The Visitor Below

A flash of movement in the basement. A call from our housekeeper. Dinner forgotten.

By the time I reached, the snake had coiled tight against the wall — banded, restless, beautiful, and possibly deadly. For a moment I thought of the krait we’d seen during construction years ago, the one that didn’t survive a fearful night. The memory stayed with me — the krait’s venom can paralyse within hours, its bite almost painless until it’s too late.

I eased this one into a wire-mesh bag, certain only that it deserved another chance. The next morning, before releasing it, I took the opportunity to photograph it in the soft light.

By then, the mystery had resolved itself — a Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus), not a krait. Defensive, yes. Dangerous, no. We released it away from human habitation, near the forest edge, where it paused briefly before sliding soundlessly into the leaf litter.