SLCLAWYERS.COM

August 9, 2011

Preventing Back Injury

Back injury is very common. Not so much in children because their backs are still flexible and they get lots of exercise running around and playing, but as we become older most of give up running about and playing. Add that with the natural stiffening of joints that comes with age and back injury becomes more prevalent.

When you comprehend those easy facts, the way to avoid injury appears clearer – keep running about and playing or if you do not fancy that, take other exercises frequently. Back injury happens most frequently in the workplace, so individuals say, but what is not a workplace. Is cooking and cleaning at home not work?

Do not think that you are at far less risk at home than in the office, on the shop floor or on a construction site. Back injury is normally the result of doing something in an incorrect fashion for a long period of time – bad posture or bad technique – but it can also be caused by lifting a box onto or down from a shelf on one occasion.

The best approach is to prevent back injury ever occurring because once you have it, you will sorely regret it and have a difficult job getting rid of it. So, how do you go about preventing back injury?

Firstly, you should reduce the stress that you put on your back by normalizing your weight and by learning how to manoeuvre heavy items in the right manner and adopting right postures.

Secondly, you should attempt to strengthen the muscles in your back so that they are more cheerfully equipped to deal with the unavoidable stresses of daily life. Rather than only talking about back muscles we should include stomach muscles too.

So, starting with posture: walk tall, adopt a military bearing and do not slouch. Similarly when sitting. Do not just fall into a chair like a sack of potatoes; hold your back straight and strive not to lean to one side or the other all the time. Sit near to your desk so that you do not have to lean over to reach which might encourage slouching and rounded shoulders and back.

Learn how to sit at your desk. Your feet should be flat on the floor (or a foot stool); your thighs should be parallel with the floor. The desk or seat should be of such a height that you can place your arms on it with the forearms parallel to the floor without reaching up or slouching over. Get up and walk about for a minute or two each hour.

Your car seat should be adjusted to be right for you too, particularly if you drive a lot. Be wary of weights and bulky or awkward items. Even the shopping. Learn how to manhandle them with the minimum amount of danger. Get help if you think you might require it.take it from me, in the case of backache, prevention is far better that cure, if you can find one.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a range of subjects, but is now involved with sciatica pain management. If you would like to know more, please go to our web site at Sore Back Remedies

June 16, 2011

Finding Affordable Camping Gear

Camping is a very popular activity among the under Forties. People like to go hunting, fishing, hiking, walking or just camping with their friends, family or lover. The outdoors is attractive and can be romantic. Lots of people want to get a little closer to nature and the easiest way of doing this is sleeping under canvas, or nylon or something man-made like that. Another benefit for the young is that it is inexpensive.

However, it is not merely inexpensive, it is healthy and instructive. All children should go camping either with their parents or the scouts in order to learn something of nature before they get locked into a career to pay the mortgage and forget that there is life outside the city. You know, there are inner city kids that do not know that milk comes from cows? How ridiculous is that?

So, if you are going to take an education in nature by the horns, you will have to have certain camping gear. Inexpensive though camping equipment is relative to the equipment required for other activities, most people still have to be a little cautious how much they spend.

If you fall into that category, then this article is for you. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, it is worth pointing out that if you have the money, you can do worse than just going down to the local sports shop or camping shop and buying all your kit from them. Buy everything you require in one go and ask for a discount. if anything ever goes wrong they will remember you as a big spender and fix it for you straight away.

However, the remainder of have to be a bit more careful with the cheque book. If you know a bit concerning camping equipment from your parents or from the scouts and do not mind second-hand, then car boot sales and garage sales can be just the thing.

Frequently people are selling stuff because their kids have left home and they are having a clear out or perhaps they have had more children and the pup tent is no longer any use to them.

I sold a lovely tent not so long ago for peanuts because I knew that I would never need it again. The beauty of these sales is that you can put the tent up or get the seller to put it up for a closer inspection. Look for rot, sniff for mildew, check the number of pegs and guide lines et cetera, but do not get carried away with perfection, you can buy extra pegs, lanyard and a mallet, but you do not want to have to sew up holes or replace zips or fly screen.

