Wildlife in our Thai garden...
Today started overcast and refreshingly cool but now the sun has broken through the clouds, the mercury is rising and the sweat is starting to drip. England at the end of next month is going to be a serious blow to the system.
Every time I look out of the window there is a squirrel scampering along the drive, over the grass or along the top of the garden wall. These aren't the big cute red squirrels we occasionally see back home but a small rat-like, mangy squirrel. They don't seem to cause any trouble and aren't too bothered by people. Though I have seen Thais trying to catapult them out of trees before now. I don't know why, unless squirrel is on the menu here too.
Other than the squirrels we still get a lot of birds in the garden and a good supply of toads. I recently almost crushed one as it had taken refuge in my trainers. It was one lucky escape. I had a similar situation with a lizard a few years back. The lizard wasn't so lucky and by the time I realised it was there it was a deceased and decapitated lizard. No sign of any snakes in the garden since the guard and I chased the white lipped pit viper over the wall. I don't want to temp fate but I think we might have persuaded the snakes to move elsewhere. The only one we killed was the red headed krait which really doesn't make for an ideal house guest, especially with a three year old about the place.
Thailand is apparently infested with snakes, even in and around Bangkok. A little known fact is that the new Suwarnabhumi Airport is built on an area that was known as cobra swamp. Fortunately we haven't encountered any cobras yet, a friend nearby did a few months ago, but according to better sources than me the krait is more deadly than the cobra. It just can't spit like a cobra and doesn't look quite so sinister.
Wildlife in our Thai garden...
Today started overcast and refreshingly cool but now the sun has broken through the clouds, the mercury is rising and the sweat is starting to drip. England at the end of next month is going to be a serious blow to the system.
Every time I look out of the window there is a squirrel scampering along the drive, over the grass or along the top of the garden wall. These aren't the big cute red squirrels we occasionally see back home but a small rat-like, mangy squirrel. They don't seem to cause any trouble and aren't too bothered by people. Though I have seen Thais trying to catapult them out of trees before now. I don't know why, unless squirrel is on the menu here too.
Other than the squirrels we still get a lot of birds in the garden and a good supply of toads. I recently almost crushed one as it had taken refuge in my trainers. It was one lucky escape. I had a similar situation with a lizard a few years back. The lizard wasn't so lucky and by the time I realised it was there it was a deceased and decapitated lizard. No sign of any snakes in the garden since the guard and I chased the white lipped pit viper over the wall. I don't want to temp fate but I think we might have persuaded the snakes to move elsewhere. The only one we killed was the red headed krait which really doesn't make for an ideal house guest, especially with a three year old about the place.
Thailand is apparently infested with snakes, even in and around Bangkok. A little known fact is that the new Suwarnabhumi Airport is built on an area that was known as cobra swamp. Fortunately we haven't encountered any cobras yet, a friend nearby did a few months ago, but according to better sources than me the krait is more deadly than the cobra. It just can't spit like a cobra and doesn't look quite so sinister.
Wildlife in our Thai garden...
Labels: Thailand
posted by Life Out East at 09:20
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