This is what I found under the first rock I moved this morning. They're all about 8-10 inches long and normally I'd have just left them be, but the uppermost one was active and aggressive. He kept posturing and finally convinced me that he was poisonous so he got whacked. I felt bad afterwards because once he went limp I realized that his fat body and triangular head were just defensive posturing that was a bit too convincing.
Bonus points if you can spot the spider hanging out with the snakes. He must be one bad mother to hang out with snakes and not get eaten.
Who doesn't get just a little flash of Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom when they flip a manhole lid and find this. After I replaced the lid I had to tap dance on a few heads to keep them from invading the neighborhood.
That top snake is what my grandfather called a "spreading adder". Nonvenomous but when they feel threatened they can spread their "neck" like a cobra. I have opened dozens (hundreds?) of manholes with roaches in them. The ones without roaches are the ones that worry me. If a roach can't live there I ain't going in.
Andy Bruner, post: 454866, member: 1123 wrote: If a roach can't live there I ain't going in.
"Going in" requires O2 and explosive gas monitoring, a hoist and harness, and an outside crew to operate the hoist. To do otherwise is both foolish and illegal.
Stephen Ward, post: 454851, member: 1206 wrote: Bonus points if you can spot the spider hanging out with the snakes. He must be one bad mother to hang out with snakes and not get eaten.
Jim Frame, post: 454877, member: 10 wrote: "Going in" requires O2 and explosive gas monitoring, a hoist and harness, and an outside crew to operate the hoist. To do otherwise is both foolish and illegal.
You are absolutely correct, but 45 years ago I wasn't nearly as smart as I am now. Our method of O2 and explosive gas monitoring was to toss in a lit book of matches. If it goes BOOOOM don't go in. If the book of matches goes out before it gets to the bottom don't go in. Pre OSHA.
Andy