Classified ads are another good source of equipment, but pick the item up yourself so that you know where to take it back if you do not have the opportunity to inspect it properly before handing over the money.

EBay and Amazon are also pretty good, but you have to do some research on the manufacturers’ names and the regular retail prices otherwise you might end up purchasing a costly copy, a kiddies’ toy tent or merely junk.

One of my favourite stores to browse is the Army and Navy Surplus store. Try going into an A&N and coming out empty-handed. If the equipment in there is good enough for our troops to risk their lives with, it’s decent enough for a week in the Poconos.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with the egg crate foam mattress pad. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad For Sale.

May 5, 2011

Hiking And Camping Is Undergoing A Revival

Are you interested in getting closer to nature? Do you like walking and sleeping under the stars – or under canvas at least? If you do, then a walking or hiking and camping holiday might be just the thing for you. A hiking and camping holiday will get you out in the fresh air, permit you to observe nature first hand and cost you very little to boot. In short, hiking and camping are the ideal blend, if you are looking for a healthy, low-cost break outdoors.

Not only that but you can either go alone with a couple of good books, take a lover, take a friend or take the family with you. All in all, you have many options on hand to you if you want to trek off into the wild blue yonder on foot.

There are a few of ways of tackling a vacation of this sort. You can either book into a hiking and camping site or you can literally simply head off. If you have children with you then the camping ground is a necessity, but otherwise the decision is yours, although it has to be kept in mind, that camping off site is or can be illegal. Trespass is absolutely illegal as is causing a nuisance of yourself, putting wild animals under duress for no good reason, damaging trees or property and littering.

So, if you are new to hiking and camping, you will probably be better off going to a hiking and camping site or park. Do not be put off by this thought, some of them are truly immense. Check out the Poconos and other national parks for instance.

There is no doubt that price is a factor in the choice of a camping holiday for many young people, but it is rarely the sole reason why people like to get away and sleep under the stars. Going back to nature and bird- and animal-watching are other common reasons.

If you fancy this sort of holiday, it is worth remembering that hiking and camping have become extremely popular pastimes of late. They always were well-liked, it is true, but they waned in the Eighties and Nineties, and are seeing a resurgence now. Therefore, do your homework, see where you would like to go, get some brochures or look on line and book up early. Yes, nowadays you have to book up early to get into the best hiking and camping sites again.

A final note of caution, if you decide to go off into the wilderness outside a camp site, let people know where you are. Take your mobile phone and a couple of fully-charged extra batteries and say when you are going to phone in that you are safe and make certain that you abide by it. It is very costly if Air-Sea Rescue get called out on unnecessarily.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with the egg crate foam mattress pad. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad For Sale.

November 7, 2010

Where To Buy Your Camping Equipment From

Do you like to go camping? Do you go with friends or family and do you help with the planning? If so, then you almost certainly already have a lot of the items you require, but as you doubtless already know, there is always something you have to purchase for each trip. If you are planning your first trip, then it is to be hoped that this short piece will give you some tips.

In fact, there are quite a few sources of camping gear. Some offer better value for money than others, some offer low quality gear and others offer high quality at high prices. The trick is to be somewhere in the middle, where you can get good quality apparatus which is fit for its intended use at the right cost and this is what we will help you to do.

One of the first things to comprehend, and it is very helpful to understand this point, is that a camper needs camping gear, ie the tent, sleeping bag, et cetera and camping supplies, ie food, insect repellent et cetera. It is practical to realize the difference because some camping stores sell both gear and supplies, whereas others only sell one or the other.

Starting with camping gear. You can buy camping gear on line at dedicated camping stores, at department stores and at eBay and Amazon. The trick here is to do some research first to find out what is the best of what you require and how much it costs and then to go searching on line for that particular device manufactured by that particular manufacturer. You will absolutely save money by purchasing on line, but you have to be more careful of copies.

