One Snake Too Many

Help! A Python

I do wonder why has there been an increase in the number of snake encounters around my house in recent months. Between 1998 and 2011, we have had only 3. But during the last 12 months, my wife and I have had 5. The latest being on the morning of 3rd March 2013 when I found a python in one of my Ayam Cantik's (a bantam breed of chicken) chicken coop. 3 out of 5 chickens were killed - 1 missing, presumably eaten, 1 being coiled and another lying motionless. I had to call the Fire Department (the default snake catchers in Malaysia) to help me remove the python. It is about 6 feet in length.

I believe this python has found its way into the chicken coop by forcing itself through the bottom steel wire netting. There is an odd gap in this wire netting that I have not seen before. I have scattered some sulfur around this chicken coop some 4 weeks earlier but 2 heavy downpours a week prior has washed them away.

I believe this python has killed 5 of my Ayam Cantiks in total. In early February 2013 in another chicken coop, 1 chicken was missing (again most probably eaten) while another has been regurgitated since its head and neck was damp. There is actually a big hole at the back rusty wire netting that I had not noticed previously - a good place for the a snake to enter and exit. My mistake.

We have never had problems with snakes before in the past - just civets. So the chicken coops were never really snake-proof. I hope there will be no other pythons or any other snakes after this. I have seen a rat or two running around over the last couple of days. So, I suppose this is a 'good' sign. Still, I must place some rat traps around as too many rats will only attract snakes.

And More Snakes

Incidentally, the green tree climbing snake reappeared again at end December 2012. It fell to the ground some 2 feet away while I was clearing off some weeds. I did not realized that it was resting on some branches on a basil plant. Luckily, it just slithered away from me heading towards the fence. I scattered some sulfur around the back garden after that, like what I did previously. I have not seen this snake since. There is a bush of lemon grass about 3 feet away from where the snake fell. So, in my opinion, I do not think lemon grass is a good snake repellent - at least for this snake anyway. This snake looks a lot like a Paradise Tree Snake. I have not seen it gliding from tree to tree though. (Update: 11th July 2014: I managed to get a closeup shot of this snake and clearly it is not a Paradise Tree Snake.)