Aussie compost

[Carol]

Yesterday I took the compost bucket out to the back yard, lifted the lid and there was the skin of a brown snake - about 4 feet long draped across the top. Of course I screamed but no-one at home or next door to hear me! Lately there had been a few mice as I lifted the lid, so I guess the snake was having a feast. I now have to be a little more careful walking around in the yard and veggie patch. We have a number of happy resident frogs which I guess a re an attractant to a hungry snake. It is illegal to kill snakes in Australia but I do have a shovel against the shed and will break the law if I see it!!!!!

[andrew]

Mmmmm! I love snakes........on the BBQ

[Doug]

I had a family of garter snakes (nonpoisonous, small, probably never grow much longer than .25m) in my garden. They ate slugs, grasshoppers, that sort of thing. I knew they were beneficial, but my first response when I saw them was pretty much Carol's. I'm certain there are snakes in the US on the Federal Registry of Endangered Animals, but this not one. I came to appreaciate these wee beasties for how they cleaned up less desireable critters in the yard, saving me chemical warfare and money, but I bet the shovel would have come out if they'd been rattlesnakes (poisonous, the classic poisonous snake of Hollywood Westerns). Instead. Are brown snakes poisonous? I know there are lots of poisonous Aussie snakes.

[Doug]

Like your new avatar, Andrew! Those your pooches?

[andrew]

Yuppers. Those are our babies. From left: Cara, Nancy (the boss) and Rosie

[coffeelover]

Andrew,

I thought I was the only crazy Weggie with three dogs.
Lisa

[andrew]

Haha...nope I'm sure there are plenty of us. I (very) briefly thought about getting another one but figured that three was plenty in a three bedroom house

[Carol]

It was evidently a Brown snake - quite shy but quite poisonous as are most Aussie snakes. We think we'll empty the compost bin to see if he's still in there so I don't get so nervous every time I lift the lid.