Army and Navy Surplus stores are pretty decent too. After all, if it is good enough for our fighting forces it is not going to fall apart the first time it rains or blows a bit. I have always found it difficult to come out of an army and navy store without buying anything, even if they did not have what I went in there for. I always end up buying a new compass or a knife or some other gadget.

Department stores are next and you can pick up good deals out of season, otherwise they tend to be expensive and you have to be wary of not purchasing ‘kiddies gear’ meant for use in the back garden by mistake. Sports shops and dedicated camping shops are usually very dependable, selling the best gear at the top prices.

Now on to camping supplies. To be honest, what do you eat when camping that you do not eat at home each week? Moose, squirrel, possum, deer? Well, you are not going to take that with you anyway, are you, so you might as well get your camping supplies from your favourite supermarket.

Or you can go to the camping shop and pay over the odds for ‘specialist foods’ and ‘survival rations’, but again, to be honest, you would be better off acquiring items like that either on line or at the Army and Navy store again. If you want to try out some of these army rations, it can be fun, but get them at bargain prices from the A&N.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now concerned with the egg crate foam mattress pad. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad For Sale.

September 18, 2010

Why Should My Pet Carry An ID Tag?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:51 am

If your pet is prone to venture far from home then you should consider putting an identity tag on it. The ID tag can be as simple as you like, but the most advanced technique is to use ‘radio frequency identification’ or an RFID tag.

If you have a very young cat of dog, there is probably no need to tag it yet, but as the animal gets older, ID tags can become essential. If your pet gets lost, anyone finding it can then return it. If you have a cat or a dog, then a straightforward collar could be enough.

Some collars have a metal tag attached to them so that you can have your contact details or phone number engraved on it, others have a ring, so that you can attach a small canister with your particulars inside it. Some just write their address on the inside of the collar with a felt tipped pen or a marker pen. This is more unsafe though because you might not notice if it rubs off.

It is necessary to think about water damage if you are ID tagging a dog. Cats try to keep out of water, rain and snow, but most dogs love playing in it. If your dog’s tag is not waterproof, it will soon become impossible to read. On the other hand, cats frequently lose their collars.

If your pet is a horse, then it is simpler to have it branded and the brand indexed, so that anyone finding your lost horse can reference the brand and discover your contact details. If your pet is a tortoise, then you can write your phone number around the edge of its shell in a non-toxic fluid like nail varnish, but keep it small or you could poison the creature. Birds can have leg bands fitted. These leg bands have a unique number which can be looked up like a brand.

These are the conventional ways of ID tagging your pets, but the most modern method is to RFID tags them. These RFID tags can be affixed in several different ways. The simplest way is to have a plastic passive RFID tag made up and hang it from your pet’s collar. This works well, until your pet loses its collar or unless someone removes it in order to steal your pet.

Another way of affixing an RFID tag, is to have your details imprinted on a chip and have the chip inserted under your pet’s skin by a vet. Some people are abhorred by this idea others do not mind. However, it does not hurt, is not uncomfortable and cannot be lost.

When the police or the pound officials are handed a stray, they scan it for a chip as part of their routine these days. Even people have them installed so that they can move across international borders more swiftly.

The RFID tag is read by a scanner and can be read from distances of several feet to several hundred yards, which makes locating a lost pet a much simpler job if it has an RFID tag fitted.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on quite a few topics, but is currently concerned with researching What to do if your dog eats chocolate. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at http://whattodoifyourdogeatschocolate.com.

July 18, 2010

Moderate Retirement Gifts For Golfers

There is a common belief that golf is the normal pastime-cum-sport of big shot entrepreneurs and businessmen. It is also perceived as being an exclusive sport and not accessible by regular blue collared employees. However, this is not the reality as modernization and commercialization have brought these so called elite sports into the reach of ordinary workers.

This is because there is no need to acquire sophisticated equipment to have a game. Unlike big game fishing and polo which need a lot of resources eg a boat or a horse respectively, golfers just require a set of golf clubs, which are reasonably affordable. With this in mind, retirement gifts for golfers and aspiring golfers are easily thought of.

