Comments on: The Race: Within the House of Slytherin (II. some snakes)

By: bob

bob — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:26:01 +0000

Doug,
Thanks for your message. I am surprised we have not met! Where are you on the island?… As I have said in my blog , the scientific “jury” is still out with respect to whether or not “cobra preta” is naturally occurring or was brought by man; genetically speaking, this is not a difficult question; our colleagues who have our tissues just haven’t done it yet. While I have spent too much time in Africa to discount local legend “out of hand,” there are several holes in the narrative with regard to jita. First, as you have seen, we know from genetic data that the level of difference between ST and P jitas and between them and their mainland relatives is too great. This level of genetic differentiation (speciation) requires time in isolation, and this suggests to us that jitas have been on the islands since long before any humans were.
I love the “skin” story.. I had not heard it… It reminds me a little of the cobra bobo legends. But frankly, I have spent the last 40 years working on African reptiles and amphibians and, having handled both kinds of snakes (jita’s relatives and preta) on the mainland as well as the islands, I can state with some confidence that there is no way a jita could kill a preta… the reverse is likely true… Jita has no venom, and moreover, as adults they are less than half the length and certainly only a fraction of the mass of an adult preta. What is interesting to me is what preta actually eats… I sincerely hope it is rats…. Again, thanks for your fascinating comments.

By: Doug Claypool

Doug Claypool — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 14:27:41 +0000

Thank you for the information on the “cobra preta”. We are missionaries on Sao Tome island, and have been curious about it for quite some time.
Concerning the story about the “cobra preta” being brought over to kill rats, the story as told locally is that snakes were brought because of the rat problem, and the “cobra preta” was unknowingly mixed in with the other snakes. Because of its aggressive nature it eventually killed off the other snakes. Another load of snakes was brought in, purportedly to take care of the “cobra preta” and this load included the “jita”.
It is said that when the two encounter one another the “jita” will kill the “cobra preta”. Of course there are local lores as to the reason behind this as well boiling down to a trick from the “cobra preta” getting the “jita” to change skins with him, when the “jita” realized the trick it tried to get its skin back and has since been angry with the “cobra preta” and kills it whenever they meet face to face in a perpetual attempt to recover its lost skin.
Of course these are just local histories/stories told and as for their validity I cannot say, but they hold an important aspect of the peoples perspective, and culture.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:01:30 +0000

Hi, BB. somehow missed your comment. No so far as I know bushmeat on the islands is largely comprised of the non-native Mona monkeys and fruit bats. No, no snake charmers. I heard recently that the cobra was brought intentionally to control rats in the cacao plantations, but given the availablity of non-venomous snakes on the mainland, I find this unlikely.

By: Lisa Sebastian

Lisa Sebastian — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:06:34 +0000

I will always remember fondly the Q & A session after you gave a staff lecture about hunting frogs w/ Jens in Africa. A woman asked with great concern, “Don’t you have to worry about snakes?!?” Your response – “But I *WANT* to find snakes!” I really liked that.

Fifteen years later, I have my own 9 year old budding herpetologist – a girl who just loves frogs. The best thing in the new CAS, as far as she is concerned.

By: bob

bob — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:31:58 +0000

So far as I know, none of the islanders eat cobras.. in fact, they fear them greatly.
We will know soon enough whether the species is native to the islands. There is a rumor
that they were brought intentionally to eat rats on the cacao plantations, but that seems
pretty far-fetched to me.