Nassau, Bahamas — The Free National Movement is permitting foreigners to import plants into The Bahamas, which are allowing all kind of dangerous snakes to invade our tiny Island nation.
These snakes are dangerous and can kill persons instantly.
The Bahamas does not have any anti-venom to save the lives of Bahamians should they be bitten by these Ba’ Devil snakes.
We are putting together a “gang” to hunt down these dangerous snakes and to kill them off.
We need volunteers. These snakes can be used for under hand works.
The Ministry of Agriculture along with the Ministry of Health should immediately conduct an investigation to determine the kind of “devilish” snakes that are being imported along with the foreign plants. I have never ever seen a snake like this before. We call on every citizen to kill these dangerous snakes that can be found on West Bay Street. These are foreign snakes.
They are dangerous.
The picture is of a red rat snake or corn snake, harmless and does excellent rodent control. Live with them or become over run with mice, your choice. Killing any harmless wildlife is not a good idea unless you need it for food to sustain your family. Act accordingly and be a part of the solution.
You know, I agree that imported snakes shouldn’t be welcomed. However, that doesn’t mean that you should go out and kill any snake you find and justify it by saying that it’s venomous! First make an honest effort to identify the snake, and even if it is non-native you could still probably put it in a zoo or something. someone pointed out that people kill snakes all over the world. That may be true but why do you have to do the same? and also, I agree that this is probably not a sudden thing. Who says that non-native snakes haven’t been imported before? is there a study or something to show that? I suppose what I’m basically saying is that some snakes are beneficial, and you shouldn’t just go out and kill any snakes you see. However, I’m also agreeing that while non-venomous, non-native snakes should be dealt with in a MATURE manner.
It is a Corn Snake you wack jobs!
If it wasn’t for the intelligent and knowledgable readers replying to this story I would have surely believed that one of my worst fears (poisonous animals) was introduced to the Bahamas.
Bright colors in any plant or animal is often a “danger” sign but not always. Nonvenomous snakes have a spoon-shaped rounded head and venomous snakes will have a more triangular head. this is because of the venom glands (this is less noticeable on the coral snake).
I ran over a huge snake one nite out Coral Habour – all 4 tires rolled over it and it kept on crawling ! it just about took up the entire width of the road. That sucker cant be native. You should see the tarantulas in that area, they come out at nite in the road – them suckers had to roll ova with your car. I really cant see how Hatians can be in those bushes with these creatures.
I found this snake last year in the road while jogging, Sometime early December. I took pictures of it and killed it. I had a feeling it was poisonous. But if more pictures are needed feel free to email me.
Corn Snake. Very not dangerous.
i found one of these snakes last year christmas. we killed it. it was found westridge drive.
WHUT HAPPEN BP WHY YOU DELETING ALL OF THE POSTS FROM PRATTY.IS HE MASHING YER CORN ?
When ya learn how to behave ya sef, we will. And if ya don’t we will continue to exercise our editorial powers.
BP
Well if you exercising your editorial powers Let Pappi Exercise His!
kill all snakes..I with you BP..just let me know when the hunting starts BP
for true,,they look demonic,,i think all should dead out..
kill all snakes
I agree with BP – kill off all of the snakes, if need be, these reptiles ought not be in harms way of our Bahamian people!
All of the snake lovers – GO TO HELL!!!!
No No we don’t have the commence a MASSACRE ON the snake. All we need to do is stop importing the snake infested trees.
BP
Muddoes time i is be playing with these snake round by us….
BP yOU KNOW THAT i DON’T CARE HOW LOW YOU GO BECAUSE I TOLD THE WORLD ABOUT GORDA 26YRS. AGO. CARRY ON MY FRIEND
BP,
You should be ashamed of the above story. It is mis-informed, poorly written and encourages cruelty to animals. You should be reported to the BNT, Humane Society and Nature Conservatory for encouraging such unnecessary violence.
To assume that these snakes arrived in The Bahamas through the importation of foreign trees is completely ignorant. If you had done your research (which you clearly hadn’t) you would have discovered that the above snake is not a threat to The Bahamas and could have been introduced to the local ecosystem in a variety of ways including:
1. Intentional introduction for production in agriculture, aquaculture, landscaping and biological pest control.
2. Intentional introduction for use as a commodity where there is a possibility of escape such as in zoos and the pet trade.
3. Unintentional introduction through transportation of goods, trade and tourism in ballast water of ships, airplane wells, on the soles of shoes.
Further, I would like for you to explain how you determined that this snake arrived into The Bahamas during the FNM administration? How can you confirm that it did not arrive into the country pre-2007?
Finally, your comment “Maybe one of the Chinese pets got loose” is clearly racist and should be removed from your site.
A “gang” should be formed to hunt you down and kill off this website for the underhand work that your conduct.
You truly are a shameful embarrassment to this country.