Making personalized retirement gifts for golfing enthusiasts is really quite an easy task since you can easily personalize golfing equipment such as golf club pouches, and caddy covers. These can be knitted (that is if you like knitting) or crafted using any other materials.

Another good idea is to think about golfing fashion by focusing on the attire worn by golfers. You may even end up starting a new trend in golfing clothing by the use of your imagination regarding the design of the clothing for your retiree.

The most usual method of getting a retirement gift for golfers is to go along to the nearest sports shop and get your retiree something sold there. It may sound a little impersonal to just get the retiree a commercially sold gift, but then this may prove really useful if the retiree is still a novice golfer. Perhaps you could get a book on golfing or a subscription to a golfing magazine.

However, you could try to find out what your retiree golfer still needs or maybe even use your imagination to think about what methods you could employ to enhance the golfing equipment the retiree may already be using.

Commercially made golfing equipment is also a safe bet, if you want to make your retiree feel professional by buying him a famous-name set of golf clubs, thereby making him feel like a pro.

You could even go to a joke shop and ask if they have any joke items for the golfer there. They probably do, since golfing is such a popular sport.

Gag gifts must be chosen quite carefully since they may raise sensitive matters for the retiree, especially novice players. Gags as gifts in relation to golfing might be taken the wrong way and put them off, if they are upset by the idea suggested by the gag or joke given to them.

As for veteran players who are already well adapted to the game and other golfers’ sense of humour, the gift of a good gag on their retirement day would be quite funny since they would already see golfing not only as a way to relieve stress, but also to actually have some fun in a competitive environment.

Retirement gifts for golfers are just a simple way to make your golfer friend enjoy life after his career is over.

If you are interested in golf or retirement gifts for golfers, just go to our website on Golfing Tips for Novices. This article, Moderate Retirement Gifts For Golfers is released under a creative commons attribution licence.

May 26, 2010

Ladies Golf Apparel And Fashion

I picked up one of those ‘Golfing for Women’ type magazines the other week and got to asking myself where these women actually live, who wear the golf attire shown in women’s golfing magazines? I have never seen women, not even the pros, wearing such expensive and flamboyant clothes.

It’s so simple to spend tons of money kitting yourself out for the sport of golf. Think about hats, sunglasses, gloves, shirts, shorts, socks, windsheeters and shoes, and it is obvious that the costs add up very quickly, even if you do your shopping at cheap online sales. Then you have to factor in the cost of clubs, balls, bag, cart and fees and you have to play a round of golf really quite frequently to keep the “CPU” (cost per use) down to a tolerable level.

One half-page advert showed a beautiful young ‘golfing lady’ in really tiny shorts (like that’s permitted on golf courses!) that cost nearly $300, a golf shirt at almost $600, a jacket by Ralph Lauren at almost $200 and two-toned Utuser shoes costing $400 plus.

That comes to just about $1,500! I know that it would be impossible for me to get the CPU on that outfit down to anywhere near a normal limit in my entire golfing life! Please don’t misunderstand me – I do love clothes and I do really, really love shoes, but I could never afford, nor even want, golf shoes or pants that cost as much as most people’s weekly wages.

OK, you need comfortable golfing shoes that don’t look like a pair of clogs, but really, you can buy less expensive and still a la mode golf shoes.

I have several really stylish golfing outfits, although none of them are famous brand names. If I totalled up the cost of all of those articles of clothing, it would not add up to the cost of a Tse golf shirt. Personally, I would prefer to have several trendy outfits than one that is priced over-the-top.

If I were to wear a $1,500 set of golfing attire to play golf in, I would just be too worried about getting it dirty or sweating in it to enjoy a proper round of golf.

