A student's dad ran over a snake on the way to school, so they stopped and grabbed it for me (joy)! It was a northern tree snake - non venomous, quite small (about 1.4m). Normally these snakes are bottle green, with yellow bellies. When you aggravate them, and they puff up, they are blue under their scales. However a local population has evolved that are all brilliant electric blue. This was a blue one.
We jugged him in a full 5L bottle of meths, labelled him, and now he lives in one of our labs. One of our learning support teacher aides saw him there and began raving about him. "What a magnificent specimen. So Beautiful!" "Wow." I think, "this is the most enthusiastic I've ever seen this person, especially about Science." "Yes," continues she, "think of the SHOES you could make with such a skin." ???!!!
Yes, I have to say that certainly wasn't my first thought, but it takes all types I suppose.
Cheers, Kristin
