I've been saving these pictures out of fear that my father would instantly renege on his promise to come visit me. For anyone in communication with my father, don't tell him you saw this or he won't be travelling to Africa next January.
A close up of its skin.It was a 8.5 feet long boa constrictor that found its way into my host family's concession for a late evening snack of baby chicks. I do not live with this family, but I arrived at breakfast one morning to find this 
sprawled out in front of my normal eating place.
sprawled out in front of my normal eating place. The night before, my host grandma, Ma, had returned from the center of town to find the chickens making more than a normal ruckus in the building where they sleep. She bravely took her flashlight out to investigate and did a double take as she saw the boa slithering toward the next poor chick. She ran to get our neighbor, a hunter with a gun, because she knew that this type of snake is dangerous to approach with anything but a 10 ft pole. They said that this one wasn't full grown (WHAT!?) and other forest dwelling boas usually steal baby sheep, not chickens. Regardless, I'm glad that it didn't make its way to MY concession to catch the chickens that run amok there. Yes, these big snakes are real, and yes, they can be a threat to people, if the people step on their turf at the wrong time. I've only seen a few vipers and other venomous snakes around, mostly during rainy season when they hide out in the tall grass to munch on mice or lizards. But all the villagers are on top of their game when it comes to snakes and see them way before I do. Not to fear.
Then again, for those of you who read my post "The Heart of Shrinky," this is why I was most afraid of two small children wandering around the forests alone at night.
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