AsiaOne is reporting a story (October 20, 2010) that describes the
presence of two pythons in the past few days in Bendemeer and Tanjong Pagar,
alarming passers-by such as information- technology executive C. H. Seah. Last
Saturday, the 42-year-old noticed a group of construction workers causing a
commotion at a canal in Bendemeer's St George Lane, and so walked up to take a
closer look. To his shock, he discovered that they were crowding around a
4m-long python. He sent a photograph of the reptile to citizen-journalism website
Stomp. Another python was spotted yesterday outside Tanjong Pagar's Bestway
Building in Prince Edward Road. The frightened animal almost bit a man who
tried to catch it. Mr Biswajit Guha, Director of Zoology at the Singapore Zoo,
advised the public to avoid approaching wild snakes, especially if they appear
to be weak, injured or disoriented.
The Wildlife
Reserves Singapore (WRS) take the urbanized snakes and put them in quarantine
and do health evaluations, some may be micro-chipped, rehabilitated and released
back into the wild. WRS has received 127 snakes so far this year, including
those confiscated by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority. "Snakes
prefer thickly planted areas or quiet dark corners," Mr Guha said.
"It would be best to keep residential and public areas clear of clutter so
that there are no hiding places for them." A spokesperson for Animal
Concerns Research and Education Society the society receives about 60 calls
each month about snake sightings.
Singapore
pythons are of course Broghammerus
reticulatus, a species that has become adapted to urbanized environments,
living in drains and sewers, feeding on other human commensals. Pythons are
apparently a very minor medical hazard to Singapore residents. (Tan 2010)
reported four python bites that were
treated in a Singapore hospital over 5 years. The
need for surgical intervention in python bites is usually minimal with drainage
of abscess and wound debridement for necrotic tissues. However, over the 5 year
study period 35 definite snake bites were reported, and the hospital saw
another 17 patients that were suspected of sustaining snake bites. None of the
bites were from captive snakes, but five bites were sustained while the person
was attempting to capture the snake. Most of the snakebites documented showed
pain and swelling. Systemic manifestations were generally mild and not all the
symptoms are due to systemic envenomation. There were a number of cases of
definite and probable snakebites where there was minimal local injury and no
systemic effects despite the presence of fang marks (7/26 or 27%). These
could be cases of dry bites or bites by a non-venomous snake. Dry bites occur
when there is no envenomation despite actual bite by a venomous snake. None of
the people who presented with snakebite over the five year period died, and
most recovered without additional problems. The island nation is very well
developed, but despite the small amount of available habitat the island supports
three species of pit vipers, seven species of terrestrial elapids, eleven
species of sea snakes - all capable of delivering venom. The total number of
snakes reported from the island and surrounding waters is about 75 species.
Tan, H. H. 2010.
Epidemiology of snakebites from a general hospital in Singapore - a 5-year
retrospective review (2004-2008). Ann. Acad. Med. Singapore 39:640-7.