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OK… I live in the Turrialba area and out in the “country”. I have killd a couple terciopelos around the neighborhood, but only because I had nothing to catch it with and take it to a local serpentarium, which I usually do. As to fears, I was bitten by a Diamondback when I was five… in Florida, where every poisonous breed of snake in North America is found… but I am not phobic, and I cruise the bush a LOT. Statistically, you have more of a chance getting sharkbit than snakebit. It does not keep me out of the sea. Footnote… most locals carry a machete to cut the ever invading brush, NOT to kill snakes, though they will cop em up. Locals wear the everpresent rubber boots toprotect themselves from bites. Snake fangs have a touh time getting through them, and they usually go near knee high. The trick to not getting bit is watch where you reach, mainly. Oh yeah, I did not die from the rattlesnake bite, even though the bite straddled my lower backbone. I was 1 block from the hospital. MOST bitten folks do not die from the snakebite, by theway. Another tidbit… there are 18 varieties of poisonous snakes in this country, a couple are truely viscious.
Jerry in La Suiza. Pura VidaHi Jerry, glad to see that your previous experience didn’t leave you with any fears and you obviously continue to face snakes. I’m a biologist trained in Costa Rica and have been through much of the CR landscape, including Talamanca, Caño Negro, La Selva & Corcovado National Park which have plenty of venemous & non-venemous snakes around, but I worry when people call an animal “vicious” because of the human behavior that follows. You have just entered their territory and some will warn by snapping you with their tails, hissing, etc and others will just react to anything/anyone that could be a danger to them. Sure, some are faster to react than others, but that doesn’t make them vicious.In order to be vicious, they would have to be going out of their way to attack us and that just doesn’t happen–we just stumble upon them and they react instinctively. You’re absolutely right, it’s a matter of watching where you go, touch or step. As someone else suggested, carrying a machete could never hurt. If you ask a Tico why he carries his machete thru the countryside they will tell you that they use it to make a path, to move the vegetation in front of them which will alert whatever animal may be there (they don’t typically care to encounter snakes either), cut something of interest (fruit/plant) along the way and for protection should they need it & not just from snakes. A true “campesino” will never leave home without it when walking through his lands. Pura Vida (and remember, life includes snakes…)
Hi Jerry, I recently bought some land in Canada (Golingrinas), near La Suiza. We have encountered a few terciopelos recently, no problem. I am going to be building a house in the winter (US winter) and will be staying in La Suiza while working on it. I’d like to hear from another English speaker while I’m there, haven’t met any yet.
There are some half a dozen or so of us in the Suiza area… will b happy to sit around Alvaro´s and chat. Lemme know when you are in the area.
And to respond to my statement as to “viscious” snakes… pardon my poor vernacular. Viscious is not a true definition… maybe “quick to use a lethal attempt at defense” is better, but longer. I know when I am defending myself, “viscious” works very well. It has been a long time since anything like that has been necessary, gracias.
Jerry in La SuizaYou sound like a great guy Jerry and plenty capable of calculating a defense or an ofense on your own behalf and that’s just the point, snakes do not share much of our human motivation when expressing aggression, they just want to survive and reproduce…Unfortunately, our bias against them has caused them great harm. Enjoy the lovely area you live in and have a blessed day, Pura Vida, Rebeca…
Hello I am a Canadian and living in the Parry Sound area in northern Ont.
I am curious as to where La Suiza is? Oh yes we have snakes in the area
where I live and one type of rattlesnake. I hike everywhere but rarely
encounter snakes. It seems like there are less and less of these valuable
creatures. Have a good time in Canada.
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