That high pitched noise women make

[Hover Fly]

We had just pulled through the gate when there was this high pitched loud shriek followed by Mme Hover Fly throwing her car door open and her running across the lawn, in the direction of away. "What's wrong?" I shouted after her, "Un serpent" Then I saw it curled up under the dashboard centre. One of the "Asp vipers" they have round here. I followed Mme HF up to the house. But how to de-snake the car. Then I half remembered something my brother and his Australian GF once told me, about how they kept cats to deal with snakes in the house, or something. So I picked up Boris, a big tom ratter, took him back to the car and put him on the driver's seat, then waited. after a while there was a scuffle and I could see Boris had something in his mouth, so I opened the door to let him out. He climbed out and dropped an obviously dead snake at my feet. Then I remembered it wasn't snakes they let cats deal with, it was spiders.

 

[2Loose]

LoL, good job you didn't tell the cat that!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Asp Viper? Are they dangerous then? Well obv not if you have a "Boris" But, well, do the French have dangerous snakes?

 

[Hover Fly]

http://www.herpfrance.com/reptile/asp_viper_vipera_aspis.php

Have been known to kill fit young men.

 

[Arch]

You want a mongoose, for snakes, like Rikki Tikki Tavi.

Hadn't occured to me that the French had dangerous snakes. Mind you the only ones I've seen over there were fairly flat.


I still get excited about seeing lizards over there.

 

[longers]

Well done Boris!

Did he eat it?

Did you?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

http://www.herpfranc...ipera_aspis.php

Have been known to kill fit young men.

The Asp viper has front fangs that can be retreated. The venom strength depends on the subspecies with ssp. zinnikeri said to have the strongest venom. Bites must receive medical treatment, as they can provoke death in weaker and sensitive people.

Well I'm weak and sensitive - I get very upset very easily

 

[vernon]

You want a mongoose, for snakes, like Rikki Tikki Tavi.

Hadn't occured to me that the French had dangerous snakes. Mind you the only ones I've seen over there were fairly flat.


I still get excited about seeing lizards over there.

Saw a largish dead viper in France a couple of weeks ago. Lots of lizards - more often than not i'd hear the rustle in the verges as they ran for cover. The Temple of Janus at Autun had dozens of lizards running on its walls.

 

[Hover Fly]

You want a mongoose, for snakes, like Rikki Tikki Tavi.

Hadn't occured to me that the French had dangerous snakes. Mind you the only ones I've seen over there were fairly flat.


I still get excited about seeing lizards over there.

The reptiles round here fascinate me, you could be on the cycle path from Bordeaux to Suaveterre la Guyenne, thinking it's just like an English country lane, then see a terrapin or two ambling across in front of you. Then flater on you see a salamander, or a tree frog and remember France is definitely foreign.

 

[661-Pete]

We don't seem to get many snakes in our part of France, though I did once nearly sit down on one when taking a breather after piling up a particularly nasty hill! Not sure what species it was - a very young one, but we took no chances. And, last trip, Mrs P did discover a big grass snake sunning itself on our back patio, but it had gone by the time I came out to take a look.

I wouldn't advise trying to tackle a snake yourself, unless you're an expert, especially if you know it's venomous! But, contrary to popular belief, most snakes do not strike with 'lightning speed': it is more like half the speed at which an average human can throw a punch, and a quarter of the speed at which a trained boxer can. So there is little danger once you have seen the creature. You could have tried opening the doors on both sides and then coaxing it out with a long stick...

I hope your cat is OK after this encounter, keep an eye on it. If it was bitten the symptoms may not show up at once.

 

[vernon]

The reptiles round here fascinate me, you could be on the cycle path from Bordeaux to Suaveterre la Guyenne, thinking it's just like an English country lane, then see a terrapin or two ambling across in front of you. Then flater on you see a salamander, or a tree frog and remember France is definitely foreign.

The exotica that got me was the succession of dead Coypus that I saw while cycling in the Carmargue a couple of years ago. I stopped counting the corpses when I got to around twenty

 

[Yellow Fang]

One of the "Asp vipers" they have round here.

Oh good, nobody's beaten me to it, Are you sure it wasn't a windscreen viper?

 

[Baggy]

Oh good, nobody's beaten me to it, Are you sure it wasn't a windscreen viper?

 

[longers]

The exotica that got me was the succession of dead Coypus that I saw while cycling in the Carmargue a couple of years ago.

A big rat in Bradford recently might have been a Coypu. According to one of the ITN stories from yahoo front page that has disappeared in the last half hour.

They were in my spotters book of "british" wildlife and always remained unticked. Along with adders and swallowtail butterflies. Plus some other mundane stuff.

 

[Crankarm]

Venomous snakes, rabid dogs, frogs legs and wolves. France is definitely foreign .