If you liked this piece on fashion and ladies’ golf attire and you would like to read more about golf tipsing, please go to our website on Golfing Tips for Novice Golfers You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

February 25, 2010

Choosing Golf Equipment

Buying golf clubs can be just like throwing your money into the sea, but fore-waned, you can save yourself plenty of time and money when you’re choosing your golf clubs. As in many cases, you can either spend a lot of money in one go or you can spend a little several times, until you get what you really want.

If you are just beginning and are not completely certain that you want to commit yourself to the addictive game of golf, you should either hire golf clubs at the clubhouse on the golf course, or purchase a beginner’s set of golf clubs.

Buying a set of starter golf clubs enables you to become accustomed to them; enabling you to concentrate on your swing instead of wondering how this set of miss-matched golf clubs you just rented is going to pan out.

As you become better at golf, you should invest in a better set of clubs more suited to you.

Generally, a set includes a driver, one or two fairway woods, numbers 4-9 irons, a wedge or two and a putter.

Once become more experienced and start thinking about new clubs, you may want to consider buying your driver separately. Some players want a driver to give them more accuracy, others want more distance.

There are numerous sorts of golf ball available and the golf ball box will usually have a chart on the back to direct you to the right ball for your requirements. As you learn more about the game and get better at it, you should experiment with different balls which could improve your accuracy and/or your distance.

Having the right golfing equipment is an important aspect of the game, so buy wisely!

If you are new to golf, you could do worse than check out our Golfing Tips for Novices, where you will learn more about choosing Golf equipment. Check here for free reprint licence: Choosing Golf Equipment.

categories: golf,golfing,golf clubs,equipment,hobbies,sport,recreation,health,fitness,walking,champions,celebrity,outdoor,other

January 29, 2010

Nike Golf Shoes

Nike golf shoes are one of the tools you can use to raise the quality of your game. If you have only played golf in casual footwear before, or if you’re just looking for a way to improve your general game, investing in a good pair of golf shoes can make a large difference. Just like in other sports, the shoes you have on can directly affect your performance.

As you have to develop a smooth swing and be able to follow through on that swing in golf, all without losing any control of the strength in your swing, your golf shoes can help or spoil your game for you. Nike golf shoes have been designed to help you balance, gripping the turf as much as needed yet allowing you to put full power and control behind each and every swing.

Since these golf shoes have special compartments in the heels, every step is easier and lighter to make. They put a spring in your step and yet offer the level of support your feet, legs and knees require in order to enjoy playing your game of golf very comfortably for long periods of time.

As golf very often means a great deal of walking, Nike golf shoes have been constructed like a hybrid of walking shoe and golf shoe. They cushion the joints of your legs and knees against the impact from each step you take, giving you the chance to concentrate your strength and effort on your game of golf, rather than on how you are going to get to the next hole or to wherever it is that your ball has landed.

When you go to buy Nike golf shoes, there are several things that you should keep in mind. The first thing you need to consider is what level of skill you have achieved. Golf, like many other sports, has gear that can be used by novices or advanced professionals alike.

In many cases, beginners pick Nike golf shoes made for professionals, but never end up getting the full potential of the shoe, as they are not certain how they can best be used.

While professionals definitely can get great advantage out of these Nike golf shoes, it is often better for amateurs to purchase entry level Nike golf shoes which would better suit their needs. The increase in power given to your stroke will usually be wasted on those who are novices, as they do not yet possess the requisite skill to control the stroke as much as they would need to.

Therefore, it is best to purchase Nike golf shoes that suit your level of skill, since these shoes will have the comfort and features you require. You can buy Nike golf shoes from a variety of sources. For those who want cheaper shoes yet still require the quality of the professional shoes, you can purchase last season’s shoes from Nike outlet centers.

If you want only top of the line shoes, you can buy from online Nike stockists or through a number of online and local retail vendors (see below).

If you are want to find out more about Nike golf shoes, visit our website on Golfing Tips for Novices for loads of free advice. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

January 3, 2010

Learning from Golf Lessons

It is never easy asking for help, but in golf, it is practically a necessity. Unfortunately, we often ask our buddies and partners, whereas, in reality we should take a few lessons with a professional, usually called the Club Pro.

