Filed under “you couldn’t make it up.”
Argh! Darn!
Sitting there, enjoying the Christmas eve and the hand falls on to the Blackberry. Quick check of the Tweets find a story so amazing we couldn’t pass it up.
Having voved not to work over xmas, we’ve had to fight hard to resist writing about this one … and failed.
Get ready.
Apparently there were two snakes stolen on the Isle of Wight back at the tail end (could resists that one) of November.
Flying Tree Snakes!!
Not your everyday snake, mind you, but Flying Tree Snakes. Yes, you read that right, Flying Tree Snakes… or Chrysopelea to those in the know. Frankly we though they were complete made up, but it appears that no, they actually do exist.
Some nut … or nuts took it upon themselves to nick these from a unit at Northwood Business Park in Cowes and the snakes haven’t been seen since.
“Very rare”
Investigating officer, PC John Davis of the Isle of Wight’s Targeted Patrol Teams (TPT) said, “Flying tree snakes are very rare (You ain’t bleeding kiddin’! -Ed), making it possible that someone may have noticed them or heard about someone trying to sell them.”
(Have a little look at these videos. You’ll probably have the same, “Oh my gosh,” reaction we had)
So while you’re tucking into your turkey sandwiches, spare a though that somewhere in the south of the UK there might be a little kid somewhere with _the_ most unusual Christmas present ever. Little Johnny may not only has a snake, but one that flies between trees!
Bright green and black chequered skin
If there’s some shady character in a pub offering you a lovely snake, have a little check in the box first and if it’s got bright green and black chequered skin and a white chin, you could be getting more that you expected.
Oh … and it’s been described as “mildly venomous.”
Police advice is that anyone without proper knowledge of handling them could receive a snake bite, and if this were to happen, you’re advised to seek immediate medical advice and attention as a precaution. The NHS advises that if you are bitten by an exotic snake in the UK, you should dial 999 to request an ambulance. More information is available on probably one of the least used Web pages in the UK (thankfully).
Anyway have a lovely evening.
Image: Reptiles Malaysia where you can buy these crazy things
