Biters Bit

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7136, 20 April 1933, Page 9

Biters Bit

SNAKES AND THEIR ENEMIES Considering the large number of birds which eat young snakes, it is remarkable that there arc still so many snakes alive. Foremost among the snake destroyers is the kookaburra, (writes C. J. Le Socuf, in the Melbourne ‘Argus’). The kokaburra is a friend of all except the bird lover, and that is because it destroys very many young birds. However, as young sparrows are now the kookaburra’s readiest meal, this habit may be overlooked. The kookaburra must account for hundreds of young snakes a year. From its lofty perch it watches continually for either a snalco or a lizard. As soon ,as there is a movement it darts down and a few seconds later it may be seen lustily banging the reptile against a branch with resounding blows. I had a young kookaburra for some time in Sydney which was fed every day by its parents. Despite the fact that there was only a little bush nearby, in the neighbourhood of Taronga Park, the parents contrived to find several small snakes for the youngster. My father saw a kookaburra sitting on a low stump one evening, with a foot or so of snake’s tail hanging from its beak. The bird was still there next morning, but the snake had almost disappeared. While he was watching it, the bird gave several violent jerks, swallowed the rest of the meal, flew to a neighbouring tree, and laughed heartily. I was in Queensland some years ago during a long drought. One day a thunderstorm passed over one part of the station, some miles from the homestead, As the grass was thick in this area, it wa3 decided to burn off while the ground was still damp in order to have some green feed for the cattle. As soon as the grass was properly alight and the smoke was rising high, birds began to come from every direction. Soon there was a babel of crows, kingfishers, hawks and butcher birds, all looking for any snakes or lizards which might have been dislodged by the fire. Bush fires spell disaster to most creatures, but the fire was a boon to these birds. They knew at once that there would be smell reptiles to eat, and they flew immediately towards the smoke. Often many birds woud dive after one lizard. I doubt whether anything escaped.

A Potent Enemy. Nowadays a man is a potent enemy of fully-grown snakes, since, apart the fact that most people kill any snakes they seo on sight, there is a number of professional snake-catchers operating in Australia. Areas which years ago boasted large numbers of snakes can boast about them no longer, as after a snake hunter has combed the district for a seahon or two there are very fevr left. Although there are a few places close to Melbourne where large numbers may be found, there are always some tiger snakes on the Werribee Plains, hiding under the rocks. I spent an hour or two recently on two afternoons not far from Newport, and caught several tiger snakes and lizards. It is surprising how much life there is on this apparently barren plain. The carpet snake has always been part of the aborigine’s menu, although snake steak does not sound very appetising. I have not tasted it, but my father said that it was dry and tasteless. There are animals and birds in other countries which specialise in hunting snakes, and snakes form the staple diet of some of them. There is also a number of cannibal snakes, but they eat only members of other, species. Among the animal enemies of snakes the best known perhaps is the mongoose of India. This quick little weasel-liko animal specialises in cobras. He stays just out of reach, edging closer still the snake strikes, then jumping back out of harm’s way with remarkable agility. The mongoose continues this strategy until it wears the cobra out and it is too tired to strike. Then ho leaps like a flash, crushes the head in his powerful little jaws, and proceeds to eat th© reptile, usually beginning with the head. Among the birds which destroy snakes is the secretary bird of South Africa. This long-legged bird is strictly protected by game laws because of the enormous good it does. Directly it sees a -snake it walks straight up to it and gives it a hard blow with its foot. Should the snake retaliate the bird takes the bite harmlessly with its wing feathers, and before it can strike again the bird has it pinned to the ground with its foot. A few blows with its beak soon kills the snake. Beginning with the tail it swallows the reptile straight down till it comes to the head, which is crushed with a few extra blows on the ground before it is consumed. One secretary bird that was shot was reported to have contained three snakes, each just less than 3ft in length, eleven lizards, each about 7in long, and twenty-one small tortoises, each 2in in diameter, as well as a large number of grasshoppors.