Snakes in my pond
Dear readers,
A question among the aquarium / pond enthusiasts in Thailand. In my pond I mainly have tropical fish (which you would have in an aquarium in the Netherlands). The fish that reproduce the most are the cichlids. I had over 200 in the pond at one point. They controlled everything and territorial battles took place everywhere. One day they got sick and decimated the stock by at least 80%. No other fish died. Now they have increased in number again.
When I got to the pond in the morning this week, I saw a snake in the pond that was just nipping at a bigger fish but it was way too big for the battle.
I have a plastic grabber and tried to catch the critter with it, but the grabber only has two gripping points and the plastic bends a bit. So I ordered one on Lazada that is made of metal and is specially made to hold snakes.
The snakes are not big (I suspect more than two, at least. I managed to get a small one out today). I plan to catch them and release them well away.
Or - since they are not large snakes - should I just leave them there and perhaps decimate the Cichlid stock?
Of course, the snakes do not distinguish between various species of fish….
Occasionally I go into the pond myself to clean it. The snakes hide among the papyrus and rocks that I have in a separate part of the pond that I don't come to clean. Should I be concerned that these snakes might be venomous? I don't think they are attacking me. They are very skittish and hide at the slightest danger. The largest I saw is about an inch and a half thick and 30 to 40 inches long. The one I took out today was only half.
Thanks in advance for the tips and wishing you a prosperous new year!
Regards,
Jack S.
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Dear Jack,
I don't know anything about those fish (in my pond I only have platti's, guppies and neon tetras) but I'm gradually learning about snakes. Water snakes are non-venomous and, as you have already noticed, very skittish. In fact, like many snakes, they prefer to dart away when they see humans…
If you want to know more about snakes I can recommend two sites: Snakes of Isaan and Snakes of Pattaya. These are managed by experts who identify your snake based on a photo and tell you the necessary details.
Success!
Could you (with patience) take a picture to identify the species? Or have you tried to identify them with a booklet or via i-net?
By the way: Of course, don't underestimate the size of prey (also small) snakes can swallow!
Example: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wild-snake-eating-fish-stock-image-203509684
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1749132628662306
As reported (Snakes of Isaan and Snakes of Pattaya), same.
Take and upload photo. I don't know about it, but she certainly does.
Success!
Thanks for the tips.
In Hua Hin (I live south of Pranburi) there is also an association that deals with snakes.
I wanted to take a picture this morning, but when I saw the second snake I already had my grab (plastic) in my hands and caught it, which I then threw with a high arc across the field. He eluded the grab twice as I walked across the street. It was a tense moment, because my young cats had also come to watch and I was afraid that the snake would bite one of them.
These were the smaller specimens and if all goes well the slightly larger ones should still be in the pond. I'm going on a photo hunt tomorrow morning with my camera in hand.
A few years ago I already had a snake in the pond and I also posted pictures. These looked different (no drawing on the skin).