A guest that left us gifts of learning

Swami, a local farmer, is also a snake catcher. We once saw him when was on his way to catch a snake in the neighbourhood. We asked him to bring us the snake that he finds, if it was a non-venomous one. An hour later he was at our doorstep with a snake in his hands and a small crowd of kids behind him.

Abhi and Aparna identified the snake as a Checkered Keelback; non-venomous, likes water. Abhi got the snake from Swami and bagged it. The crowd swelled since adults wanted to take a peek too. I told the adults that my kids had my permission to handle the snake. After much commotion and excitement, we sent back the curious kids saying that Abhi will take the bagged snake to our farm and release it there. A few minutes after everyone left, Aparna tied an empty sack and handed it to Abhi. He went on his bicycle carrying the empty sack, a gesture that was necessary to silence the neighbours.

Now, accommodating our new guest was a piece of cake! The kids had a home ready and waiting for this moment. It was a special home that they had built out of cardboard, with all kinds of textures: Soft rags, coconut husk and shells, cardboard tunnels, small pieces of wood, sand, a shallow water dish and rocks. There are two steel-mesh vents at the top, a hinged lid and handmade cardboard locks. This terrarium sits in a sheltered corner in our back balcony.

 

As they settled into their cozy bed that night, the kids worried that their new friend may not be cozy in its new home. In compensation for the cold night the snake might have had, the next morning they gave him a warm water bath!

The kids had learned from Whitaker’s book and other sources that the checkered keelback’s bite can be quite painful but that it can be tamed. The next morning when they were handling the snake, true to its nature, it promptly nipped Abhi near the wrist. Abhi said that it was milder than a house lizard bite! He thought his handling of the snake was nervous since he was fearful of the bite but now that he knew, he could be more relaxed and so also the snake.

The next need to be addressed was exposure to the sunlight. After a bit of brain storming, the kids poked some holes on the lid of a plastic water bottle. They filled a small amount of water in the bottle, coaxed the snake into it, screwed the lid on and put it out in a sunny spot. The snake seemed confused and kept trying to poke through the bottle. The kids were feeling sorry for it. They thought that the transparency of the container might be the issue. So they decided to cover one half of the bottle and saw that the snake receded into that part of the bottle. This sunning routine was repeated every morning.

I had told the kids that they would have to release it in a couple of days when they brought it in. But I didn’t see that happening. When I argued for the snake’s freedom they said that they wanted to observe the snake’s moulting, feeding and pooping before releasing it. The consensus around the house being what it was, I decided to keep quiet.

While the captured creature was much loved and cared for, the kids were sad that it couldn’t really appreciate their love for it. Sometimes in their discussion they would fondly call it “Checkered-O”. After a week, the kids were obsessed about feeding the snake. They were constantly coming up with ideas on how to feed him. With the help of a friend, they identified a few sources where they could get frogs from. They caught a frog, put it in the sunning bottle with the lid open and left it in the terrarium. But the captive snake looked sluggish and didn’t seem to care about food and the lucky frog escaped. This was worrisome. For the next couple of days, every time we sat down to eat we were remembering that our snake hadn’t eaten for long. Then it was Abhi who suddenly said, “But of course, it isn’t eating because it is going to shed it skin. Look at his eyes! They seem blurry from the loosening of skin around them.”

The next few days were filled with anticipation and agony. Sometimes I heard them discuss whether they were right in their observations and what if the poor creature starved to death. But our worries proved unfounded; in a few days the old skin was indeed peeling away! That was a moment of relief and celebration for all of us. One time as Abhi held it, the snake drew itself out of its old skin as if taking off a dirty sock. After the new and beautiful skin was completely revealed, we noticed that the snake was also much more energetic. The kids rushed to the farm to catch another frog and once again it was put into the bottle and left inside the terrarium. The next morning the frog was missing but our guest had a small bump in its body. The kids were proud.

Now that moulting was off the list, I was getting impatient. I wanted the snake to go. But the kids said that they had two more things on their list and were saying that the snake was clearly not in any danger here. I reluctantly agreed. In a day or two while Abhi was handling the snake, it pooped on his shirt and he was as happy as can be. He went around showing his shirt to everyone.

Aparna loved Checkered-O but wanted it to have a good life in the wild soon. Abhi didn’t have the heart yet to let it go. He said that he was playing over in his mind about its release and would soon be able to do it. Dev and I decided not to say anything.

Another week went by and another feeding was tried, but this time unsuccessfully. By this time they felt some contentment with all that they have been able to do with this snake. We had had it for over three weeks now but before it was to let go there was one more thing to do. The kids knew that I had carefully avoided going anywhere near the snake. I freaked out every time I saw it slither or put its forked tongue out. Abhi said it was time for me to face my fear and they pleaded with me to hold the creature. With Aparna holding it and constantly reminding me that it is a beautiful and harmless creature, I finally touched the snake. It was a brief moment of touching a smooth surface while holding my breath.

Checkered-O was put into a cloth bag and we set off to the farm. On our way we stopped to show our village kids what he had in our bag. In no time a big crowd had gathered. Snakes are not new to villagers but they are something to fear and instantly killed on sight, venomous and non-venomous. A couple of kids came forward to tentatively touch the snake. Perhaps this safe encounter, with two children holding a much feared animal, might make a bit of difference in their perception.

After reaching the farm the kids released Checkered-O into a tiny pond that they had built in their garden area. It didn’t like the exposed pond. The kids then quickly piled up some rubble and coconut fronds and made a temporary hiding place for Checkered-O knowing that it can be safe from the raptors till it finds its own home.

Bye-bye Checkered-O!

-- Hema

Ed. note (02-Jan-2017):  Fixed some font related issues.