was cut off because of the flood so emergency services were delayed getting to him. From memory it was the second death recorded from a Stephen's Banded bite. I remember Eric Worrell spending a week in hospital after a Broad Headed bite and I've had 2 friends nearly croak it from Broad Headed bites as well. Also had a couple of mates hospitalized for a few days from Pale Head bites.
> 
> That's a nice looking Stephen's there too.



George,
you should also mention how long it takes someone to "get over" a Stephens bite. The talk I have heard over the years is that they mess you up for a good six plus weeks or more.

Unlike Death Adders, which once you get past the possible heart attack thing, have no long lasting effects except for maybe numbness near the bite.


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## Yellowtail (Dec 22, 2018)

Another nice pattern carpet trying to get at my cockies, bad timing to take better pics as I've had no power all day and another thunder storm just hit so I quickly carried him across the road in the rain.
This beautiful Qld weather is becoming a pain, today is the 4th time in a few months that I've had a power outage of a day or more.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Dec 22, 2018)

Power outages are very common in the hinterland. My mate in the sunny coast hinterland has regular power outages that last up to a week. He's got 3 generators to keep the joint running.


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## Yellowtail (Dec 22, 2018)

I have generators but it's all the stuffing around running extension leads and not using things like aircon and having to keep fuel in the gens in the middle of a storm. If I had known it was this bad I would have set up a big generator to automatically power everything but that's expensive.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Dec 23, 2018)

The joys of bush life. Still, the pros outweigh the cons. I had 18 years of it in the upper Macleay valley. Best years of my life.


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## GBWhite (Dec 27, 2018)

Getting the thread back on track....

Had a couple more since the last one but here's a pic of another hatchling that decided to visit and help itself to a feed last night.

For those wondering how big a meal a hatchy can take. This one's got one heavily pregnant female mouse and 3 hoppers in its belly



...so much for feeding them a pinky or fuzzy in a meal....hahaha.


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## Bl69aze (Dec 27, 2018)

Wait a second..


GBWhite said:


> Getting the thread back on track....
> 
> Had a couple more since the last one but here's a pic of another hatchling that decided to visit and help itself to a feed last night.
> 
> ...




Thought I was going crazy like “dejavu”


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## GBWhite (Dec 27, 2018)

^^^ Same snake. My wife posted that. I don't belong to any reptile Facebook pages.


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## nuttylizardguy (Dec 27, 2018)

You should be pleased to see the freeloader, it's presence indicates the local area is still relatively healthy as a habitat for them and other natives.


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## GBWhite (Dec 28, 2018)

nuttylizardguy said:


> You should be pleased to see the freeloader, it's presence indicates the local area is still relatively healthy as a habitat for them and other natives.



What makes you think I'm not pleased to see them? I refer to these guys as Freeloaders because the smaller ones have a habit of poaching our feeder mice and larger ones take the odd chook. The environment where I live in Bellingen is absolutely stunning and very healthy with an abundance of native wildlife (even get Koalas show up in trees adjacent to my house). That's one of the main reasons I live here.


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## Yellowtail (Dec 30, 2018)

Now have these guys hanging around my aviaries and rodents, I toss some of them a rat occasionally and this one I have educated to get a free feed away from the birds. It went from totally wild to just about eating out of my hand in one day. Now comes up to it's bowl and waits for a rat.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Dec 30, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> Now have these guys hanging around my aviaries and rodents, I toss some of them a rat occasionally and this one I have educated to get a free feed away from the birds. It went from totally wild to just about eating out of my hand in one day. Now comes up to it's bowl and waits for a rat.
> View attachment 325960


Nice Lacie. I watched one getting chased today through paradise park in the Bunya Mountains by 2 Currawongs. They were harassing the hell out of the poor bugger.


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## dragonlover1 (Dec 30, 2018)

Some birds are just mongrels and yeah it's a good looking lacie,at least mine wont have to worry about being harassed in their 12x12x8 foot enclosure, they should have enough different things in their jungle gym to keep them amused.


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## Yellowtail (Jan 6, 2019)

Different kind of freeloader, we have been blaming turkeys for the missing herbs and veggies but caught this little one in the act.