And according to you we shouldd be SHAME of every story we write. We are use to this. WE EXPECT NOTHING BUT EMPTINESS FROM YOU!
BP
When you have no shame, you cannot be shamed or guilted into anything, even when the truth is thrust in your face. As far as BP is concerned, these snakes where never here before 2007, they just got passports and came after they heard that the FNM wanted foreigners because none was here, so the fact that others have said that they have been here for generations means nothing to them. They never saw them before 2007, therefore, they just came and the FNM is resposible because no trees or containers, or foreigners where brought into this counrty with hidden wildlife before, this is all new to this country since 2007.
Yes they just reach!
BP
I agree with EVERYTHING you said, especially the last 2 paragraphs, lol
REALLY BP I don’t know how low you can really go. I also don’t know how old you are but it is time to ACT your age. If I am not mistaken the first Grass that I can remember ever being imported into the Bahamas was during the PLP’S time in office from 67 to 92. Now print that and some other TRUTHS to go with it.
I can go as low as the sale of Gorda Cay and the CRIMINAL ACTIONS OF THE PAST there. How low do you want us to go?
BP
The snake escaped after Ingraham left the country for Britian. He normally keeps them in his cabinet office and prays to them as some form of Chinese ritual before addressing the nation in the Honorable House of Assembly.
Yep the FNM colors are red and Hubert prays to red snakes… go figure!!
Mannnnnnnnnnnnnn i weakkkk……say ing-rum is pray to these snakesssss…..JEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ i done flatline
come on man bp this is a bunch of garbage. with everything goin on in the country this what u writin bout? smt
no need to do research alex…i c snake, i kill snake. end of story! the ways i normally kill snakes are: – by rolling over it with my car’s TiRes, CHAPPING it UP with a cutlass (yes, i said CHAP), SLAMMING an 8″ block on it’s body, or pouring GAS on it…by the way, people world over kill snakes so this is nothing at all unique to the Bahamas, nothing unique at all. thank you
We bring dem here. Now what?
The statement that “these snakes are dangerous and kill persons instantly” is TOTALLY FALSE!!!. That is Red Rat Snake/Corn Snake, and it is TOTALLY NON-VENOMOUS.
Getting rid of invasive or alien plants and animals is a GREAT idea for the Bahamas, but our focus should be on controlling the true threats (rats, mice, raccoons, feral cats, Casuarina trees, etc..) Rather than falsely telling people that snakes are devilish creatures.
It’s fine to get rid of these alien snakes, but BP’s readers need to know that the beautiful Bahamian Boas are SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, and are some of the best rat catchers in the country.
BP continuously misses opportunities to make intelligent, responsible statements to its readers, but rather fills the internet with nonsense and ignorance.
And you keep reading them. So what should happen? You should stop reading or should we stop writing?
BP
PS; WE REPORT YINNER DECIDE!
You should stop writing false statements.
Its the most basic duty of any news or media outlet, do your research and tell the truth to the best of your ability.
Either that or take the “Press” out of Bahamas Press. Call the site Bahamas Ranting or something.
We wonder if you does read the papers. You ever told one a them to drop its name? You cannot even get a letter asking them to do so. Listen wake up and smell BP. Its brewing strong!
BP
This snake is no different form the local brown snake that grow up to 24″ to 36′ here in The Bahamas and has no venom…. it is the Scarlet Kingsnake that grow’s around 24-30″ in length and have coloration and pattern like a boa constructor that can grow around 8- 16feet and is also has no venom like our local boa that grows up to 12 feet. …and as for the cobra snake that someone saw, that too is our local brown snake that flattens out it’s neck like a hood but only in defense to make itself to look big….it’s when you start seeing snakes with 3 rings like red,yellow and black, because red ring next to yellow ring has venom, that will be the coral snake, the other snake that look’s almost the same is the king snake but has it’s red touching black….all are found in Florida and are everyday garden snakes 24-36 inches.
Ba’devil LMAO ok i dont know what kind of snake it is but like someone said bahamians are really afraid of snakes.i agree u cant kill them all but try to get rid of them somehow,and um shouldnt they check things especially trees that are imported.
Just the fact that we import more than 70% of what we consume make it easy for all type of speices to get in our country.Let try to act like we at least have common sense and think logically befor we point a finger.
I think they come over in the imported grass. There are many of these snakes in Freeport.
@Long Lanky Lou. While Long Lanky is generally correct, there is a snake in the southern Caribbean (it might be Trinidad & Tobago?) which defies that description and is indeed poisonous. In that case “red and black is not safe for Jack”, and is poisonous. so we should be careful of any snake which is not indigenous to the Bahamas. Nature always has exceptions to the rule. But no fear Ingraham is here! Unfortunately he would kill the Bahamian snakes and feed the foreign snakes.
