TerriMarie
8/15/2013 14:38 EST
I hate to bring this up but what are the stats on snake bites in CR? Out of 130 snakes and 17 of them poisonous, that's pretty scary. Not to mention the other poisonous reptiles, insects, etc.
Thanks for your input.
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Rik61Penonome
8/15/2013 16:48 EST
There's far more than that in the USSA............
Fortunately they keep most of them contained in the Senate and Congress.
Rik
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panamajames
8/18/2013 00:15 EST
Many people only look down, around their feet when walking in Panama, because the snakes are everywhere. But it is also important to look up, because those snakes get into the trees and are ready to lunge out at you at any moment. That's why everyone carries machetes in Panama.
One time while walking downtown, I heard someone yell out "CULEBRA" which is Spanish for snake. Everyone froze. There were 20 people on the street, and most armed with machetes. There was a job to be done.........Remove the head, and get back to our peaceful lives in the tropics.
The last place I lived was also a danger zone, in British Columbia Canada, where the kids had to sneak to school to avoid Moose, wolves and Grisly bears that roamed the streets, day and night. I don't know how we made it out of there alive.
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panamajames
8/18/2013 00:16 EST
Many people only look down, around their feet when walking in Panama, because the snakes are everywhere. But it is also important to look up, because those snakes get into the trees and are ready to lunge out at you at any moment. That's why everyone carries machetes in Panama.
One time while walking downtown, I heard someone yell out "CULEBRA" which is Spanish for snake. Everyone froze. There were 20 people on the street, and most armed with machetes. There was a job to be done.........Remove the head, and get back to our peaceful lives in the tropics.
The last place I lived was also a danger zone, in British Columbia Canada, where the kids had to sneak to school to avoid Moose, wolves and Grisly bears that roamed the streets, day and night. I don't know how we made it out of there alive.
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jonoyakker
8/18/2013 04:50 EST
Canada huh? Guess all that running from wild animals is the only thing that kept you from freezing to death, poor man. You're lucky to have made it out alive!
And I've always wondered what it's like to exist on whale blubber?
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TerriMarie
8/18/2013 11:29 EST
Oh gee. This is not what I would call a peaceful life. Looking ahead, above, in front and behind you is not what I would call a peaceful life. I do not think I could handle this. I tend to be a little nervous or high strung anyway and would probably just pass out on top of the snake.........end of that story!
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Rik61Penonome
8/18/2013 23:48 EST
Sorry TerriMarie, you obviously take this seriously so I will too.
I've lived in Panama for 9 years. Never saw any snakes in the city when I lived there and only 2 in my time in Penonome, both of which got despached quickly with a machete before worrying about wether they were poisonous or not.
Yes, if you go out hiking in the jungle you need to take care, the Fer de Lance is a small snake that is extremely venemous but for the most part, if you stay in towns you are unlikely to see any snakes at all.
take care
Rik
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seadog61
8/19/2013 01:09 EST
Terri/Marie: To elaborate you on snakes in the area. As panamajames pointed out, they do exist. I've encountered Fer de Lances in Costa Rica. Twice in an acedo palm forest. Once at dusk, and once after sunrise as they are more commonly nocturnal. They do get big (2 meters). Both encounters I stopped and observed. Just standing about 6 feet away for five minutes or so seemed to arouse it's curiosity as it started to uncoil and approach me. It was checking me out as food. They are great rodent controllers and it's approach can be mistaken for aggressiveness. Upon realizing its mistake it coiled back into defensive posture ready to strike. It began vibrating it's tail against the grass which was audible and typical of pit vipers saying "Back off" like a rattlesnake. i had picked up a stick and moved my feet about two feet further back(I wanted to check out it's striking distance). When it did strike, it was typical for a pit viper of it's size. After two more strikes, I backed away about 6 or 7 more feet and allowed it to head off into a pile of cleared brush. As I had once heard that where there's one, there's alway another, which I took with a grain of salt, sure enough about 8 feet away from me on my left, another one starts making it's way for the brushpile(kids don't try this at home!). The rodent controllers follow the food source. Because man attracts rats, well, you get the picture. I wouldn't worry about them. I'll just bet you'll never see one. The other pit viper is called the Bushmaster. They can reach lengths of 10 ft. I've never encountered one in the wild as they are rarely seen. I hate to see the killed as they belong here and serve their purpose. The locals. Will pretty much chop them up when they encounter them so, like I say, YOU will probably never see one.
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