Free Web NovelChapter 754: Chapter 96: Brown Tree Snake
After passing the first gathering point, the scenery along the way became vastly different.
The previously dull and monotonous desert seemed to have vanished, replaced by a richly verdant grassland.
"If not for these shrubs, the savanna in the rainy season almost looks like a great prairie!"
Looking at the vast grassland, Hua Yun couldn’t help but exclaim.
As someone whose home is in Meng Province, she really liked this type of terrain and environment.
But the premise is that the weather shouldn’t be so hot.
Adam wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded, "It really does look similar, but shouldn’t we be a bit more cautious? I have a feeling there might be poisonous snakes or something in these bushes."
At the end of the rainy season, everything grows wildly.
That vigorous vitality, the competition among all living things, was right before their eyes!
Chen Wen looked at the grass that had grown near his knees and couldn’t help but nod, "We really should be careful. Later, pay attention to the trees around, see if you can pick up some long branches, or if not, cut a few and use them with a walking stick."
With a walking stick, we can keep tapping on the nearby grass to scare away any snakes.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Although it’s called a savanna, there were indeed trees.
Soon, Chen Wen and the others saw some trees. freёweɓnovel.com
"This is a small patch of eucalyptus forest, just cut some branches from the eucalyptus trees."
Dennis said.
He took Fred’s axe and easily climbed up the trunk to reach the high parts of the eucalyptus tree.
The eucalyptus, as a tree native to Australia,
Due to its unique economic value, has been introduced by countries around the world.
In the southeast part of Hua Country, there are quite large eucalyptus forests.
These trees grow quickly, reaching dozens of meters high in just a few years.
Dennis climbed to the high part of the eucalyptus tree, chose the right branches, and swung his axe, cutting them off.
Crack, crack.
Dennis quickly chopped enough eucalyptus branches with swift axe movements.
Just as he was about to drop the branches and fasten the axe at his waist to descend,
Suddenly, without any warning, an olive green "branch" above his head seemed to lose its support and fell straight down.
Chen Wen had been watching Dennis closely.
Seeing that the branch might fall onto Dennis, Chen Wen’s eyes narrowed, and his [Far-Sight Vision] allowed him to see the true nature of the branch.
This is no branch!
Chen Wen shouted, "Dennis, swing the axe above your head!"
The sudden shout startled Dennis.
But he was quick-minded, and without thinking, he immediately followed Chen Wen’s instructions and swung the axe upwards.
Thud!
Dennis felt like he hit something with the axe, producing a crisp sound.
No time to think, he clamped his legs around the eucalyptus tree like a koala.
And pressed his body tightly against the trunk.
Chen Wen saw the "branch" being knocked away by Dennis’s axe, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He watched the "branch," predicting where it would land.
Soon, when the "branch" was about a meter above the ground.
Chen Wen swiftly swung his long spear, striking the branch forcefully and launching it into the air.
Then, before it hit the ground, Chen Wen struck it up again.
After three consecutive strikes, feeling that the creature might have no strength left to resist, Chen Wen finally let it fall to the ground and then pierced it with his long spear.
Adam immediately came over.
Seeing clearly what it was, Adam exclaimed, "Brown tree snake! My god, this is a famously invasive species!"
Hearing this name, Chen Wen immediately recalled the information he had read.
The brown tree snake, native to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and northern and eastern Australia.
Just as their name suggests, they are venomous snakes that love living in trees.
Nocturnal and great at climbing trees, they have strong adaptability and prey on birds, lizards, and small mammals.
For humans, they are considered rather troublesome venomous snakes.
The most famous "achievement" of the brown tree snake is probably during World War II.
During World War II, ships transporting military supplies from Australia, New Guinea, and Solomon Islands to Guam carried brown tree snakes hidden in the cargo.
Since 1978, approximately 1,200 power outages have been attributed to brown tree snakes, and on Guam, twelve bird species have gone extinct due to their invasion.
Hence, in 1995, the U.S. Department of Agriculture listed the brown tree snake as one of the top three pests.
The brown tree snake is venomous, but based on their diet, their venom isn’t particularly strong.
Their threat to humans is limited.
However, being bitten could still cause a good deal of discomfort for a while.
From above, Dennis, having narrowly escaped, immediately climbed down.
He felt a sense of surviving a disaster: "I didn’t expect it to be a brown tree snake; I didn’t even see it at first!"
Chen Wen shook his head, "The scales of this snake have a brownish-green hue, camouflaging well on tree trunks, so it’s not easy to spot. Are you hurt?"
Dennis shook his head, "Thanks to your timely warning, I’m not hurt, just frightened."
Adam added, "This snake has been known to injure and even kill people. In our association’s records, there’s an account of a soldier named Jonas on Guam who was attacked by a brown tree snake while climbing a tree. He fell, sustaining severe injuries, multiple fractures, even hitting his head, leading to his eventual death!"
Hearing this, Dennis looked at the spot where he had just climbed.
Nearly fifteen meters above the ground!
Falling from that height, a fracture would be considered a minor injury!
Thinking of this, he gave Chen Wen a grateful glance, "Buddy, no need to say more. I’ll treat you to dinner when we get back!"
Chen Wen chuckled and shook his head, "It’s fine since you’re not hurt. I’ll treat instead."
Saying this, before Dennis could object, Chen Wen quickly added, "If you insist on treating, you can do so after I do."
At this, Dennis laughed.
He nodded, indicating he would definitely treat.
After some light conversation, the fright from the brown tree snake’s attack dissipated.
Looking at the dead brown tree snake killed by Chen Wen, Dennis asked, "How should we handle it? Grill it or stew it?"
"Stew it. Today we don’t need to travel far. Let’s rest and eat well."
Chen Wen made a decision for the group, "We’ve finally made it out of the Great Sand Desert, so let’s celebrate!"
The others cheered in agreement.
Before sunset, they reached a relatively open grassy area and stopped there.
"Dennis, Adam, Fred, and I will set up camp and clear the ground. Hua Yun, you start the fire and prepare dinner."
Chen Wen instructed everyone.
After leaving the Great Sand Desert, they couldn’t just find an open space for the camels to lie in a circle under the open sky like before.
Here, they needed something more high-end for the night.
Not necessarily a shelter, but at least clear the grass to open a wide space.
Apart from that, they needed flood precaution too.
In the rainy season, there might be a sudden storm descending at night.
A furious storm and torrential rain could swiftly flood the grassland.
It’s something that must be considered.
Once they reach the Kimberley Plateau, they might even have to build tree shelters to avoid rain at night.
Following Chen Wen’s instructions, everyone got busy.
Hua Yun disposed of the now-dead brown tree snake and started making snake soup.
She also boiled a pot of corn porridge.
Chen Wen and the others cleared the surrounding grass with machetes and wooden sticks, creating an open space.
This way, they could significantly reduce the chance of encountering snakes.