BP, it’s amazing the level of lowness you will stoop to. To suggest that these snakes are here because of foreigners! (Whew, shakes head then hangs it in shame.) One would expect that since the pen is such a powerful tool you would use it more wisely. Stop spreading hate and prejudice which already exists in epidemic proportions. Think before you write because many times whenever you post something, you tend to send civilization back to the Dark Ages with your venomous tongue, narrow mind and just asinine perceptions.
@Ignorance(appropo), almost every country in the world prohibits the import of foriegn plants, for this very reason. If you were to look at argricultural history, in almost every case, the foriegn element overtook or totally distroyed the indigenous species. That is why wild Salmon is almost gone; Alabama is called the Wiregrass area and hardly an indigenous Bahamian in the Bahamas. The Bahamas is now in aprime position for take over, in every respect.
yea, sorry. that’s a corn snake. not venomous, but yes, not a local species. just call the humane society if you’re THAT freaked out. they can handle it from there.
and do your research before planting seeds of fear on the internet.
Lin I have asked a simple question which you nor any other reader will answer. If, as you confirm, the snake is not indigenous to the Bahamas, explain to us how did it get here in the Bahamas?
BP
These snakes come through the shipping ports in containers which are really undetectable.
bp just check its passport
You said the snakes were in the West so u should know where they came from . And there is more out there be aware some have two legs too!!
that’s obvious to anyone with half a brain- exotic pets let loose, nests unknowingly being brought over with foreign exports, juevenile snakes hiding out in plants as you’ve said. there are multiple scenarios and any of of them can fit- but that’s not the point here.
the point is that your publication didn’t take enough time and care to properly investigate what exactly this snake is before branding it as a ‘devil snake’ and poisonous- thus stoking the fires for fear-mongering amongst people who wouldn’t know any better. that to me is far more worrisome than trying to figure out where a harmless snake species came from.
we are a stupid people for the most part, we want to kill sharks, snakes, dogs, cats and PEOPLE. why cant we learn to live with each other an KILL BP and the shits they put online….I dare them to post their pic and true name…….MY SNAKE WILL GET THEM. boy some sorry PLP losers out there…now the snake story in the HOA. wow!
This “appears” to be a Scarlet Kingsnake that grow about 20 inches in length and have coloration and patterning which can cause them to be confused with the venomous coral snakes. There are mnemonic rhymes to help people distinguish between the coral snake and its non-venomous look-alikes, including “Red and yellow kills a fellow. Red and black is safe for Jack.” They are generally found in the southeast United States.
Don’t know it got here. Maybe the barefoot bandit brought it hear.
Better yet “Tommy T gotta go. One snake (that’s not elected) found since 2009!!!!”.
Slow news day I see.
How it got here? The foreign plants brought in at Saunders Beach? A few days ago a baby cobra was found in Palmdale.
BP
BP i pray to God this picture of snake was not taken on west bay street. man Bahamians are scared of snakes ,,,,,you must hunt and kill each one immediately
NOT US! Yall keep bringing in all these foreign trees. We believe they came in the trees.
BP
That looks like a corn snake. A species often kept as pets. It is a constrictor, which feeds on rodents, similar to our Bahamian snakes, and is not venomous.
Maybe one of the Chinese pets got loose.
BP
wow!!
i`ve seen another snake like this in GRAND BAHAMA…thru SCOTT AVE last year..thank God someone had killed it already.
But AA LOWE that was the mommy or the daddy? Maybe it was one of the children. We gata stop importing these trees. Remember they cut all them trees down all to import trees full a snakes from the US.
BP
BP it looked like it was a sibling…the funny thing is when i doubled back to get and to take it a Vet.The dead snake was gone.But BP these the PROS & CONS of letting FOREIGNERS in the country, when they could pull up to their homes in their yachts or haitian sloops unknown and unchecked by customs or immigrations.
This article shows the level of ignorance that is far too common amoung many Bahamians regarding snakes. Although this corn snake is invasive to our environment it is far from ‘deadly’ to humans. Writers and the public alike should do some research before publishing ridiculous articles.
Yes Alex you have said the same thing about 3 times already, we get your point. But answer this, HOW IT GOT HERE? Including the cobra seen in Palmdale last week?
BP
Are you people serious? This is a harmless corn snake. Get educated before you start posting foolishness to the unknowing public. And you couldn’t make up a better name for it? ba’devil? Clever…
I think its better not to encourage “every citizen” to go out and approach these snakes with the intention of killing them, as their chances of then being bitten will rise. Snakes, even this one, are mostly placid and timid animals. However if approached, that’s when they become aggressive.
I have photographed these magnificent creatures from a few feet away and lived another day. The snake couldn’t have cared less.
Let’s not kill God’s creatures just because they bite. Leave them alone and call the Humane Society if its in your garden and you don’t feel safe. Perhaps they will catch it humanely and donate it to the zoo.
They will never be “killed off” entirely so let us just learn to live with them.
Sooooo, trees have never been imported into the country before? I could have sworn I saw……..
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