On this coffee farm we have an abundance of fruits many in season now. In the garden of Eden the coffee is ripening surrounded by flowers and fruits and bees, birds and so on everywhere.
However, as in all things too good to be true, there is a down side. Fruits attract rodents and insects, insects attract frogs and lizards and rodents frogs and lizards attract snakes. Not sure how Adam and Eve survived as long as they did in the Garden of Eden without protective clothing.
Today, we found a new snake. At first we thought it was an Ekees or Fer der Lance which is not normal in the Valley. Two Boquetenas present thought it was. Later it looks like we have different ID possibilities which is quite a relief. Could also be a Sibon Nebulata which eats snails and slugs and such. Not dangerous.
This is the dilemma on farms like ours. What do you do. In this case and most the workers kill the snakes first then do ID later. This makes some sense. The Fer der Lance are pit vipers and they are venomous. Worst of all though they are aggressive. Our little coral snakes are not really too dangerous as they are very timid and try to avoid people but their venom is absolutely deadly. The Ekees can strike if they are disturbed and especially for children can be fatal. You can see Mariano opening its mouth with a stick and even this young snake has developed fangs. However when I posted the picture, experts chimed in. Apparently, its fangs re not at the front and its head markings are not typical Ekees.
This one was caught in Mariano's weed whacker hanging out under an avocado tree. We have some large mature producing avocado trees scattered across the farm as shade trees for the coffee. I bet there were lots of little animals, snake fodder, enjoying the avocado harvest. We are now searching the area for snake holes.
However, as in all things too good to be true, there is a down side. Fruits attract rodents and insects, insects attract frogs and lizards and rodents frogs and lizards attract snakes. Not sure how Adam and Eve survived as long as they did in the Garden of Eden without protective clothing.
Today, we found a new snake. At first we thought it was an Ekees or Fer der Lance which is not normal in the Valley. Two Boquetenas present thought it was. Later it looks like we have different ID possibilities which is quite a relief. Could also be a Sibon Nebulata which eats snails and slugs and such. Not dangerous.
This is the dilemma on farms like ours. What do you do. In this case and most the workers kill the snakes first then do ID later. This makes some sense. The Fer der Lance are pit vipers and they are venomous. Worst of all though they are aggressive. Our little coral snakes are not really too dangerous as they are very timid and try to avoid people but their venom is absolutely deadly. The Ekees can strike if they are disturbed and especially for children can be fatal. You can see Mariano opening its mouth with a stick and even this young snake has developed fangs. However when I posted the picture, experts chimed in. Apparently, its fangs re not at the front and its head markings are not typical Ekees.
This one was caught in Mariano's weed whacker hanging out under an avocado tree. We have some large mature producing avocado trees scattered across the farm as shade trees for the coffee. I bet there were lots of little animals, snake fodder, enjoying the avocado harvest. We are now searching the area for snake holes.
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