CREATURE CORNER

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PANSEY & his friend BRUTUS

by Jonty Newbery

For all the previous chapters click here ...

Pansey couldn’t sleep. He was annoyed and upset. Brutus had gone behind his back and dealt with the rats.

Not only that, Dafildil was hero worshiping Brutus, and not Pansey. All in all, he was not having a good time, so he decided to go and talk to the big fat spider. It was not easy finding the spider, and he was just about to give up when he heard a voice saying, “Good evening”. As he turned around, he saw the spider dangling on a thread behind him.

“I’m angry.” said Pansey.

“I know,” said the spider. “Just rise above it. The outcome is actually good, and you are really only upset because he made you look silly in front of Dafildil, who is actually far too young for Brutus.”

“I just want to smash him in the face”, replied Pansey. “Well, that would make you look even more silly,” said the big fat spider. “The only way you can come out of this with any dignity is to rise above it. And next time, talk to me first. We will get there in the end, big man.”

“Okay,” said Pansey, he was still annoyed, but it was a good outcome. “We must get

some beer for the rats. I don’t want to go through that again.”

“Yes,” said the spider. “I suggest you give them a bowl of beer each night, but first, ask them which beer they like. And I also suggest you go and see Mongol. At the moment, he thinks Brutus is in charge.”

Pansey thought about that for a minute and became less annoyed. “Good idea! I’m glad you are my friend.”

The spider didn’t reply. He was thinking, “I’m a bit more than your friend. I’m your 'brain'!”

At that, Pansey went upstairs to bed. After a few hours he woke up and decided to

wander down and see Mongol. It was dark.

He came across Reggie looking sad. “What’s the matter, Reg?”

“I keep forgetting which house I live at,” Reggie replied.

“Number 30, two doors down,” Pansey said.

“Oh, thank you.”

Reggie was lovely, but he was not bright. His elder sister Posy was the clever one.

As Pansey came close to the entrance to the rat sewer, he spotted the two guards.

“Hi, my name is Pansey. I’d like to see Mongol?”

“I’m afraid he’s busy,” one of the rats said, without bothering to look at Pansey.

“I’d like to see Mongol,” Pansey repeated.

The rat turned around angrily and was just about to say something when a paw hit

him across the face, knocking him flat. The remaining rat, realising he could be next,

quickly said, “I’ll go and get him.”

The first rat lay sprawled out unconscious in a very undignified position.

Without any warning, a nice rat in a red waistcoat arrived.

“Hello, I’m Mongol. I see you’ve knocked out my man.”

“Sorry about that,” said Pansey. “I was in a bad mood. I’m OK now, what is it

you want?”

Pansey said, “I’m actually in charge of the pub, I believe you had a meeting

with Brutus”.

“I’d like to know what beer you like best?”

“That’s easy,” replied Mongol, “GFB.”

For all the previous chapters click here ... PANSEY'S TAIL

DEFENCE STRATEGIES USED BY SNAKES

Like them or loathe them, snakes are fascinating creatures. They are cold-blooded reptiles and are unable to regulate their own temperature. They need to bask in the sun during the day in order to gain energy for venom production and to hunt and, as you can imagine, basking and hunting brings them into contact with predators and other animals (including humans) that wish them harm.

As there are few species of snake in the United Kingdom, this article will focus on how African snakes use various different strategies to defend themselves.

The majority of snakes are not aggressive and will either remain motionless or seek shelter in a hole or a tree when threatened. The more bulky and less mobile snakes like the Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) rely on camouflage to blend into the leaf litter that is found on the ground in their usual habitat.

If a snake is unable to slip away and is confronted, it will strike at and possibly bite an aggressor. The cobras are able to rear up and spread a hood and this makes them appear larger and more threatening. Biting is far from ideal as it uses energy and venom that the snake could put to better use to kill prey.

Should it manage to envenomate a large animal, the snake is in danger of being trampled and killed because the venom will not initially have any effect on the bite victim.

In order to preserve their valuable venom, several venomous snake species will bite without injecting anything and, in the case of bites inflicted on humans, these so called “dry bites” account for 15% to 20% of all snake bites in Africa.

Some species of cobra, for example the Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica), have developed the ability to accurately squirt venom up to 3m (10ft.) towards the eyes of an aggressor. Most cobra venom affects their prey’s nervous system but spitting cobra’s venom has been modified to include proteins that cause irritation and swelling which give the snake an opportunity to beat a hasty retreat to safety.

A relative of the cobras, a snake called the Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus), is really good at playing dead with its body turned upside down and its mouth hanging open as most predators are not interested in eating carrion. Although it would prefer to retreat to a hole in the ground, the Rinkhals is also able to spit!

The Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) is a non-
venomous snake that uses mimicry to ward off potential
predators as it looks almost identical to the venomous Night
Adder (Causus rhombeatus). When agitated, it will coil and uncoil while striking aggressively and the rubbing scales sound very similar to a hiss.

It is remarkable how these reptiles have adapted so many defence mechanisms and strategies so that they can get on with their simple lives of sheltering, feeding and breeding.