A TANGLE OF SERPENTS


   A neighbour of mine was telling me the other day, that she has, whilst
walking in the orange groves, come across a nasty water channel that
emptys into a round tank , where the water is pushed and sucked down
into an underground pipe. The action of the water creates a whirlpool.
   As is her habit, always looking for creatures to rescue, she peered in,
thinking 'puppies and kittens' but instead found a tiny terrapin swirling
around inside. Diving her hand in she rescued it. So each time she passed
by, she checked saving terrapins, toads and frogs from drowning!
   So l took up the banner, as she has recently moved. My fist visit saved
another terrapin, then a beautiful camouflaged common toad. Next a
singing pond frog and two more terrapins. It has become somewhat an
addiction, l look forward to my rescue work.
   l try daily to visit the water trap. One day l expectently looked in to the
gloomy hellhole, my eyes ajusting to the dark,  there feebly trying to
raise it's head was a snake. My toes curled but a saviour must save.
How best to do the job l thought, as l was not going to thrust my
hand into the foaming water. luckily there is a lot of cane growing nearby,
breaking a piece off, which had a bit of root on the end, l managed to hook
the limp creature to safety. lt took some moments to get its breath then
it was gone.
   Each and every visit there has been some poor animal to hook out.
Once l left with a pocket full of terrapins. l let them go in a more gentle pool.
One night l pulled out four more snakes. They are viperines ( water snakes),
they are happy in the water but get trapped in the tank. l missed a few days
and eagerly returned. First a frog then two more viperines then a terrapin,
quite a big one , next two more snakes. Thinking that that was it, it was
getting dark, l saw in the depleating light yet another snake, dipping my stick
in l managed to hook it on but as l gently lifted it out thinking that it had a lot
of debris attached, tipping it out there where in fact a tangle of five
serpents!
   My God how many poor creatures pour down that watery hole ?