I was watching my float drifting down the river when, not two metres to the left of me leaped a small frog, and he was in a rush. Then I saw why. A Tiger-Striped Neck Groove Snake (Rhabdophis tigrinus formosanus) was in hot pursuit. The frog made it down the slope to the water and the snake stopped dead. He waited for just long enough for me to have a really good look -I daren't move- and then flicked around and vanished into the grasses.
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Let me tell you this too, it wasn't the first one I'd seen this morning. Due to the heavy rains yesterday the floodgates had again been opened and the river was very low. Normally submerged though visible today were all the crayfish nets that are normally 8-feet under. I had caught a small fish and when I tossed him back I failed to clear the net-line. I 'slid' down the muddy bank and reached for the fish to assist his flight when from nowhere I saw a snake lurching at my arm!
I naturally went arse-up into the mud but was safe. The snake was trapped inside the net. These nets are 'trap nets' and he had no way out. I tried to help him escape but couldn't so it saddens me to say that even though he would have put me in hospital for a week or two, he'll be dead now as the water was rising.
Both incidents left me numb. Truly amazing seeing a snake at work in the complete wild.
I will be treading much more carefully next time I go fishing on the river at Beidaihe.
