My Experience With A Snake

BABY PUFF ADDERS

Hi again, What an exciting week here in Africa at Meserani Snake Park.

There are 20 different species of snakes at the park, some are harmless like the common Brown House Snake.Then there are the highly venomous species like the Black Mamba and the Egyptian Cobra.

But what we got to experience was a Puff Adder giving birth to 31 babies.

This was very exciting as the Puff Adder is one of very few snakes that give a live birth compared to other species that lay eggs.
The pregnancy can last up to 3 years, she decides when the time is right to give birth to her babies.

The most babies ever recorded born at one time is 156. They measure in length between 10-15cm. Even though they are so small, they are more dangerous than the adult Puff Adder itself because they have to protect themselves. Once she has given birth to her babies she no longer has anything to do with them they venture off into the wild to fend for themselves.

These snakes are cytotoxic, which means if the victim gets biten they will suffer from distruction of tissue. This is a slow acting poison which means the victim has time to get to the anti-venmon, there for fatalities in humans is rare. So this was a very priviledged experience for me as we don't have snakes in New Zealand where I come from. These babies will be released into the wild.

Then we went to a Maasai comformation celebration, which is after a Maasai has completed all of their bible studies. They gather for food and music and have a good old fashioned time.

We took a cake along and I had to present it to them. They loved it as the Maasai don't often have cake.

My uncle Bryan arrives today from New Zealand, he has never been out of the country, so he will be very excited.

So not long now until Christmas, I will be intereted to see how the Maasai celebrate this day.

Ok until next time.

Keep safe

Cheers

Tania Bale

Creative Vision Ebooks

Safely Arrived In Tanzania

Well here we are in Tanzania, after travelling 41 hours from New Zealand with the twins, what along haul.
We had to sit with the babies on our knees all the way, and try and sleep like that to, so as you can imagine we are exhausted.
Madie one of my twins vomitted all over me on the last 2 hours of the plane trip, lucky I had back up clothes, the passenger beside me didn't seem to mind to much, luckily.
Madie and Ruby the twins are settling in fine, still alittle jet lagged, but babies adapt well.
It is very hot here, so I can see I shouldn't have brought as many clothes for them as I did, as they are running around in nappies.

I have already experienced my first snake in my room, I got abit of a fright as we don't have any snakes in New Zealand.
It just turned out to be a brown house snake though, harmless. Enough to give you a fright when it is stearing at you.

The Maasai people are fascinated with the babies as twins are not common in their culture.
I think the girls are fascinated with them to.
With all the bright coloured clothes and jewellery they wear. What amazing people, so polite.
I sure am going to enjoy my time here at Meserani Snake Park.

My father-in-law has built us a lounge for the kids to play in. I even have the internet here in the middle of no where, how about that, actually the internet is working better here for me than it was for me back home, and I had broadband.

Well that is about it for now as we haven't ventured far, still recovering from our travels.
I will keep you all informed.
Bye For Now

P.S. Above is my house I will live in for the next year.

Tania Bale
Creative Vision Ebooks.Com

Leaving For Africa (Tanzania)

Hi all thanks for stopping bye.

This is such an exciting time for my family and myself. We where planning a holiday to Africa at Christmas time for 2 months, now we have decided to live there for one year with my Mother and Father-inlaw.

We are taking 9 month old twins, and 2 other daughters, they are 11 and 21.

Kirsty the eldest daughter will be staying for 6 weeks, then she will return back to New Zealand Queenstown.

We have been to Africa before only for 6 weeks. This is the first time for the twins.

Madie and Ruby will get to meet their Grandparents for the first time, how exciting for them all.

I hope they travel well on the plane, especially for the other passengers, as one of our flights from Christchurch to Dubi is 19 hours, then 5 hours to Nairobi and a 6 hour road trip to Arusha to our final destination Meserani Snake Park

Steffi my 11 year old will attend school in Arusha, which is about 15 minutes away from where we will be living at the snake park. I have heard it is a very good school.

I think she had visions of sitting out in the wilderness with the Maasi children, I don't think that would be so bad anyway, imagine what she would learn about there culture.

So we have been packing up our house, and we leave on the 26th of November 2007, which is 6 days away, I am so excited. I love Africa, many people say once you have been you will want to go back. Living there of course will be different than a holiday.

Well I will leave it there and when we arrive in Tanzania I will let you all know how the travelling went with the babies.

Take care all.

P.S. The picture above is one I took at a Maasi village last time I was in Africa.

Tania Bale

Creative Vision Ebooks. Com