1145 snakes

Don't know what species you get in Italy but from past experience it is good to live and let live where snakes are concerned - they keep the local rodent population under control. If you have cats they sometimes do kill snakes (ours did at any rate) but dogs tend to go a bit stupid when they see them.

One of the books I have on relocating to Italy did indicate that there is at least one poisonous species in the country and advised that people operating B&B's in the countryside should keep antivenom on hand for any mishaps that might occur. You might consider enquiring locally to see what species occur in your area.

Your local farmacia will probably have any anti venom on hand, avoid the snakes where you can, and they will avoid you.

We too have had a similar length black snake (apparently a type of grass snake) in the garden - our Italian neighbours assure us they are harmless and will always slither off very quickly if humans approach. Have not seen any green ones. In June/July it is common to see dead black snakes on the country roads around here, whether the Italian drivers deliberately aim for them I don't know, but that is where we see the highest number. Apparently there are also Vipers in the more hilly and wooded areas, like the Adder in the UK, their bite is poisonous, but unless you have an allergy, is generally not fatal. Sightings are rare, again they will generally avoid humans, but as Gerge has said all farmacia will hold anti venom as will the local Pronto Soccorso.
Regards
Anne2

I am not familiar with your area, just check with your neighbours there are not vipere in the area.

Paola

Did I hear it right on News last night that someone in Italy got bitten by a poisonous snake ???? only got tail end of it ( excuse the pun...oh don't know if snakes have tails ...oh yes...rattle sankes... 'sting in the tail' !!!! )....sorry i digress !!! If anyone did catch what it was about can you let me know...haven't seen any in Puglia yet...do we have them here????? My mother-in -law is terrified of them ...that will keep her away !....only joking...she's lovely !!!...but scared of snakes ! :eek:

Lordy you're hitting the wine earlier these days...sting in the tail, errrm, could that be scorpions??? errrm, :o have a couple of snake eating dogs if you're interested ??? although, hang on, they don't like mother in laws... NOT joking. But, you'll also need pear trees (I really must feed them some dog food one day) :cool:

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]Did I hear it right on News last night that someone in Italy got bitten by a poisonous snake ???? only got tail end of it ( excuse the pun...oh don't know if snakes have tails ...oh yes...rattle sankes... 'sting in the tail' !!!! )....sorry i digress !!! If anyone did catch what it was about can you let me know...haven't seen any in Puglia yet...do we have them here????? My mother-in -law is terrified of them ...that will keep her away !....only joking...she's lovely !!!...but scared of snakes ! :eek:[/QUOTE]

1. the guy who is now in hospital was ,yes, bitten by a rattlesnake but he kept it in his house (you know the stuff,bite the hand that feeds etc) but the snake was from U.S.A.
2. in central Italy there are several kinds of snakes,the black ones mentioned are not venomous and i'm currently trying to hatch a pile of eggs of one of these.There are two kinds of poisonous snakes the vipers and asps the second apparently rare.
3. All the other things said about vipers/adders are more or less true.They are quite common easily distinguished from the others by the markings/head/and fatter shorter body usually russet brown colour.
All snakes including inoffensive ones are an excellent deterrent for mothers in law and the likes.

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]oh don't know if snakes have tails[/QUOTE]

... isn..t...a...snake.....all......tail.....and....no....thing....else.......? ....................................................................................... ............................................

What an idiot...loved the 'all tail' one !!!...and that was me senza il vino ...don't think there is much hope is there !!!!!!

Had a scare last night --took neighbours children to little courtyard to pick a fresh lemon and something 'biggish' rustled in a pile of leaves in the corner ( I know - should have swept them up !!!! :rolleyes: ).....sent husband and dog to investigate -both came back a bit sheepish...but said probably only a mouse ...i.e. too scared to look !!!?? :confused:

Guess who's sweeping leaves up this morning !!! Not me for sure ! :eek:

Just in case..if it was a rat (oh my gawd !!! :eek: )- what can I use that won't kill the dog !