We may think that a Pro would criticize too harshly, but they are honest, positive and usually very helpful.

Golf lessons at the local golf course aren’t as expensive as you probably think and they are worth it too, because your game will improve more rapidly and cause you less frustration, making the game much more fun for you.

It is of utmost importance to be absolutely honest about your game. The Pro will ask you what you want to start with: driving, chipping, putting or whatever you feel you need help with.

Listen to the Pro golfer carefully and follow the Pro’s instructions. You may have concerns if the Pro alters your stance, your grip or your swing, but really, the Pro does know what’s best.

Oh and don’t hesitate to ask the Pro golfer any questions you may have and don’t worry about whether your question or concern may sound silly – they’ve heard it all before and will not make you feel like a fool for inquiring. If you don’t understand, tell the Pro that you do not understand. You should never leave a lesson with unanswered questions.

For example, a course of lessons might be to start with one thing during a lesson, or on several things. You might start with a lesson on driving; get the grip, the stance, the swing and the follow-through right in one lesson and then practice it ‘for real’ for a few weeks until you feel that you’ve got it more or less right. Next time, you might decide to work on your short game, or putting.

You’ve invested in your set of golf clubs and it isn’t cheap, is it? So, it doesn’t make sense not to learn how to use it to it’s best advantage thereby improving your game and abilities, does it?

If you are interested in learning more about golf for novices, visit our website on Golfing Tips for Novices for stacks of free tips. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

November 29, 2009

Choosing Golf Shoes

Your swing may change with time, your accuracy and distance will improve with practice and strength, and you will become deadly accurate with a putter in time, but you will always do these things while standing on your own two feet and they can get tired.

So, your feet need to be comfortable! Have you ever got a blister while walking or running? It’s all you can think about and it ruins the experience of what you are doing. Don’t let uncomfortable shoes ruin your game of golf.

This is one area where you shouldn’t let your desire to save money make the decision for you. You will be wearing these shoes many times over a long time and they should be considered a good investment in your game of golf.

Comfort, not cost, should be your biggest concern when buying shoes. Your foot should not move at all on your heel when you walk, yet your toes shouldn’t feel constrained. Have your shoes fitted to your feet and walk around in them before you actually buy them.

Proper golf shoes should be waterproof so that your feet remain dry under damp conditions. Good socks are important too; they will take perspiration away from you feet, keeping your feet dry and comfortable.

All golf courses forbid the use of metal spikes on golf shoes in an effort to protect their delicate greens. Purchase shoes that allow you to change the rubber spikes easily, and while you’re doing that, buy a few extra spikes as you never know when you might lose one. You should also replace the spikes when they become worn.

You have a lot of things to worry about when you are playing your round of golf, but your feet shouldn’t be one of them. When it comes to golf shoes, quality counts, honestly.

If you are thinking about purchasing new golf shoes, or if you are just into your game of golf, please go to our website entitled Golfing Tips for Beginners Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

November 18, 2009

Golfing Etiquette Essentials

Golf is a very dignified game of rules, manners and etiquette, and it’s quite important to know the basics of golfing etiquette before you play golf for the first time.

It doesn’t matter whether you are playing alone, in a twosome or in a foursome, golfing etiquette demands that you must always wait your turn. You must stay aware of the group on the next hole and wait until they are well ahead of you before you hit your ball.

Golfing etiquette also means that it is never cool to “hurry” the group in front of you. If you are playing with others, wait for your turn to hit the ball; never hit at the same time as another player.

While you are waiting for your turn, go to your ball and determine what club you will need to use and how you are going to hit it. This is called “ready golf” and keeps the game moving along. Don’t rush anybody, just be ready.

Another useful piece of golfing etiquette, especially for beginners is ‘playing through’. For example, if your team is holding up the players behind you, perhaps because you are playing consistently over par or taking a long time to choose your club, let them play through. You would simply wave them through, or if they are near enough to you, just ask them if they would like to play through. You will never make enemies by doing this!

