Mr. Le Tai Thu, a farmer in Ca Mau City (Ca Mau Province) said that more than 1 hectare of his family's land has been surrounded by a square to store fresh water to raise giant freshwater prawns and freshwater fish since 2000. This is where he shines a flashlight every night to catch water lily snakes with his bare hands.
Mr. Le Tai Thu, residing in Ca Mau City, Ca Mau Province, said that water lily snakes often grow naturally in rice fields. For many years, this wild snake species has appeared in large numbers in freshwater shrimp farms when the rainy season comes. Photo: An An
"In addition to providing income from freshwater fish, many water lily snakes have appeared in the pond for many months, helping my family earn more income," said Mr. Thu.
According to Mr. Thu, when Ca Mau enters the rainy season, local shrimp farms are inhabited by water lily snakes living and reproducing.
The water lily snake is a non-venomous snake, so the catcher can catch it with their bare hands. If bitten by a water lily snake, it will not be poisonous.
According to Mr. Le Tai Thu, this special snake has a large body, small head, and usually eats freshwater fish and small shrimp. Photo: An An.
Due to the characteristics of the water lily snake - this wild animal often floats to the surface of the water at night, then clings to seaweed or grass in the shrimp pond to find food such as shrimp and small fish. Photo: An An
In the green-legged shrimp and fish farms in Ca Mau, the water lily snake is nocturnal and is non-venomous. Therefore, hunters only need a flashlight to find and catch it.
Mr. Thu said his shrimp pond is no exception. At this time, the water lily snakes are very fat and have soft bones.
At night, they rise to the surface of the water and cling to water lily bushes or underwater plants to find food, so they are very easy to catch.
This is a non-venomous snake, its back is usually black or yellow depending on the color of the water, its belly is usually white, so people who shoot them can only use their bare hands.
However, the job of shooting snakes also requires the "hunter" to be agile and know how to catch the snake so it doesn't bite the hand.
The largest water lily snakes in freshwater ponds of local people can weigh up to 500 grams, and this species is purchased by traders for around 250,000 VND/kg.
"Just a headlamp and a plastic bucket are enough to do the job. On average, I catch 2 to 4kg of snakes each night, selling them for more than 800,000 VND," Mr. Thu added.
Ca Mau people who go to catch water lily snakes also need to be agile when detecting and catching them. Photo: An An
In the rural areas of Ca Mau, water lily snake meat is soft and sweet and is often processed into dishes such as boiled snake with lemongrass, braised with lemongrass and chili, grilled or stir-fried with noni leaves, cassia leaves... so it is very popular with consumers. Photo: An An.
On average, in one night of hunting, Mr. Thu can catch several kilograms of water lily snakes, selling them for more than 800,000 VND.
Source: https://danviet.vn/ran-bong-sung-con-dong-vat-hoang-da-ran-dac-san-o-ca-mau-dan-bat-bang-tay-khong-ban-hut-hang-20241009134419029.htm
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