1 thing i fear in northern cyprus

lilaclady


Joined: 11/02/2011
Posts: 133

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 22:34

as i said i am arriving thursday i love cyprus but until i came on this forum didnt know there were snakes there now i am terrified and i keep thinking about this are they only in northern cyprus as i went to the south a few times and never saw any

MrsSnakes



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 1100

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 22:44

Do not worry. They are more frightened of you. Some people who have lived here a long time have never seen any....they are around.....but in longer grass areas, the hills, maybe the odd rock wall. I am sure you will have a lovely time and will not see any during your stay. Regards Mrs Snakes, sorry about the name!!!!

Pugwash


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 1797

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 22:52

Same number in North as the South lilaclady, they are really quite rare.

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 23:24

You need to be more scared of the nutty car drivers, phone in one hand, putting on lipstick with the other - AND THAT'S JUST THE MEN!!

horselover


Joined: 18/01/2009
Posts: 129

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 23:27

i do worry bout my dogs living outside a lot of the time. i wish there was a vile of anti venom we cud keep, just in case, to administer if needed

denizen



Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 23:34

been here 8 years and only seen one.

And that was at Tatlisu so I don't think that counts.

newscoop


Joined: 23/12/2007
Posts: 2197

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 23:51

Mess 4



Go into most chemists and I think you'll get anti venom



Keep it in the fridge.

HildySmith


Joined: 02/07/2009
Posts: 1708

Message Posted:
27/08/2011 23:54

don't worry obout the reptile snakes they are few are far between as stated, the ones to watch are the human snakes - bilders, landowners and adocates - don't trust anyone!!!!!!!!!

BizziLizzi


Joined: 02/08/2011
Posts: 855

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 01:05

Dogs have more sense than we give them credit. A snake hid under a chest in my house - dogs growed, whined , barked and generally made a fuss until I investigated ( THAT was when I screamed) but did not try to attack it.



Other occasions they have barked at centipedes and large spiders which I might otherwise have trodden on, but danced round, not attacking.



Another good reason for adopting a homeless dog.





Lilaclady : There are few places in the world without snakes and insects , particularly the hot climates. Here very few are poisonous. If you decide to settle here, dont grow vegetation to attract near the house - have a "cordan sanitaire" of concrete, gravel, paving etc. And avoid nooks and crannes in house or outbuilding where they could hibernate. Otherwise you are unlikely to see one unless you go tramping in wild places. btw the big black ones are harmless - they only eat other snakes and were imported for that purpose!

BizziLizzi


Joined: 02/08/2011
Posts: 855

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 01:18

They havent got round to checking snakes' passports at the border - at least not the ones without legs.





But if you spend too much time on this forum you will start having nightmares about witches, sharks, flying saucers and displaced Loch Ness Monsters!

matula


Joined: 07/07/2008
Posts: 647

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 10:27

I have seen more snakes in the wild in the 4 years I have been here than in the 34 years I lived in Africa!

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 10:46

If you do not venture out to mountains, forested picnic areas, or houses were there is a lot empty land and bushes around - then you'll hardly see any!

The best protection at home are the cats! BUT you must train them from young to live in the garden. Feed them just about enough food (leftovers from lunch/dinner) and NO canned cat food! You'll be surprised how their hunting instincts will kick in and they will start catching anything that moves (rats and snakes) in the garden.

It pains me to read "my cat got bitten by a snake". By nature, cats have very high reflexes and even a Cobra would find it difficult to strike them! When young I watched them go for a snake, and they are very careful, always aiming at the neck or head! But the poor pampered fat "kitikat" cats people have as pets nowadays, is what are the ones who are stupid enough to get bitten by a snake - they probably see the ruddy thing as a moving toy, when they first see it!

babydoll


Joined: 27/07/2011
Posts: 140

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 10:49

there's more danger from trouser snakes out here !

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 10:57

Maybe we should train the cats to attack the "snakes" in the trousers!

bazzagirl


Joined: 09/05/2010
Posts: 525

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 11:18

Message 8 totally agree, shame isn't it, a beautiful country tarred with so much corruption.

stellasstar1



Joined: 02/07/2008
Posts: 1519

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 11:59

I've lived here nearly six years, and saw my first one this morning. A big black one in the middle of the road.

Jonesy299


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 367

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 12:10

Perhaps I'm lucky but haven't seen a snake here in 6 years!

ang1706


Joined: 28/01/2009
Posts: 570

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 12:41

The only snakes to be worried about are the Builders, Bankers and Legal people!!

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 15:27

I've had two massive black snakes in my garden this year, the first one was over 2 metres and the second just under (have the skins to prove it!)

andre514


Joined: 05/10/2010
Posts: 763

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 15:36

lilaclady,



nothing personal, but snakes would be far more scared of you



there is a pretty active black one that they have in malta-gozo too,

...I think these are timid and harmless, can anyone confirm?



the south is probably far too "civilized" to have many

clews



Joined: 16/03/2009
Posts: 70

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 16:10

We had a Coin Snake who decided to take up residence inside our reclining sofa a month ago, we think it must have got in when the front door was open a few days before when we had a BBQ.



Our pet cat Archie was the one to discover it, he kept staring at the same point on the sofa and acting strange, after finally getting our attention we lifted it up and there to our horror was this snake.



My husband and a friend managed to chase it out the house with the aid of a pole and then catching it in the swimming pool net. This took quite a while (not helped by a lot of screaming from me), but eventually it was captured and taken far from the house to be set free to find a new home.



I haven't been happy about leaving the front door open since . . .

lilaclady


Joined: 11/02/2011
Posts: 133

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 18:45

well i dont know if i should be reassured or terrified lol

Hobnob


Joined: 20/11/2010
Posts: 55

Message Posted:
28/08/2011 19:51

lilaclady, the answer may be to get a cat when you get here!

jamboree


Joined: 25/06/2011
Posts: 88

Message Posted:
29/08/2011 00:17

dont worry hunting season has just opend so all the snakes will be shot as there are no birds left in cyprus. you will be ok.

spider


Joined: 03/01/2009
Posts: 5527

Message Posted:
29/08/2011 00:49

Try not to worry about somethings that has not happened yet ! You may never even see one ! Are you as worried when you go away on holidays...driving in your car or what the weather will be like in 2015 !!



Life is too short.





Spider,X

fosterscan


Joined: 27/02/2010
Posts: 541

Message Posted:
29/08/2011 01:15

spent about 30 weeks in cyprus at most times of the year and only seen 2 both this year in may on the same day but they soon disapeared when i went to them.Dont worry about them.

lagosboy


Joined: 08/08/2011
Posts: 132

Message Posted:
29/08/2011 18:51

msg 25,

life isnt short at all, its long very long. you probably will never get bitten by a snake in your life time. or even get stuck in bad weather..