Depends on how squeamish you are, no poisons are safe, breakback traps possible but be careful where you place them, rat glue pasted to boards put on runs can work, but, you have to deal with the rat, likewise with the cage type traps. Doubt it was a rat anyway, there are loads of things which rustle, rats frequently sit tight then bolt for next cover, PM me if you want ratty recognition and control details... :D
It was probably one of those enormous lizards which wait till you're looking the other way then sneak up on you annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Saw your post about the snakes.

I was in the hairdressers a few weeks ago when there was a large snake outside. The hairdressers husband went and got his gun and shot it. They told me it was a viper. They also told me that they come in twos usually.

Every time I go to the hairdressers now I look very closely

[size=2]Guess we are lucky here in Sardinia, We don't have vipers (Or any venomous snakes) apparently.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]We do have rather aggressive ticks though. [/size]

[QUOTE=WiredEyes][size=2]Guess we are lucky here in Sardinia, We don't have vipers (Or any venomous snakes) apparently.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]We do have rather aggressive ticks though. [/size][/QUOTE]

a good therapist can help you with that...

[QUOTE=Sano]a good therapist can help you with that...[/QUOTE]

Sarcasm, now that just ticks me off.

P.S. we went though all this a while back in the forum probably not worth the indignity again. :)

[QUOTE=WiredEyes]Sarcasm, now that just ticks me off.

P.S. we went though all this a while back in the forum probably not worth the indignity again. :)[/QUOTE]

No worries - I am currently starring in a real life version of 'Arachnophobia' - This balmy weather and a very mild winter last year has resulted in a spider population explosion. Not only that but we are seeing so many types of spider that look far too exotic to be native. My 'favourite' so far being the acid green ones that live on my apple tree.

I'm terrifed of spiders. :eek: .....where are you Sano...in Italy or Dublin !!! I was only thinking myself lucky the other day 'cos I've only seen a couple of tiddlers in the garden.....do we get a load in Italy in September/October like in the Uk when they all decided to take up residence in my house ...especially the white bath!!!

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]I'm terrifed of spiders. :eek: .....where are you Sano...in Italy or Dublin !!! I was only thinking myself lucky the other day 'cos I've only seen a couple of tiddlers in the garden.....do we get a load in Italy in September/October like in the Uk when they all decided to take up residence in my house ...especially the white bath!!![/QUOTE]

In Dublin at the moment. I don't mind spiders so long as they stay put. There is nothing scarier than looking up at the web of a spider that has been around for days only to find it empty. You always wonder where the little critter has gotten to.

As to the bath/basin issue - I leave a towel draped over both at night - what I don't see don't bother me sort of thing. If they can scarper during the night great!

[QUOTE=CastellanJan]I have just spent 4 weeks trying to de-rock some of our trulli garden and discovered a snake skin one day. No problem, I thought, its been there years - 2 days later I saw a 4ft black thing moving v.quickly along the edge of the garden before disappearing into the undergrowth next door. Can anyone tell me what kind of snake it is and should I let the garden grow wild again? Ten minutes after the first sighting my daughter saw a 12inch green snake at the other end of the garden.[/QUOTE]

We have seen a black snake in our Trulli garden as well :eek: . Using our reference book of Mediteranean wild life we identified it as a 3 toe'd skink ( not a 3 legged skunk as my wife refers to it !! ). The one we saw was about 3 feet long and my wife bent down to pick it up thinking it was a belt! It dissappeared down a hole like greased lightning. According to the book these are harmless and are more frightened of us than we are of them. They have very small legs at the back, an evolutionary left over from the days when they were large lizards I think. Technically this makes them Skinks not Snakes.

Hi All,

I found this in the web. It lists most of the snakes / reptiles and shows a map where they are located in Italy and surrounding coutries.

Suggest you show the map of the "Natrix Natrix" to the mother-in-laws!!!! You will never be disturbed in your Italian homes again!!

:D

Here you go !!

[url]http://www.kingsnake.com/reptilia-italia/My_HomePage_file/italianreptiles.htm[/url]

Aha beat me to it. :)

[QUOTE=Rafey]Hi All,

I found this in the web. It lists most of the snakes / reptiles and shows a map where they are located in Italy and surrounding coutries.

Suggest you show the map of the "Natrix Natrix" to the mother-in-laws!!!! You will never be disturbed in your Italian homes again!!

:D[/QUOTE]

Rafey, where's the link ? Please ? :)