One line of code, AKA a tale of two Nanos

Ledger Nano is a cryptocurrency hard wallet. I’ve had one for several years, which worked fine…until it didn’t.

Suddenly it wouldn’t let me in because the device failed the “Is this a real Ledger Nano?” test.

After a lot of this-and-that with customer support, they offered to ship me a new one. Untenable, I replied, because of Uruguayan Customs fees and hassles.

We’ll handle all that, they replied. And they did: shipped a new $59 device from Paris via courier with no hassle on my end.

Except for one thing: the new one gave the exact same error message.

And suddenly I got someone in tech support who knew that there was a solution in Ledger’s own online documentation. He send me the link. One line of code.

wget -q -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LedgerHQ/udev-rules/master/add_udev_rules.sh | sudo bash

No, I don’t know what udev rules are, and must admit I’m not entirely curious. But now I have two perfectly functional Ledger Nano S’s instead of one, the second for free Makes me think of the recent $1.49 dishwasher adventure.

Cute little snake update

I sent my photo to the Serpentario. The director replied that the cute little snake was in fact Xenodon dorbignyi, non-venemous and quite common, with a distinctive red curly bit at the end of the tail that presumably develops with maturity. We don’t see snakes very often, but this is the species we’ve seen the most.

Boooring LOL

Clever credit card container

This one really had me baffled, so I had to open it up. I slit it open along one edge.

The yellow arrows are what I slit apart.

The orange arrow is an “island” piece of cardboard attached between the sides.

The red arrow is a very fine plastic ribbon that loops around the “island,” attached to each of the sliding parts. So when you pull one one way, the other goes the other way.

Seems like a magic trick. Clever!

Cute little snake

Looked to be 20-25 centimeters long. I nudged it with a stick to encourage it to move out of the middle of the path (and out of sight of birds, though extremely windy and none to be seen.

So what is it? I asked Grok.

Canelones, Uruguay: what kind of snake is this?

[Thought for 37s]

This appears to be a juvenile crucera (Bothrops alternatus, also called víbora de la cruz or yarará grande), a venomous pit viper native to Uruguay (including Canelones) and neighboring countries. snakeradar.com +1Key matching features from the photo and species descriptions:

  • Bold, irregular dark (nearly black) dorsolateral blotches or “C”/telephone-receiver/headphones-shaped markings with pale (cream/white) borders or centers on a lighter ground color. These can appear somewhat connected or blotchy, especially in young animals, and match the classic crucera pattern. everything.explained.today +1
  • Small size (juveniles/neonates are typically ~20–25 cm and more brightly patterned than adults).
  • Robust body for its length and typical head shape of a Bothrops.
  • Found on sand — cruceras occur in grasslands, wetlands, near water, and occasionally wash up or appear on beaches/coasts in southern Uruguay (including Canelones) after rains or via currents. elpais.com.uy

It is one of the two medically significant Bothrops in Uruguay (the other is the yarará, Bothrops pubescens, which has more trapezoidal markings and is less associated with lower/coastal areas). Adults reach 80–150+ cm; both species have heat-sensing pits, triangular heads, and venom that can cause significant local tissue damage and other effects (antivenom is available in Uruguay via the CIAT toxicology center). gub.uy

Similar-looking non-venomous species that can occur in the same area (and also like sandy habitats) include:

  • South American hognose / falsa crucera or nariguda (Xenodon dorbignyi, including the Uruguay subspecies whose type locality is in Canelones). It mimics the crucera’s blotchy pattern, has an upturned snout for digging in sand, and is harmless to people (though it may flatten its head and body when threatened). en.wikipedia.org +1
  • Other colubrids such as certain Erythrolamprus (e.g., culebra de Peñarol) or Dryophylax hypoconia (culebra de la arena) have different spotting or banding and are generally more slender or differently patterned.

Recommendation: Do not handle it. Keep a safe distance, and if it is near people or pets, contact local wildlife/rescue experts (e.g., Alternatus Uruguay or the relevant environmental authorities) for safe relocation. In case of a bite, seek immediate medical help (call CIAT at 1722 in Uruguay) — do not apply tourniquets, cut, or suck the wound.

Identification from a single photo is not 100% certain without scale counts, head details (pits, pupil shape, snout), or closer examination, but the location, size, and distinctive blotched pattern strongly point to a young crucera. If you have additional photos (especially of the head or underside), that would help confirm.