Fear of Snakes

There are two things on Bequia that never fail to cause instant pandemonium – centipedes and snakes! A centipede sighting is usually heralded by loud shrieks and a stamping of feet until the culprit has been destroyed, a process I endorse wholeheartedly. Anyone who has ever experienced the painful bite of a centipede will agree when I say that the only good centipede is a DEAD centipede. This may sound wicked, but I never hesitate to kill any centipede that crosses my path. A snake sighting causes a similar uproar, except sticks and rocks are used in the rather frenzied efforts to destroy what many fear is a dangerous creature. This fear of snakes is common on Bequia but, unlike centipedes, the reptiles native to the country are harmless  and serve an important role in nature.

I don’t particularly like snakes. I don’t care for the way they slither and am repulsed by the clammy feel of their skin. Their eyes look cold and unfriendly, and their wicked-looking forked tongues are ugly. I would rather not look at snakes, and certainly don’t want them in my house, but KILL them? No, I may not LIKE snakes, but there’s no reason to kill them, no reason at all.

There are three species native to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, none of which are poisonous. The first is the Black Snake (or Coachwhip), a reptile not found on Bequia but rather in the damp rain forests on the mainland. These reptiles are harmless, can grow to over 5 feet and eat small frogs and lizards. The second is called Barbour’s Tropical Racer (or Buesi), an equally harmless snake found throughout the country that also preys on frogs and lizards. The third is the quite impressive Cook’s Tree Boa, which on Bequia we commonly refer to as the Congo snake. The Congo snake grows up to 10 feet in length, and can be easily identified by the hour-glass patterns on its skin. This large reptile strangles and eats prey such as mice, rats, rabbits and even chickens, although I have never heard of Bequia people losing chickens in such a manner!  The Congo snake is most often spotted in trees, and over the years I have watched with fascination as they coil themselves around branches in our yard. I don’t mind them as long as they stick to tree branches; I KNOW snakes on the island are harmless, but I sure wouldn’t want to find one coiled around my bedpost!

One evening a Congo snake decided to visit the Pizzeria. Nik and I were seated in the dining room unaware that a snake’s head had appeared beside a rafter, the reptile was checking out the restaurant scene from the roof as my guests ate their meals in blissful ignorance. Our first clue that something was amiss was when the wait staff quietly disappeared into the kitchen, the second clue was the hush that settled over the dining room, table after table fell silent as the diners noticed the snake. Nik, spotting the problem, got up from the table and, grasping the snake from behind its head, gently pulled. And pulled. And PULLED! That Congo snake just kept on coming, wrapping itself around my husband’s long arm just as it would the limb of a tree. Nik carried the snake outside and disappeared from sight, a signal for the staff to reappear from the kitchen and the guests to resume eating.  I never asked Nik what he had DONE with the snake, I assumed he had driven someplace to release it in the wild. I discovered 25 years later that he had simply carried it home and released it in our yard, but as the snake never caused me any grief, I guess that’s fine!

Snakes are important to the order of nature in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and it’s never healthy when any creature endemic to a country becomes extinct. Due partly to local fears that all snakes are poisonous many are killed needlessly, and as a result they are in danger of becoming extinct. The Congo snakes are harmless to humans, and help control the rodent population.  I personally would rather have a Congo snake in my almond or mango trees if it means fewer mice or rats on the property, I may not LIKE them but they DO serve a purpose! There are no poisonous snakes in St. Vincent and there is no need to harm them, they are a part of nature that should be left alone to eat those mice and rats!

As for the centipedes – keep stomping! The only GOOD centipede is a DEAD centipede!