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more media crap
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by codeman on October 9, 2008
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so I was looking at the news stories and found a story about a mouse killing a snake. whats funny is the story claims that the snake was a viper. well...Im no expert but it looks more like I rat snake to me.lol...let that mouse get in with my copperhead and lets see who comes out alive. the story is also on this site as mouse bites snake to death. anyone else seen this? here's the link.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/10/09/eamouse109.xml
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by kacz on October 9, 2008
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It also looks a lot like a habu. There are times when a snake, even a venomous one, is so stressed that the"fight" is gone. All that's left is the "flight". In the confinement of a cage an aggressive mouse can do real damage to the snake.
Paul M. Kaczmarczik
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RE: more media crap
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by Cro on October 9, 2008
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Paul is right, the snake is most likely Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus, which is known as the Taiwan Habu, or Tortoise Snake. It is a very common snake in Taiwan.
When I posted the news link to the story below, I added the comment about the mouse being about four times too big for that snake to feed on.
Best Regards John Z
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by toddg on October 9, 2008
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The page appears to have been removed. If it’s a habu WTF was it doing in the U.K.?
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by kacz on October 9, 2008
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It wasn't. Although the article may not have been clear, it inferred that the whole thing happened in Taiwan. The Telegraph is an english tabloid. Being true to its genre it cares little for facts that don't shock and awe.
A more serious travesty occurred on "Live with Regis and Kelly" this morning. (Yeah!, I see it on occasion) This guy named Gros (or Gos) replete in a monogramed safari jacket, brought on a beautiful retic. As he spouted the rote platitudes on how we have to learn to live with nature, he consistently referred to the snake as a burmese python! What an idiot! This is a guy on Animal Planet and sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. He's out there as an expert spouting crap. Even his website says that he has extensive field experience with captive animals. Now what is that oxymoron supposed to mean?
Paul M. Kaczmarczik
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by codeman on October 9, 2008
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I dident think of a habu. I have no experiance with them. That explains it.lol..come to think of it I have only seen one show even mentioning them. Id say that mouse had a very lucky break.
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by Buzztail1 on October 9, 2008
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I looked at the pictures associated with the article and have to say that the snake doesn't look like any of the Habus I have ever seen.
There are pictures online of Protobothrops mucrosquamatus (Taiwan Habu) and Trimeresurus gracilis (Kikushi Habu) that can be compared.
To me, it looks mostly like a young Rhabdophis, maybe Rhabdophis tigrinus (Tiger Keelback).
If we are lucky, maybe WW or BGF will stop by and enlighten us with an accurate identity.
R/
Karl
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by LarryDFishel on October 9, 2008
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I think if you read the last sentence of the article, you'll see how important accurate details are to the author...
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by Cro on October 9, 2008
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It is too bad that the photos of the snake are not a bit better quality.
The snake is not the Kikushi Habu, Trimeresurus gracilis, as that is a heavier bodied snake, and looks very different:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ellison.idv.tw/www/Gallery/20061118/41.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.twbbs.net.tw/2599880.html&h=479&w=720&sz=166&hl=en&start=7&um=1&usg=__CsbwGNiWuILTyZbg0V7qa8Ie68M=&tbnid=zfcHBNz08vrl_M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTrimeresurus%2Bgracilis%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address%26rlz%3D1I7GGLJ%26sa%3DN
While some of the Keelback Snakes do seem to resemble the snake in the photos, in that they are long, thin bodied snakes, I can not find a photo of a Keelback Snake that has a Black Post Ocular Stripe that starts in the center of the eye. Also, most of the Keelbacks have a pattern that is more of a checkerboard, and most of them have a large black triangular blotch that begins on the top of the head, and extends down the side of the neck.
The Taiwan Habu, Protobothrops mucrosquamatus does have a Black Post Ocular Stripe that starts in the center of the eye. You can see this in the link that I posted above, if, after you super-size the photo of the gracilis, you scroll down the page to a photo of that Habu. Also, you can see the Post Ocular Stripe in other photos on the web of mucrosuamatus, like the one on this page:
http://www.formosanfattire.com/feature/snakes_in_taiwan/poisonous_snakes.htm
If you look closly at the snake in the photos with the mouse, you will see the Black Post Ocular Stripe that starts in the middle of the eye.
Because of this, I still think that the snake in the photo with the mouse is the Taiwan Habu, Protobothrops (Trimeresurus) mucrosquamatus. It will be interesting to see what Bryan and Wolfgang have to say, if they happen onto this thread. Perhaps it will turn out to be something totally different from all of the above choices.
Best Regards John Z
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by LadyBloodRose on October 10, 2008
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ya know first thing that poped into my mind was "holy crap thats one HUGE mouse" espiclay copaired to that tiny snake. No wonder the mouse killed it, the snake never woulda been able to have eaten that anyway! poor snake :(
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