It is nice to live in a country that has only 3 dangerous animals (one of them very dangerous).

Australia has some of the most venemous snakes in the world. Some are even pretty much 100% lethal because the venom acts so fast. Interesting thing about snake venom is they are 3 different kinds. One will turn your blood into gel, another affects your nervous system and another that affects the tissue and basically eats it. A few snakes actually have two types of venom. None of which would be a pleasant experience

Interesting information, Dave.

Nhra_20 said:Interesting thing about snake venom is they are 3 different kinds. One will turn your blood into gel, another affects your nervous system and another that affects the tissue and basically eats it. A few snakes actually have two types of venom. None of which would be a pleasant experience

Vipera ammodytes has a venom with all these properties. That's why it's so dangerous. Actually the most dangerous animal here. I never noticed it because I live in a fertile lowland, and they are located in karst hills. One should be very careful when hiking because it is difficult to spot.

Connie, I used to be big into snake keeping. I still like them, but the wife says no. So since I have had a family, I have not had snakes, or any reptile for that matter. I only kept pythons and boa constrictors though. My largest was a 16 foot burmese python. But in having an interest in snakes, I had read a lot about snakes, including venemous. But I would never keep a venemous snake myself. Some states like Florida, all you need is someone to verify that you have 200 hours or something like that of working with venemous snakes to be able to get a permit for them. At one time I thought about going to college to become a herpetologist. They study reptiles and amphibians, but I wanted to specialize in the constrictor snakes. Specifically the ones that live in rain forests.

Lucius, a snake with all 3 types of venom would be scary. You probably have like 5 minutes to get treatment for the bite before you are dead. And then you gotta hope the anti- venom works. And I can tell ya, anti- venom is not cheap! For a common North American rattlesnake here, the anti- venom is a couple thousand bucks just for a dose. Some people need well over a dozen. It all depends on how your body reacts to both the venom and the anti-venom, and how much venom the snake injected during the bite. They can do defensive strikes, which are dry, but can inject if they chose to as well. Snakes are really fascinating animals.

@Nhra_20 If it bites you in the arms or legs, you can save yourself without any problems, although of course you need to react as soon as possible. In case of a head bite, you are practically dead. Vipera ammodytes is fortunately not aggressive and bites only happen if you step on it (which is rare) or if you go to catch it (unfortunately there are such fools). Young snakes are much much more dangerous than adult individuals because they do not know how to give a dry bite and usually expel all the venom. Older individuals do not do this so you have time to save yourself.
Luckily for me, they don't live in my area. I am surrounded by harmless grass snakes. They can grow very large but I am not scared.

Weeding out the Calla Lily pots, just now , & look whos having a snooze


I Will leave him be , as the birds hate them

I think I'd get a bit of shock if I came across him whilst weeding!

Australis said:I think I'd get a bit of shock if I came across him whilst weeding!

Not so bad , if left alone & you know , he didnt break any calla spikes

Those guys are pretty harmless. They are sold in the pet trade here in the states.

As a kid growing up , I had one stuck on my finger, at the first joint. We had to put heat to its face, to make it let go ..I still have the mark

Nhra_20 said:Those guys are pretty harmless. They are sold in the pet trade here in the states.

He had his eye on me , the whole time I was out there working. He shifted pozzy, as the sun moved around , then , like the phantom , he was gone

So...I spent almost 5h planting 12 bulbs and changing the soil. I feel tired like I'm 80 and like I planted 112 bulbs instead of 12.

Planting the last bulbs of the season, I came upon these that I dug up accidentally. I'm a little baffled because I had removed a botrytis prone martagon seedling there, and don't remember replanting anything (and no tag, either). They sure are pretty, though, like little mountains, steeples or ice cream cones. I just had to take a pic.



Probably most lily growers cut their old stalks down in the fall. Most of the time, I like to grab hold and give them a sharp tug that severs them from the bulb. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this method, and it does take some experience to do it right. Rarely do I ever pull up a bulb. Some lilies, like aurelians, still have green stems when the soil begins to freeze. I usually don't even try to pull them.

I do have this one martagon section hybrid of my own, that in my haste, I have pulled up each of the last three years. One would think I would remember, wouldn't one..... Each time, I have replanted it and it reestablishes and blooms without a problem. But now that I have pulled it out again, I think I will just eat it.



Notice where the roots have broken, and white strands remain. Those are the central vessels of the root that transport water.

Rick, The Lily Eater.

Rick !
You need to go grocery shopping.
Love hearing your lily updates.
Always learn something.

I ran across this and immediately thought of Rick. This listing even suggests uses for culinary purpose.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0821QRZLW/

That's one thing I haven't done yet: dry them. Still have some (for eating) stored in the cold garage.
- Now I will have to try it.

How can you eat lily bulbs. It is a sin haha. Plant them, and if you don't have space sell them to someone.

I pulled my bags of stored oriental lily bulbs out today. About 100 of them. I was afraid to even look because I am late pulling them out.
But look at these happy roots!