wet dog

Location - Thailand.
Season - Late summer/early fall. (Its still very warm).

We were told in our safety briefing that there are 30 species of snakes in Thailand, 28 which are poisonous, but the other two species can swallow you.

The most common snake seen in Thailand is the Cobra, typically in the 2' to 3' range, and mostly seen dead on roads and highways.

Our mission was to teach the Thai Airbase Ground Defense Forces in jungle skills, surveillance, patrolling, etc. The entire ODA thought, "...too funny - we're teaching the Thais about the jungle, who kidding who, right?"

Seems most Thais soldiers are just like us, raised in cities, small towns, with fewer and fewer being from the more rural areas of the country. They like us, do not like snakes either.

One day after training, we are back in our barracks, I had just showered. I had a towel wrapped around me and was enjoying a comforatable "cool" evening while nursing a very cold Singha Beer wearing shower shoes, dog tags and said towel.

As the sun set in the west, the light dimming quickly, I could see large dark upright sticks waving in the tall grass some 100' away. A stick would move, wave gently in the evening breeze and then fall, only to rise again somewhere else. I thought, "..funny, big sticks that can walk around."

I counted no less than 20 such sticks in the distance.

Intent on discivering what was really happening, I ventured out into the grass wearing my towel, shower shoes, dog tags and carrying two more beers just in case.

Ubon, my interpreter, and Thai buddy joins me, (he has experience with such matters. (That's another story).

What was discovered were large Cobra snakes hunting the Tapioca plants growing amongst the tall grass being rich with seeds. The seeds were being harvested by rats, the rats were being hunted by the Cobras and the farmers caught the snakes for their business venture.

Ubon then explained the entire business of rural Thailand farming. I thought, glad there are no Cobras in Wyoming.

Question -

Does anyone know how high a Cobra can lift its own body off the ground without the aid of plant, tree or bush? Let me tell you. The answer is 1/3 its length.

Now quickly do the math. Average grass height in late summer Thailand is aprox. 3' tall. Said walking sticks hovering above plant, another 12" to 18", or arpox. 4' to 4.5' high.

Said snake while in the down rest position, aprox. 12-14 ft long.

"Damn big snakes" were the words used whiling finishing my Thai Farmer 101 class and third beer.





"Hey - Wolfgang Hammersmith, put that in your next book, you 'Jack-Wagon'."