Here's a picture of the snake my neighbour and I had to deal with last night.

Is it dangerous? What kind of snake is it?

thanks!

scary! where did u see it?

Could be a Bamboo Pit Viper.
Very venomous.

http://images.google.com/images?&q=%22bamboo%20pit%20viper%22

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimeresurus

But Goatee Toni's page
http://www.goateetoni.com/articles/white-lipped-pit-viper
points out there is also a similar-looking non-venomous green snake.

it's a bamboo snake. Pity it fared so poorly throughout the course of your encounter. I had occassion some months ago to deal with a bamboo snake in the garden outside my gate. It was nat at all shy, perhaps confident in its own chemical defences - but anyway, it was happy to coil itself around the end of a long stick so I was able to relocate at to a safe forested area far from any houses.

I was similarly able to capture a juvenile Chinese Cobra just before it entered my storage shed in a plastic rubbish bin. An interesting encounter for my children, who got to see close up what a cobra looks like and how it behaves when frightened. We all went on a little hike and released it in a safe uninhabited valley where it will no doubt live out its life managing the local rat population. Alls well that ends well Or, can I add, mindful of the upcoming St. Francis feast : “If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

some pics of the cobra

_________________
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

Thanks for all the replies! A bamboo viper... mmm, my neighbour told me we had to get rid of it since it was very venomous and we found it on the path [where many people walk by] in front of our garden... at night.
Also, our neighbour told us to be more careful since it is the time where snakes seem to be a little more active. So we need to watch the garden and make sure they do not want to hide there ir in the flower pots on our terrace... A bit scary indeed, the snake was not afraid to threaten us, but unfortunately we had to put it down...
Some other neighbour had warned us a couple of weeks ago that she had already seen a long green snake wandering around the garden and since we have a small baby, we prefer to be on our guard. Also spotted a long black snake a week ago... scary indeed...

Of course I understand the concern. Some of these snakes can be pretty dangerous - a bite being potentially even fatal (especially for a small child). Still, I try to find ways to honour their place within the greater scheme and relocate them if possible. But that's just me, and I suppose it would be unwise to recommend others get to close to these creatures. Some would recommend calling the police, although I dont know whether they would capture or just kill them.
jjy05, I'm glad u r all safe

_________________
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

If the police turn up, they'll definitely try to kill it.

There is a real snake wrangler on Lamma, Goatee Toni, who advertises a
Snake Removal Service.

Police are not supposed to kill snakes but call a snake wrangler (sorry can't remember the Cantonese name for these guys who catch snakes for restaurants) who will remove them. A few months ago, two guys were trying to kill a 3-m long Burmese python with two boards. After 100 hits (they said), the snake still didn't have a dent in it. I intervened and asked them to call the police who showed up a bit later with a snake wrangler. It took two guys to carry the snake away. It was received later in the day at AFCD and their vet said it was fine.

While the bamboo pit viper is venomous, its bites are not fatal as long as one gets medical attention. I know someone on Lamma who got bitten one night as she walked on the path in sandals and she waited until morning to go to the hospital. She said there was swelling and pain but it was treated quickly at Queen Mary. Bamboo pit vipers are inoffensive snakes - very slow-moving and non-aggressive. They will leave you alone and go about their business as long as you don't step on them or try to harm them. I know we have discussed this many times in this forum, and many don't agree with me or Tavis, but I wish we could just give the snakes a break, and not with a garden hoe. The bamboo snake is stunningly beautiful when it is alive.

By the way, if you get a snake in your flat and aren't willing to try to get it out yourself, just call the police. The snake wrangler will come and there will be no charge to you. There is a standing agreement between AFCD and the police to deal with snakes in this way. I would like to hear from people if they know of instances in recent years when police have come and killed a snake.

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A deadly encounter, submitted by Minibeast, shot in her garden. Probably a rat snake, about 3 feet long, with a most unusual very light green underbelly. It didn't turn out well for the frog in the end....

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just checked my snake book and am pretty sure it was a rat snake.

Came across 2 snakes dirty dancing in the forest. Quite amazing! They were oblivious to us watching and continued to writhe and gyrate for at least 10 minutes. Unfortunately I only had my camera phone with me, which doesn't function well under low light conditions.

_________________
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

Speaking of rat snakes, are rats rampant on Lamma?

Is this a copperhead racer? Seen on the Snake Path to Tai Peng this arvo

Well, it looks a lot like this Copperhead Racer, shot by JT on Lamma, not sure yet if it was also in Snake Central, like yours.

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