This incident occurred in April of 2020. Our layout at that time had about one third of houses built with the rest left as semi maintained plots. Since this was previously open land bordering wilderness, snakes were quite common. During that month in the midst of Covid lockdown, there was one fairly large Rat snake which had a routine of cutting across our backyard everyday evening. Those days any activity around our house was a welcome event and Rat snake crossing our yard was right up there with the best of them. That summer day in April, as soon as we heard the Mynas alarm calls, I knew our passage guest had arrived and starting tracking it while photographing its progress from a safe distance.
Rat Snake entering our backyard from one side cautiously.
It looked around the place for any dangers before continuing on its way to cross our yard.
By the time I scrambled from the bedroom window to our utility door side, it was almost out of our yard and I could just see its tail. I then went out to the front of the open plot to observe it progress.
I took these shots as it crossed our neighboring empty plot. My attention was solely on the Rat snake and somehow never noticed its friend? or cousin?s body barely visible under the hood at that time.
In my next shot, I still had not noticed the additional model in my photograph. Only when I was processing my images, I could clearly see the Spectacled Cobra or the Indian Cobra under the Rat snake agitated enough to open its hood and be fully alert.
The Rat snake seemed oblivious to the presence of the Cobra or just ignored it? and went along its way. The Cobra just waited it out and continued with its activities. I have no idea where it went after that as I never saw it was there in the first place! Just another routine close encounter in the world of Nature, I suppose.
In the meantime, this cat also thought all this was entertaining and worth investigating up close. I nearly found out if, Curiosity DOES indeed kill the cat!
Thankfully for this fella, the Rat snake just went on its way and I had no idea where the Cobra went afterwards or even if the cat was aware of the Cobra.
My last shot of the Rat Snake as it entered the backyard of the next house in its constant search for food, no doubt. All this activity took less than 10 mins.
Final note: Snakes for the most part stay away from Humans. Danger only occurs when humans encroach into their area like a burrow/dark areas under stones or if one steps on a resting snake in thick grass by mistake. If you encounter any in your area, please call an ethical snake rescuer(Ex. From PFA:People for animals) who will catch it with no injury to the reptile and minimal stress, then release it in a nearby forest area. Do not get amateur catchers with clipper-like instruments that will harm the spines or more and even cause death due to excessive stress.
