An inquisitive old fart with a camera
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!
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:
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:
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.
Actually, there is a reason. I took this on my way back from the beach a few days ago. Fog had rolled in, but for all the previous hours of the day the sun had been bright, and very hot on a parked car. Which is why this one is parked under a tree.
The sidewalk? Eh.
I left the house in full sun six blocks away.
I bought morrones, tomates, zucchini, and something else. Make it make sense!
(Glad it’s not a prescription.)
“Yankees out of Latin America.”
Was it something I said?
Well, that’s good to know!
Actually, these are two mailings: the account opening pile of paper sent on May 19, and the single page sent on June 25th. One mailed 92 days ago (“Int’l Priority Airmail”), the other 55 days ago. And they both arrive the same day.
Because of course.
Two days ago, a dove —probably this one— flew up from the upstairs patio when I opened the door, a few feet from a similar one, dead in a corner. This morning I saw this one near the carport, relocating several times to at last find its way into the barbacoa (my workshop), out of the pouring rain, where it died. When I went upstairs, before the rain, to clean up, there was another, smaller one, dead next to the other.
Best guess is that they all got into something poisonous, maybe brought it back to the nest. But when I saw the first dead one, I looked at the nest and saw nothing there. Hard to get a clear view, but also hard to miss something bright white. Sorry guys. We enjoyed having you around.
Once again begging the question: Who teaches them to write like this?
Note that the third item, sepollos, is meant to be zapallos.
And the fourth item? Arandanos. Seriously.