Close-up, Fauna, OM-1, Photography, Tasmania

Guess Who’s Back?

Back again … And it’s not Slim Shady!

It’s Little Miss Tickles!!! 😀

So, we had Tickles the Tasmanian Tiger Snake “relocated” last week, not sure where he dropped her off, but it took her 8 days to get back home! She clearly likes it here, or likes me 😀
Maybe she’s just in it for the likes and follows and I should stop posting pictures of her? (I’m still assuming it’s a she, but perhaps it’s a they that identifies as a cat?)

While she was away, we used expanda-foam (not foam that came from dead pandas, just to be clear), to block up all the holes between the concrete path and the external walls of my lounge-room where she was disappearing. It seems she had planned ahead, with an extra escape hole located on the other side of the path!

The photo above shows some of the painted expanda-foam and the gap under my toilet door at the top. Yes, a little too close for comfort. She beat me awake yesterday, so I had to make alternative arrangements with my hosts, but I beat her this morning and took my chances … and a big stick.

Eventually, I couldn’t resist touching her, and felt her tail three times yesterday, (madness I know) twice while she was 3/4 of the way retreating into the hole, and once more foolishly, while she was out but still sluggish. While she didn’t come at me, she reminded me to respect her space, and that she could kill me.

You might notice above that her eyes look cloudy. According to the new “relocator” Snake Cleaner Tina, from my work, who visited today (more on that later) their skin actually grows over their eyes, and this means they are close to shedding. Looking at her closely, she has quite a few battle scars and a parasitic tick or two buried under the scales around her neck, one can clearly be seen below. It got me thinking that snakes have a pretty tough life.

Anyway, I’ll save the best pics from yesterday for the next post, and another new friend (I think) … a bit of click bait if you will 😉
I was lucky enough to watch her emerge from the hole this morning, tasting the air and I hope got some lovely close shots .. I haven’t looked at them yet, they might make it in the next post too .. maybe.

Thanks for visiting, have a safe and awesome day 🙂

Shot with: Olympus OM-1, Olympus 75-300 f4.8-6.7 II ED MSC

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TasView (Tone)

Tone Bacon - Tasmanian photographer. tasview.com

17 thoughts on “Guess Who’s Back?”

  2. Interesting, she came back. Rattlesnakes out here have territories, and they have to be relocated to similar environments to where they were found. I noticed the cloudy eyes. Keep in mind that snakes get cranky when they are shedding. Wonderful photos. You seem to have quite a good relationship with Miss Tickles.

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    1. I think I spent enough time with her that we seemed to develop a rapport, though I’m not sure either of us fully trusted the other – I certainly didn’t 😉 Pretty sure they are territorial here too, it would certainly seem so!

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    1. Thanks Morgaine, Tickles was successfully recaptured and relocated again today, this time across the river! More on that soon.
      I couldn’t help myself when the panda joke popped into my head, us Aussies have a weird sense of humor 😛

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  5. I didn’t know a snake would do that. But I guess they cover more territory than we would think. Most of the time they aren’t really “travelling.” But I’ve heard people say that in Montana, for example, they have seen rattlesnakes crossing the highway on their way to den up for the winter, sometimes travelling a mile or two to get to their dens.

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    1. Wow! I didn’t know they would travel very far either. Not sure how far away she was taken, but 8 days must have been a bit of a hike, even for a snake! Perhaps they are creatures of habit like us?
      She was recaptured today and relocated … across the river!! More on that soon 😀

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      1. Unless she is a water snake? They seem to be like a homing pigeon, returning back where they wanna be.

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  8. A bit close for comfort for me but you have to admire her tenacity. Once spring comes here I avoid the dam areas where we have a rather large tiger snake who enjoys dining on frogs. I don’t like them near the house or near my cat or pony. One day I was sitting just outside on the verandah and a brown snake slide out from under my chair while I was sitting on it! No doubt it had been trying to escape the heat of the day. Good luck with relocating her again.

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