The Tiger Snake
The tiger snake, who lives down under,
can't hear birdsong, frogs or thunder,
she can't blink, and she can't talk,
she can't fly, and she can't walk.
But nonetheless this wondrous beast
can make a rat into a feast,
as well as frogs and birds and fishes,
and lizards also if she wishes.
As she can slither, she can climb,
and even swim in summer time.
With neither hand or foot or paw,
with neither fin, nor fur or claw,
this snake will search for smaller prey,
on any warm or sunny day.
Her long forked tongue is like a brush,
to taste the air. There is no rush,
the patient snake's an expert tracker,
but wary that things might attack her.
She's careful, quiet, alert and steady,
and she is always at the ready
for friend or foe around the corner
her sense of taste and smell should warn her.
Snakes have backbone, heart and spleen,
intestines, stomach, eyes so keen,
they're fragile, frightened, careful creatures,
but Tiger snakes have other features
which people talk about with dread-
the venom glands within her head.
Her venom is for killing prey,
quickly, lest it runs away
or even worse, with well placed bite
removes her eye- and sense of sight.
Although with venom she can kill
If she can hide from man, she will,
With Man she wouldn’t seek out strife
He isn’t worth the risk to life.
He's more to fear (and I'm not joking)
from poor diet and passive smoking.
