Surprise "visitor" to pond...

[AquaLene]

Hey everyone, thought you may be interested to see this!!

The past summer (we're in the southern hemisphere) was very dry, had a drought, water restrictions etc. After living here with our fish pond in-tact for 8 years this year was the first time we ever experienced this "theft" (these pics were taken in January 2009)

http://www.headzone.co.za/myfish/snake02.jpg

http://www.headzone.co.za/myfish/snake06.jpg

http://www.headzone.co.za/myfish/snake07.jpg

http://www.headzone.co.za/myfish/snake08.jpg

That was one of my biggest fantail gold fish, had him for years...
Snake ID - Common brown Water Snake, Non-toxic, constrictor, took him 2,5 hrs to eat that fish. Very timid snakes.
After that throughout Jan/Feb/March various sized of these snakes appeared and we lost a total of 8 koi and goldfish.

We saved one koi by literally uncoiling the snake from around the koi, but they got him at a later stage anyway. (After we put nets over! they still got in small gaps in the sides!)

Have never lost any fish to birds, yet these snakes found their "restaurant". Since we have been receiving rain the snakes have gone (or probably in hibernation with their "GPS's" no doubt aimed at our pond co-ordinates for summer!!)

BTW we never harmed any of the snakes, it's nature - we just moved them down the hill next to the house (but they sure found their way back!)

Regards
AquaLene

[Northernguy]

Thats freaky!

[Rue]

Wow! :ssuprised: Great photos! thumbs2: So sorry about your fish...but I'm very happy you released the snakes...

...mind you, that snake in your photos...took on a bit too much - it will never swallow the poor goldie...

[smaug]

I'm not as eco friendly,that snake would have been on the grill for chowing down on my fish!Especially a koi :jaws:Very nice of you to give a reprieve.

[invadertoast]

Wow, that's something you don't see everyday! I'm glad you released the snakes too, I'm also a snake lover in addition to fish. It's really too bad about your fish though, must be a tough thing to deal with! Snakes generally don't waste the energy to kill something they won't be able to eat, I wonder if he was able to keep that thing down - looks huge! then again my python still surprises me with what she can cram down her skinny little throat :ssuprised:

[Crispy]

Wow! Awesome photos! ...too bad about your fish, but I'm glad you let the snakes live. Nature is nature afterall... fish gotta swim, snakes gotta eat. :)

[Lady Hobbs]

Great photos but a darned shame. Maybe you need to plant some mice around your yard. Stupid snake and pretty fish!

[AquaLene]

Admittedly we were not happy about loss of fish. But like I said it is nature.

Unbelievably, that snake spent 2,5 hours and consumed that entire fish!!

We moved snake after "photo-shoot" (with fish he refused to let go of, fish was already dead when we found the "invader" so we couldn't save the fish) into a bucket, and moved them down the hill within our view - the snake stayed in the bucket (which we left laying on it's side for the snake to exit easily) and yet surprisingly the quite relaxed snake constricted my large fantail and consumed the entire fish in the comfort of my bucket! Not even a scale left over! It was really unbelievable.

Even more surprising was that at a later stage a much smaller snake (of same species) took on a 16cm Koi (little snake, only about 20cm long, with the same intentions, I couldn't believe my eyes, this small little snake trying to get a koi MUCH larger & wider than itself). Luckily we caught him in the act and koi was still alive so we saved the koi (and also moved "mini snake" to lower grounds).

[fraggle]

Great shots Aqualene! Awesome!

I can relate to the hot, dry, water restrictive summer. LOL, same as here! Never got any pics of them, but my in laws had a couple of king browns find the goldies (only little goldies mind you, biggest would have been about 4-5 inches) my mother in law had set up in her fernery at the back door. Think they came more for the water than the fish, they were just an added bonus (for the snake anyways)!

[frank_zappa]

i was curious so i looked it up and found that there is a product called snake-away. it is just a deterrent. you sprinkle it in a circle around wherever you dont want snakes (sandbox, outhouse, koi pond? i dont know) it says it is environmentally safe but then it also says to not use it around crops or drinking water. so, you would have to research the product to see if it would be something you could use. perhaps people here have heard of it, and if it would be safe to use or not. just an idea, although one that would need some research. it could possibly be a bad idea

[DrNic]

I've been thinking about putting in a pond once we get a house. I'd expect birds and racoons to be a possible problem, but I have a game plan for those. Snakes however are enough to make my wife rethink this whole idea. She's not a fan at all. Luckily where we live I doubt there are any snakes that would eat a fish like that.

[frank_zappa]

nic, ive had water snakes grab a bass on the end of my line before, and we are from the same state. they can get to a good size around here. dont tell your wife.

if you dont have your pond near a natural water source though, i bet you would never see them

[smaug]

I've been thinking about putting in a pond once we get a house. I'd expect birds and racoons to be a possible problem, but I have a game plan for those. Snakes however are enough to make my wife rethink this whole idea. She's not a fan at all. Luckily where we live I doubt there are any snakes that would eat a fish like that.
Dont let it stop you.Water snakes are something I have never seen around my ponds.Nor have any of my pond keeping relatives or friends.I can understand this happening to the op,especially considering the location.

[AquaLene]

Nic, I agree with Smaug, don't let it put you off.

This is the first time since we moved into our house (this is our 8th year) that we have ever experienced the snakes, we've always had the pond. We just had an unusually dry summer. 3mm of rain in 4 months!

There is a little small stream down the hill below our house which normally has a continual trickle of water. This is where I presume these water snakes live and they eat mostly frogs, they "occasionally" eat fish from what I read up on them.
This summer the little stream dried up entirely which has never happened before since we moved here. They must have "sniffed" out the closest water source (our pond) and got attracted to it. I reckon they were really starving and desperate for food.

Regards
AquaLene

[Lady Hobbs]

If this is now a new found hunting ground for him, however, he may be returning. I sure hope not but at least he won't be hungry for awhile.

[s72450]

Being as that I'm terrified of snakes, those pictures will give me nightmares, thanks, lol.

You're a much nicer person than I, because if for some reason I had your problem, I think I would have had a little revenge....actually, who am I kidding, I would have ran away screaming like a little girl and then proceeded to wet myself.

Snakes really do scare the daylights out of me. I actually screamed and dropped everything I was carrying when I was in the LFS and turned an aisle to find a guy with a boa around his shoulders. I had no idea it was in there and I ran smack into it, threw everything in the air and tried to bolt for the nearest exit.

I did happen to get free fish taht day though because I was shaking when I went up to the register, the woman felt bad for me, lol.

[-Lp]

Sorry about you losing your fish, but they are excellent photos!

[pinchyboy]

wow great pictures...thats pretty cool but that stinks lol

[megastealer]

Wow I'm really sorry about your fish. :scry: I guess you are nicer than I would have been, because I would have killed it and chopped it into little pieces... and then thrown them in the woods to warn the other snakes. And at that point, I don't think anyone would want to see pictures.

[KingFisher]

Great pictures! Sorry about your fish, but I agree with you on the fact that it is nature and thank you for not harming the snakes. thumbs2:

[Aeonflame]

Snakes and fish... both awesome and beautiful animals. Sorry you had to lose your goldie though

[Brookfish]

Real sorry about you fish, but those are some superb photo's,
thanks for sharing!

[AquaLene]

Thank you for all the photo compliments!:ssmile: Pity I am totally useless at taking photos of my indoor fish tanks and fish.... they all come out terrible (blush) :hmm3grin2orange: