As the days go by, it becomes clear how gentle we were when we compared some of the government ministers to drops of water wearing away the rock. Like them, a band of swindlers, through sheer persistence, succeeds in eroding and destroying magnificent landscapes shaped over the ages. We have already come to terms with the public’s attention being turned to other matters, but we want to remind readers that the performance of previous governments was also mostly a failure: catching snakes, exterminating jackals, barbecues in nature reserves, importing live meat, and more – all these have been with us for a long time.  

As reported here, the new observation system is in the final stages of development, and in the first phase it will be distributed only to a small number of users: for trial purposes, before being released to the general public. Among other things, the process is delayed because of new collaborations with additional communities outside Israel, and I (A.W) am taking the opportunity to share here some photographs from a tour I recently took part in at a reserve located northeast of Bangkok in Thailand.

Green pit viper © eyalv

Green pit viper is often identified in East Asia, although in fact the name refers to several species whose definition has not been completed.  Trimeresurus albolabris is relatively common in the area. The first member of the family I encountered tested my reaction time at the sight of a viper at close range from my face. Although I passed the test successfully (I lay flat), it fled in embarrassment without being photographed. The next encounter was more pleasant and calm: an adult specimen was found by a local guide resting on a riverbank. About 44 species are known in the genus, most of them giving birth to live young, though some lay eggs. In southern Thailand the species T. venustus is found, known to many herpetologists, whereas in the Philippines (on the island of Batanes) another beautiful species in the genus is found, one many of us hope we will get to see: Trimeresurus mcgrehori. How do you deal with venomous snakes living in crowded places? I examine this at every site I visit, and I can confirm that so far the initial assumption regarding Israel is being borne out - there is no worse solution than the one implemented in the country: Snake and management.