When someone is making a shot, you should be standing behind them and you shouldn’t make a sound! It is so distracting to be about to to tee off and just as you pull back, someone decides to jingle coins in their pocket or noisily unwrap a sweet.

Replacing divots. Let’s say you are on the fairway and you strike the ball a bit thick and a clod of earth and grass goes flying, golfing etiquette says that you ought to replace it. On some courses you just put the turf back and step on it to keep it down, but on most courses, there is a sand/seed mixture on the course to put into the divot. Also, if your ball makes a deep impression when it lands on the green, you should use your divot tool to repair it.

As soon as you have finished a hole, replace the flag and leave the green quickly so that the next players can play that hole. Count your score and write it on the scorecard when you’re back at your cart.

Of course, there are many more rules of golfing etiquette, but these simple ones will enable you to get through the course without making anyone annoyed. If we all keep to golfing etiquette we will keep the game dignified, right?

If you are interested in learning more about golfing etiquette, visit our website on Golfing Tips for Beginners for stacks of free tips. This article, Golfing Etiquette Essentials has free reprint rights.

categories: golf,advice,self help,equipment,hobbies,sport,recreation,health,fitness,walking,champions,celebrity,outdoor,other

November 9, 2009

Finding Snakes And Reptiles

There are not many places in the world that haven’t been colonised by snakes and other reptiles. Snakes are even to be found in cities, although it is only the friendlier ones that tend to survive our wrath. However, if you want to find some of the more uncommon snakes, you could look in parks and fields, on beaches or in rivers and ponds and even in the sea, depending on where you live, of course as sea snakes tend to inhabit warmer, tropical waters.

You will need to be very alert and train your eyes to spot even the slightest movement. Wear clothing of dull, drab colours and move very slowly, stopping often to listen out for movement in the grass or bushes. In the beginning, you will have many false hopes, until you learn to differentiate between the sounds of the various animals that live or hunt in the grass.

Snakes are not easy to locate, because most of the adventurous snakes get killed by frightened (and often ignorant) humans, but good advice is to look for relatively damp areas in arid regions and, on the other hand, dry spots in damp areas. Look for where their prey might congregate. For instance, near water for toads and frogs. Watch for frightened lizards or birds fleeing for their lives. And listen out for geckos warning each other of the presence of a predator.

If you have to disturb anything, at least don’t damage it and make sure you put it back as you found it. Two useful tools while out looking for snakes are binoculars (for tree snakes) and a snake-hook, which should also be used for moving bits of debris so that you don’t risk getting bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. A camera, a torch and a notebook and pen are more or less essential, depending on how seriously you treat your interest in herpetology.

You could also take a rule or tape to measure your specimens and a few plastic bags and boxes to hold them while you are doing so. Do not kill anything and do not take anything home with you either! Besides it not being right to wander into their territory and cause mayhem, it is frequently against the law too. Be very wary of picking up any snake that you cannot 100% positively identify as non-venomous. You could be miles from anywhere and will probably not have anti-venom with you. Since many snakes can kill within 30 minutes, you would probably die.

So, to summarize, go looking for snakes by all means. However, make your search calmly and wear inconspicuous clothing. Moreover, wear strong, hiking boots to afford you some protection where you are most vulnerable and do not move anything unnecessarily. Use a snake-hook to move things if you need to; a tape, torch, camera, notebook and pen to record your experience and/or findings and a couple of clear plastic receptacles just in case you feel the need to pick something up.

I hope you enjoy your search for snakes and other reptiles, but remember that they are not friendly and they are definitely not pets and be wary of bites especially when your search is not taking place in the gardens of a hospital!

If you are interested in snakes and reptiles, you ought to go over to our website entitled Caring for Snakes This article, Finding Snakes And Reptiles has free reprint rights.

categories: snakes,reptiles,herpetology,pets,hobbies,interests,animals,poison,blood,family,recreation,walking,outdoors,other

Powered by WordPress

SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline