PAPUA NEW GUINEA SNAKEBITE PROJECT
OUT TO MORESBY

Today I am due to go back into Port Moresby to resupply, pick up a hire car, unload this field blog, deal with emails and laundry and take a proper shower. But there is a lot still to do before I go, dealing with specimens, photography and record-keeping. One just was to take blood, for DNA, from 14 of the snakes due to be released today. This can be an easy job or a hard one, depending on the cooperation of the serpent and one's ability to hit the caudal vein accurately.

Several snakes were a bit tricky, either because of their size or their temperament. The big Slatey-grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus) was drawing an equal amount of my blood before I even managed to hit its caudal vein, so I asked Jasper to take charge of the bitey end!

Jasper assists as Mark takes blood from the caudal vein of a Slatey-grey snake, Stegonotus cucullatus

Dave was delayed in coming out to pick us up, he had two patients in the snakebite clinic, including a snakebite in a remote village that they had to go out and collect in the Troopie Ambulance, aided by a police escort when they put on their siren to get through the traffic and out of Port Moresby.

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