Snake catcher and conservationist Nick Evans with the 15kg snake he removed from under the geyser.PHOTO: Facebook/Nick Evans
A python, weighing 15 kg, was found hiding under a geyser in the Durban area on Friday.
Snake catcher and conservationist Nick Evans said he and his wife, Joelle, rushed out to one of his study sites, as a python had been found under a geyser, and the maintenance man was not at all happy about this.
Evans said he was initially concerned it might be a female on eggs.
“It’s a bit late in the season, but you never know.
“When we arrived, we couldn’t see much. Just a tiny bit of the python in a space at the bottom of the tank.
“On one side, there was a decent gap that it could get out of, although not big enough for me to get under, or even reach far under.”
Evans stuck his phone under and put it on video mode to try and have a look. It seemed there were no eggs.
“Joelle got a stick and started poking and prodding the python from one side, very gently, trying to get it to move, or preferably, to come out.”
Eventually, Evans said the snake got tired of being harassed, and came out at some speed.
“I grabbed the tail of the large snake, as it swayed from side to side. I passed Joelle the tail so I could go for the head.”
Evans said pythons were not venomous, but they could deliver a very painful bite, with their rows of curved, needle-like teeth.
Fortunately, Evans said the python was ‘in the blue’, which means it was about to shed its skin.
Which explains why it had blue eyes and a dark appearance.
“Once she sheds, she’ll be bright and beautiful again.
“But in this phase, her vision is badly affected, and so I managed to get to her head quite easily. We both smelt horrendously afterwards. Pythons give off the worst smell,” said Evans.
He said a the snake was a beautiful female, 3.2 metres in length, weighing over 15kg.
“She could do with a meal or two. She’ll contribute towards our exciting research and will be released in an area where there’s an abundance of prey,” said Evans.