Sunny the green tree snake knows how to work a camera.
Actually, Eddie O'Reilly clearly knows how to work one too, given his cracking photos of Sunny.
It should be said that Sunny is a good model to work with. He, she [or they?] even positioned itself in front of the very sign that advises passers by of its existence.
Sunny is slithering here on the bridge to the Shortland Union building at the University of Newcastle.
The bridge sign states that the snake is non-venomous [however, these snakes can be 'dangerous' - see our story below].
"When threatened, this snake secretes a smelly oil from its vent glands to make good on their escape," the sign said.
It appears to us - and we speak scientifically here - that this snake uses farting as a survival strategy.
A Snake Tale
Let's just be clear - the green tree snake is harmless. But just because it's harmless, doesn't mean it isn't dangerous.
Please take heed of this cautionary tale [influenced by an Australian Wildlife Protection Council story].
A wife found a little green tree snake curled up under a table. As she watched it slither into a bedroom, she screamed. Her husband heard the scream and ran over to help, twisting his ankle in the process.
As he tried to get up, he fell over again, hit his head and knocked himself out cold. His wife called an ambulance.
The paramedics assessed him and decided to take him to hospital for precautionary tests. As they carried him on a stretcher, the snake slithered across the room and one of the paramedics dropped the stretcher, dislocating the man's shoulder.
The two paramedics then started arguing and a fight broke out. One of the paramedics had his nose broken in the fight and the other sprained his hand.
Another ambulance arrived soon after to treat the paramedics hurt in the fight.
It was around then that the snake slithered across the room again ...
Snake Jokes
What do you call a snake who works for the government? A civil serpent.
What did the snake give to his wife? A goodnight hiss.
What do you call a snake that tells jokes? Monty Python.
What clothes do snake sisters wear? Co-bras.
Why don't snakes need to weigh themselves? Because they have their own scales.
What do you call a snake that builds things? A boa constructor.
What type of snake does a baby play with? A rattlesnake.
What do you call a snake who gets all the girls? A snake charmer.
Which snakes are best at mathematics? Adders. What was a common reaction from Topics readers after reading these snake jokes? They're fangtastic.
