Field notes, v1308
Page 389
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Greene, H. 1997 June 9 (continued) tongue flicks. About 2050 in the snake swims under surface directly ~5cm above a Pseudechis guttatus without any evidence of recognition by either. Then snake swims two 4-5 m long, wide arcs out into the pond, seemingly chasing distant water insects and/or tadpoles. We see a 2 cm water insect move ~30cm on surface vegetation and suddenly two nearly juvenile Sinomatrix trianguligera materialize and liven toward it, then away and out of our view. Then we see a second 50-60 cm Sinomatrix resting in subsurface vegetation ~3m from shore w/ delicious sagging food load. We throw two Polypedates near it but snake no attacks. At the station Nikolai has caught a big F Dingodon cf. myoxodon w/obvious food burst, from which I palp a head-first swallowed large gravid F Megophrys latonii. In the process Kelly and I are each bitten repeatedly by the snake, and it sprays cloacal gland secretion and uric acid over all three of us. Later I say "Nikolai, sorry the snake slit on you," and Natasha grins and says "it's not the first time!" He also got a big Fazeas margaritophorus.