Monday, November 22, 2010

An amusing story about a Boa that lives around my house

For some mysterious reason I haven't been visited by salespeople or religious proselytist for years

Basking in the sun

Another view

My work requires that I cultivate a sense of serenity and non aggression when I am around the animals I manage, I try to send a "vibe" that I am not a threat. The forest animals around my house have noted this and have decided I am mostly harmless. Because of this they take great liberties when I am around. This six feet plus female puertorican boa comes to bask on the rail of my terrace during the summer and stays for a few months, then she disappears until next summer. One of my guilty pleasures is luring unwary visitors as close to the boa as I can without them noticing. When they see the boa, even the most frail have engaged in sudden and astonishing feats of athleticism, its like a miracle. Others have emitted a rich array of fervently pronounced vocalizations which sometimes include mighty colorful maledictions of all sorts. Generally they calm down quickly, and come to admire the animal, but some have traveled great distances in an amazingly short time. The puertorican boa is an endangered species that few in the island of Puerto Rico ever see in the flesh. The snake that lives at my home is one of the very few that can be seen reliably and the only one that shows itself in broad daylight in a place frequented by people every day. Sadly after it was tagged with a RIFD tag and it stopped basking on places where she could be easily caught. A Secretary of PR's Department of Natural and Enviromental Resources,  came to see this snake and had the opportunity to see some unwary members of his entourage engage in vigorous and sudden activity much to everyone mirth.

1 comment:

G. Rivera Cruz said...

en todos mis aƱos de infacia corriendo por los montes del barrio aibonito de Hatillo nuca vi una de hecho esta es la primera vez que la veo tan cerca.
Muy buen reportaje