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Originally Posted by lilac_jive
Marc- the first few of the pictures I you posted I thought were house catalog pictures. Your place is beautiful  |
Why, thank-you. We're rather fond of it, particularly that balcony around sunset when you can sit down and look across the river and the hinterland and its little, solitary "mountains" to watch the sun set. It's a nice place to gently sink into an a drinky haze.
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Back to the snake, I would have just put him back under the porch if I had rats and no small pets. I love snakes, but rats....
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We're not sure about the rats, but suspect they may be native bush rats. "Circle of life" and all, we would have let the snake have its way with them. Unfortunately a near-neighbour has laid rat baits, and the ones we've found under a lower balcony look to have taken it, as they're dying or dead. I was a bit worried that the lump we could see in the python may have been one of them, which may not bode well for the python.
As for where he was, he was not on the lower balcony, with easy access to the garden and under-balcony, but on the one directly above, which is easy to get in, but harder to get out, and therefore a distinct chance for making its way into the house. It's easier to call the snake-catcher, who gently takes care of them. For instance, the catcher was reluctant to grab the snake around the head, hoping to coax him into the bag, and when he had to do that, that expressed his reluctance to use that metal bar for anything other than lifting the tail (i.e. he didn't want to "mash" the head to pin him). All-in-all- the snake had a pretty gentle trip into the bag (where they settle down almost instantly - and where I can attest that he weighed around 5kg
), and then a short trip of 100 metres in the car up to the National Park bushland.
We've had a smaller python on the lower balcony, and just let it be, and we would have been the same for this one if it was there. It's just part of living where we live. We just try to address things according to acceptable risk and balancing priorities. This python's position and access, for instance, increased the chances of it being inside the house near our (not small) dogs, and particularly Maggie. Maggie is intensely curious, and part-raised by her late half-brother who had a strong hunt-and-kill instinct. No matter who ends up worse for wear, it's not a desirable outcome (thus why our cat stayed in Sydney when we left - in his case, he'd be too destructive on the wildlife, and, in some cases, vice versa).
Where the python was taken, it's in a better situation for all, though chances are it'll make its way back in amongst the residences again, if not here. It's just something that comes with the territory. We're just glad we haven't seen any of the Brown Snakes, like the 2 metre one that apparently used to have our block of land as its homebase. They're dangerous buggers.
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Originally Posted by GeoffC
beautiful animal, stunning chairs and balcony ....
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Thanks. It's a favourite spot in the house.
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Originally Posted by RickyMaveety
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Cats?? They eat CATS?? Bad snake!!! BAD!!!
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Yeah, I understand the feeling. It's saddening, no doubt. There is a problem as well that the cats eat a fair whack of the native wildlife (cute, widdle possums and sugargliders, and pretty parrots), particularly when irresponsible owners (i.e. the exact
opposite of you, so often the salvation
from those owners) leave known hunters out at night (noting that a Carpet Python is a night hunter) in an area so close to the National Park and chosen for its "natural beauty and wildlife". It was the reason we decided not to bring our cat up with us from Sydney (see above). It's sad that it happens (snakes killing cats, and dogs), but the responsibility goes to the owners in some cases. It's just one of those things where I tend to follow the philosophy of "If you elect to live near the bush and the wildlife, don't grumble when the bush and the wildlife lives near you".
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Man, your house looks like something out of a magazine. Way to enforce the stereotype, Marc. 
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Hey, it's just the top balcony - for all you know, the rest of the house looks like a monkey enclosure.
Cheers,
Marc