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Showing posts with label heatwave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heatwave. Show all posts

Monday, May 22, 2023

How to minimise the risk of snakes entering homes

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PETALING JAYA: The scorching heat has forced snakes to seek refuge in human homes.

Apart from dark corners, shoes are also a potential shelter for the reptiles, as seen in a video that went viral on social media earlier this month.

Fire and Rescue Department deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Edwin Galan Teruki said the department had received 13,895 distress calls from the public seeking help to remove snakes and other wildlife from their premises in the first four months of this year.

The figure shows an increasing trend, compared to 12,013 calls received in the same period last year.

Edwin advised the public to remain calm if they spot snakes in their homes. 


“Do not be rash or panic as this may threaten the snake and trigger its defence mechanism to attack.

“Be it venomous or not, be cautious and try to confine the snake in one area to make it easier for catchers to locate and remove it.

“Keep an eye on the snake from a safe distance,” he said, adding that the public could call the 999 emergency hotline for help.

Edwin added that good housekeeping could help deter snakes from entering and hiding in homes.

“Do not keep food waste in the open as it can attract rats, frogs or even lizards, which are prey for snakes.

“If you have livestock or pets, it is advisable to set up safety nets around their enclosures,” Edwin said.

In the case of a snake bite, limit movement, cover the wound with a clean cloth and never attempt to suck the venom out, he said.

As it can be difficult to determine whether a snake is venomous or not, Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia president and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian said it is best to avoid close contact altogether.

“Take a picture of the snake. In the case of a snake bite, the photo can help identify the type of snake and the correct anti-venom,” he said.

Malaysia Civil Defence Force disaster management and operations director Col (PA) Sharudin Md Zain said houses, trash disposal areas, water outlets, shoes and toilet bowls could be the hiding place for snakes.

“Fixing safety nets at windows or ventilation and water outlets can be an option.

“Snakes may also be hiding inside shoes or the toilet, so check them before use,” he said, adding that the public should avoid touching or holding the animal.

Contrary to popular belief, Malaysian Nature Society’s Selangor Branch Herpetofauna Group lead coordinator Chan Yik Khan meanwhile dismissed the myth that sulphur could keep snakes away.

“Sulphur does not repel snakes. The most effective method is to make sure that the surroundings do not appeal to them.

“Remove unused flower pots and declutter the area,” he said.

Chan said snakes are generally timid creatures and prefer tight and dark spaces to hide in when they are not foraging.

“Snakes are incredibly adapted to urban environments and they are likely living around you already.

“This is why some people occasionally find snakes resting on their curtain frame,” he said.

He said the most common urban snakes include the common wolf snake, the reticulated pythons and a couple of rat snakes.

With regard to heat, Chan said snakes are exothermic animals, which means their body temperature is regulated by the external temperature in their environment.

“Snakes will try finding shelter under cooler conditions – which includes tiled homes, as compared to urban areas devoid of shade.

“Being able to escape from the blazing sun is vital for their survival or they may overheat and die,” he said. 

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Reptiles sneak indoors to stay cool

  Unwelcome visitors: Officials removing snakes and a monitor lizard from houses in Penang     GEORGE TOWN: They come, they see, they hide....

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Reptiles sneak indoors to stay cool

Unwelcome visitors: Officials removing snakes and a monitor lizard from houses in Penang
 


 

GEORGE TOWN: They come, they see, they hide.

It is not just humans who are seeking shelter from the scorching heat.

Reptiles, too, are coming out of their natural habitat to take refuge.

Snakes and monitor lizards were the most common to have encroached into homes, garages, parking areas, drains, toilets and other areas of late.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Saadon Mokhtar said during this period, there had been an increase in cases of snakes and monitor lizards entering homes.

“Most of them entered the kitchen area.

“The snakes would then hide behind the fridge or behind cupboards.

“Some would coil up behind the washing machine or inside the bathroom which is cooler.

“For monitor lizards, they have the tendency to enter and hide in the kitchen and in drains behind housing areas,” he said.

From January until April this year, the cases have almost doubled compared to last year, added Saadon.

“This year, there have been 427 reports of snakes entering various premises compared to 238 during the same duration last year.

