Brock Snake Moan
Cllr Mike Harris knows precisely where and when this creature will attack next, but he is bound by a code of conduct which prohibits the excitement of ectothermic, amniote vertebrates and thus must look on, Cassandra-like, as the carnage unfolds.
One theory is that this is Flea, trying to make his way home to Crofton Park like a character from a particularly unsuccessful sequel to Homeward Bound.
UPDATE - On Twitter, Lou points out that this is a slow worm and a protected species. So in all seriousness, please be nice to it if you see it.
41 comments:
Slow news day in Brockley Central? :-)
You wait til it eats someone you love and then tell me it was a slow news day.
That looks like a slow worm to me. Can't really get the size from the photo but the shape says slow worm not snake.
I suppose an in focus photo is too much to ask for but that looks like a slow worm and that's pretty good news for the local environment. Oh Channelzeroprose beat me to it
New at Brocamart - free range worms!
Property and the reptile menace, just two of the things Nick likes to hype!
Caterpillas are more dangerous apparently
Although they are lizards, slow worms have lost their limbs completely and are often mistaken as snakes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slowworm
@Brockley Nick - now you KNOW I am the old woman who lived in a shoe. Happy to feed the snake and make friends. So to speak. Erm. *exits stage left*
Snakes Honor Pain
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An' aa'll tell ye aall an aaful story,
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An' Aa'll tel ye 'boot the worm
You can see quite clearly it's not a snake, it's a lizard without legs.
Despite the contributions of Attenborough & co over the years you still get people referring to "Koala Bears", nope, they are not bears.
Then Chimpanzees as monkeys, NOPE, everyone knows a monkey has a tail. A Chimpanzee does not have a tail, it is not a monkey it is an ape like you and me.
Yes, yes and tomatoes are actually fruit, etc, etc.
Actually Tomatoes are both a fruit and a vegetable. Fruit is a scientific term, but vegetable is just culinary, pretty much just referring to stuff that grows that we can cook and eat.
@FB yes, that was my point.
I'm a terrible boring pedant. That was my point. ;)
And it's people like you that prompted the headline for this story ;)
As long as it stays away from my hamsters...
Nevermind the slow-worms or caterpillars, it's the giant bat-eating centipedes you need to look out for.
This footage taken just round the back of Harefield Road:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROVfmY3NTA
A berry is any fruit with more than one seed inside. See tomatoes, apples, bananas etc. but not raspberries or strawberries.
So what's Jaffa cake?
It's an earthworm for chrissakes.
Not in a Jaffa cake.
In the picture.
Ladies and Gents The Slow Worm.
Dah dah.
@NAT I do love it when people read the full article and the previous comments before posting...
I did.
All of it (including the update from renowned twitter invertebrate biologist) and then the comments; All of them.
People thought it was a slow worm.
What you on about Anon?
"People thought it was a slow worm" because it is....
You can't tell an earthworm in exhibit (a) pink, no head, prominent darker band from the slow worm in exhibit (b) well defined head and eyes, dark colour, reptilian skin.
Tragic.
Actually neither of us have actually seen it and are relying on a poor photograph. I'm going with the eyewitness who says 'Slow worm'
Try again
No eye witness claimed it was a slow worm.
I love people who read the article and comments section before posting.
Seriously guys, an argument over *this*?
*Thinks back to Speedicars' sign and furore over Sky dishes*
Oh, carry on... :-|
That would have to be one hell of a huge earthworm (look at its size vs stones and leaves!)
If you also read the twitter feed the photographer does claim it is a slow worm.
Anon 14:43, this is a MASSIVE issue of credibility in Snake/Worm/Slow Worm recognition.
Please stand aside, this could get messy.
Nat, are you saying it's a worm? (soft, squidgy and cut-in-half-able?)
I demand a judicial review. Who knew what, who said what.
Actually, worms aren't cut in halfable. Well, they are, but what you end up with is one dead worm in two bits. See early post about pedantry.
...unless it's one of a certain type of flatworm, but you don't get those in your garden. Sorry, I can't help myslef.
*myself
that may wake me up in the middle of the night.
Anon 14:52 those 'leaves' are ash keys, I think. That still makes it quite a big earthworm, not as big as that 3m Chinese one David Attenborough was keen on, but quite big.
When we spotted something like this when I was growing up and we were fortunate enough to be within range of a Box Brownie or later a Kodak Instamatic, it was customary to place a thruppeny bit or model of the Eiffel Tower next to the object to indicate scale.
Wonder what you'ld use today.
Oyster card might do the trick.
Arse. I'm now going to have to download and watch "Homeward Bound". Both versions. And watch them. You utter bastard Nick.
I think the snakes of Brockley need a better press agency. This photo opp went to a lowly worm. Call Don Draper. The SNAKES of BROCKLEY is my next band name by the way.
Yea, bugger, it could well be a juvenile female slow worm.
Aaarch, being wrong! Does it ever come easy?
I can concur the snake has once again appeared on the Honor Oak bridge at 9.25 precisely. With many admirers will it get bigger...Does it have a mummy?
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