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## Yellowtail (Jan 12, 2019)

Unlike other areas I've been to I'm very pleased with the condition of the native wildlife here. Mammals, reptiles, birds all well fed, glowing with good health and breeding prolifically, even the Koalas seem very healthy. 
Only problem is that applies to the cane toads as well and some reptiles like RBB's are conspicuous by their absence.
[doublepost=1547290990,1546734785][/doublepost]Another nice little carpet after my rats, middle of the day too.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jan 13, 2019)

Yellowtail said:


> Another nice little carpet after my rats, middle of the day too.
> View attachment 326175
> View attachment 326176
> View attachment 326177


Good to see that one isn't covered in ticks.


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## Yellowtail (Jan 16, 2019)

I'm getting sick of this and I don't get paid for removing them like the "Snake Catchers"
My parrots think it's a game, calling me to remove them.



11:00 pm just had to remove another big carpet from the same aviary while i swear the cockies were laughing at me as I struggled with the difficult to handle python, no photos as I left my phone inside.


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## Herpetology (Jan 16, 2019)

Yellowtail said:


> I'm getting sick of this and I don't get paid for removing them like the "Snake Catchers"
> My parrots think it's a game, calling me to remove them.
> View attachment 326233


Those cockatoos would make for a loud snack!


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## MANNING (Jan 17, 2019)

Herptology said:


> Those cockatoos would make for a loud snack!


That would be if anything could make it thru those walls.


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## Yellowtail (Oct 7, 2019)

MANNING said:


> That would be if anything could make it thru those walls.


The aviary is 100% snake proof, I used to keep young diamond pythons in it.
The cockies don't panic at the sight of snakes they just call me to remove the intruder then sit there and watch.
[doublepost=1547771314,1547684091][/doublepost]How not to hold a python. It was the middle of the night when the cockies summonsed me, misplaced my hook and could barely reach it from the top of a step ladder so all I could do was grab the sharp end at full reach.



[doublepost=1550485251][/doublepost]I recently went to a lot of trouble snake proofing my garage doors with wire mesh but it did not work, I have no idea how this one got in other than sneaked in when the door was open?



[doublepost=1567122212][/doublepost]They're back, must be spring and the local carpets are after my birds again, removed 3 yesterday. The one in the tree (I almost ran into it) had a major kink in it's tail but seemed to be agile enough.


[doublepost=1570403371][/doublepost]They keep coming, this one found the only gap in a 10x8 shed, between the roof insulation and the inside lining. Hard to reach balancing on top of a ladder, could not use a hook.


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## Nero Egernia (Oct 8, 2019)

I wish I had more wild snakes at my current residence. I have seen no carpet pythons, and have only seen the odd elapid every now and then. Too bad they're incredibly shy. I haven't been able to get a decent photograph of even one so far. As soon as they see me, they're off. I guess they need to be wary of humans in order to survive.


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## Yellowtail (Oct 9, 2019)

Nero Egernia said:


> I wish I had more wild snakes at my current residence. I have seen no carpet pythons, and have only seen the odd elapid every now and then. Too bad they're incredibly shy. I haven't been able to get a decent photograph of even one so far. As soon as they see me, they're off. I guess they need to be wary of humans in order to survive.


I removed over 30 carpets and elapids in the last year from the vicinity of my aviaries and rodents, I relocated them 300 metres away in a large nature reserve which recently was the subject of an out of control hazard reduction burn and I wonder about their fate. I identify them by the patterns and some come back but as to being wary of humans I caught the carpet in my last photo late at night and with the reserve now burnt I have been moving them further away so I left it in the tub outdoors overnight only to find it gone next morning, it must have pushed the tub lid up at the side and squeezed out, something no others had done. I was surprised to see it back again the next night in the same small gap where I caught it which required a surprising level of intelligence to find the small gap in a 10x8m shed. Once again I was able to get hold of it but this time it had a firmer hold and balancing on top of a ladder I could not remove it without risking a fall so I let go. To my surprise it was back there again last night with the same result, I have now positioned a bigger ladder and will try tonight.
I live on a 5 acre property that is mostly rain forest but I suspect many of the carpets were living in the various roof spaces as they kept turning up through winter. I am happy for them to be there but they become a problem when they try to get at my birds and rodents, the carpets have pushed rodent tubs off shelves and my black cockies call me very loudly to remove them so I have no choice. I have tried to make everything snake proof but if there is the slightest gap they find it.


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