“There were 73 sightings of monitor lizards this year compared to 47 last year,” he said.

Meanwhile, northeast district Civil Defence Force officer Captain Muhammad Aizat Abdul Ghani said on average, they could catch three to six snakes a day.

“This is only in our district, I am sure the others have more.

“Usually, the snakes hide in dark spaces either in the garage, parking areas, drains in the housing compound or sheds.

“It is not too often that they are found inside houses as it is usually too bright for them.

“There are, however, a few cases where they are caught inside the house.

“It is not only during the current heatwave that snakes are seeking shelter at housing areas and other premises, but also during the rainy season when we have caught some,” he said.

Captain Muhammad Aizat said Penang has plenty of snakes and they usually come out from the river or big drains.

“This is why houses and schools near rivers or drains are usually prone to snake intrusion.

“We received calls about the sightings of monitor lizards as well, but not as many as for snakes,” he said. 

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 Related news:

Heat wave: 'No plans to declare emergency yet'

 

 Ahmad Zahid said the present weather conditions would last until September, with temperatures expected to soar above 40°C in August.

 

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Saturday, March 23, 2019

Equinox to have small impact on Malaysia?

https://youtu.be/TDBi2s4J2A4 

PETALING JAYA: Equinox, a phenomenon where the sun is positioned on top of the head in the equatorial region, is expected to have a weaker impact on Malaysia.

“The effects of equinoxes on the equator area are generally lower than the effects of monsoon and climate patterns,” said Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahari.

The equatorial region, he said, receives maximum sunlight throughout the year.

“Due to the constant sunlight it receives, the region will only experience a small variation in its climate due to equinoxes,” he said when contacted about how equinox will affect the weather in Malaysia.

Alui was responding to a message that has gone viral via WhatsApp advising people to drink more water between March 22 and 28.

“Drink more water for the next seven days (March 22-28) due to equinox. The body gets dehydrated very fast during this period. Please share this news to maximum groups,” the message reads.

Alui said equinox happens twice a year, either on March 21 or 22, or Sept 22 or 23.

In Malaysia, it happens on March 21 and Sept 23.

Interestingly, MetMalaysia last year also had to refute news on the Equinox phenomenon.

The department had then said a hike in temperature was expected to take place but would not result in a heat wave as claimed in the message.

Alui said based on the monitoring of thermal wavelength status, as at 4.40pm yesterday, there was no area in the country experiencing heat waves, where the temperature exc­eeds 37°C in three consecutive days.

“However, there are some areas that are on the alert because the temperature in the area reaches 35 to 37°C, namely Chuping, Kota Setar, Pendang, Sik, Hulu Perak, Kinta, Jeli, Tanah Merah, Kuala Krai , Gua Musang, Jerantut, Maran, Tangkak, Sri Aman and Kapit,” he said.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s professor of climatology and oceano­­graphy Dr Fredolin Tangang said the hot weather in the Peninsula, especially the west coast, is expected to improve as the inter-Monsoon arrives.

“Usually, there will be thunderstorms in the afternoon and late afternoon. But in Sabah and the northern part of the Peninsula, the hot spell may continue until April,” he said.

The MetMalaysia website showed that several states in the country are expected to see thunderstorms in the coming week, starting today.

For example, in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya and Negri Sembilan, it is expected to see thunderstorms from March 23 to 25 and on March 28. No rain is expected on March 26 and 27.

There will be thunderstorms from March 23 to 28 in Penang.

In Sarawak, there will be no rain from March 23 to 25 and there will be thunderstorms over inland areas from March 26 to 28.

In the meantime, Malaysians are doing their best to counter the effects of the hot weather.

Lai Yuen Theng, who works in a daycare centre in Kepong, Selangor, said it was preparing porridge and herbal tea for the children to help “cool” their bodies.

Property agent Melissa Chen, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, said she will try her best to arrange house viewings for her clients in the morning as the weather is extremely hot these days.

“I will try my best to stay indoors. Last week, I brought clients to four places to look at condominium units. The temperature that day was about 37°C. I fell sick after dri­ving and walking under the hot sun,” she said.

She also expected a spike in the electricity bill as she used the air-conditioner more frequently.

By Yimie Yong The Star


Related:

Equinox - Wikipedia