by Jorlcrin » 24 Mar 2024, 12:12 pm
Driving out around looking for Hot Pork Friday Arvo..
Came upon a Black-Headed Python crossing the road, and we stopped so my mate could get some photos of it.
We have a LOT of these guys around, and at least 3 or 4 live in around the homestead.
Some of the bigger ones can be 4 metres in length, though this one was only around 2 metres total.
But a BIG lad; nonetheless...
Most of the time, they are quite placid, though often inquisitive enough to come and check you over..
About the only exception I've seen was last year, when I came across 2 fighting over a girlfriend, and the winner seemed to blame me because Mrs Pyfie had got bored and wandered off..
This one, though, he was mightily peeved with us, and let us know about it.
Hissing like a tea-kettle, he came back over to the Landcruiser at speed, reared up to the strike position, and was constantly hissing and jerking his view onto each of us.
Given how we hadnt done anything to him, I found all the accusations he was throwing around, a bit hurtful.
I've never seen the full-aggro display like this from one of these guys; more aggro than I've ever seen in a King Brown!
He actually struck at me maybe 15-20 times, and at one stage, I thought my Landcruiser was going to be car-jacked by an angry pyfon...
[Regretting leaving the doors open at that point..]
You can see in the photo, his mid-section is arched to give him the bracing to launch his strike.
None of this 'making a guarded retreat' crap for Pyfie; he was in our faces, and reading us the riot act..
I had a poly waddy-stick in the ute that I use for stockwork, and so was gently deflecting Pyfie each time he struck, but also directing him towards the grass at the edge of the road.
But it took some convincing, and he came back about 4 times before we saw the last of him.
Throat was distended like I've seen goannas do when hissing, and I'd swear the inside of his mouth(which I got to see multiple times up close..) was a light blue in colour.
Amazing; thought I was going to need to add a chapter to my book 'Things that have bitten me in this life'..
Thrilled to have had such an encounter, but a bit hurt that he was so critical of my existence..
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- Black-Headed Python with Attitude..
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