That's NOT MY Dog!
'Baby, don't move': Australian woman wakes to find massive python on her chest

In the middle of the night on Monday, Rachel Bloor stirred in her bed to find a heavy weight curled up on her chest.

Half asleep, she reached out for her dog - and instead found herself petting a smooth, slithering object.

As Bloor retreated further under the covers and pulled them up to her neck, her partner switched on the bedside lamp and confirmed the Brisbane couple's fears.

"He goes, 'Oh baby. Don't move. There's like a 2.5m python on you," Bloor told the BBC.

Her first words were expletives. The second, an order to evacuate the dogs.

"I thought if my Dalmatian realises that there's a snake there... it's gonna be carnage."

What will they think of next?
AI Robot Brings Emotional Care to Pets

Your pet’s new best friend might be a robot. At CES 2026, Tuya Smart introduced Aura, an AI-powered companion robot designed to provide cats and dogs with interaction and emotional stimulation during long periods of solitude.

Instead of sitting still like a camera, Aura moves through the home, plays with pets, and analyzes behavior to flag signs of stress or loneliness. Aura’s launch suggests pet owners are willing to invest in AI-powered tools for their pets’ emotional well-being.

What will they think of next?
AI Robot Brings Emotional Care to Pets

Your pet’s new best friend might be a robot. At CES 2026, Tuya Smart introduced Aura, an AI-powered companion robot designed to provide cats and dogs with interaction and emotional stimulation during long periods of solitude.

Instead of sitting still like a camera, Aura moves through the home, plays with pets, and analyzes behavior to flag signs of stress or loneliness. Aura’s launch suggests pet owners are willing to invest in AI-powered tools for their pets’ emotional well-being.

I have four cats, four dogs, and no extra money. I think we can do without the robot.

If your pet is going to experience "song periods of solitude," maybe you shouldn't have a pet.

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~Sue~

I think my dad’s ancient old dachshund likes a bit of solitude. For some odd reason she likes to go in the “time out” corner. I kid you not. She has several different spots where she walks up and puts her nose in the corner. She will stay that way and even fall asleep nosed in the corner. She has several corners she goes to. I have no idea why she does it.

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What will they think of next?
AI Robot Brings Emotional Care to Pets

Your pet’s new best friend might be a robot. At CES 2026, Tuya Smart introduced Aura, an AI-powered companion robot designed to provide cats and dogs with interaction and emotional stimulation during long periods of solitude.

Instead of sitting still like a camera, Aura moves through the home, plays with pets, and analyzes behavior to flag signs of stress or loneliness. Aura’s launch suggests pet owners are willing to invest in AI-powered tools for their pets’ emotional well-being.

I have four cats, four dogs, and no extra money. I think we can do without the robot.

If your pet is going to experience "song periods of solitude," maybe you shouldn't have a pet.

Of course that should have said "long periods of solitude." Not "song periods...." Dammit.

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~Sue~

Suzie-Q wrote:

If your pet is going to experience "long periods of solitude," maybe you shouldn't have a pet.

That's okay on the typo.... My brain didn't even catch it until you mentioned it!

As a person who was formerly "owned" by several cats and dogs over the years, I agree with you that pets are a full time responsibility and are not just something that's only needing "part time care."

I would take my dogs for a 20 to 30 minute walk every morning before going to work and again for the same amount of time in the evening, unless the weather wasn't cooperating.

Sometimes the dogs would "entertain" the cats while I was at work. I would give the cats some attention in the evenings unless they were napping.

Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya

Zhang Kequn was intercepted during a security check at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the capital Nairobi after authorities discovered a large consignment of live ants in his luggage bound for China.

"Within his personal luggage there was found 1,948 garden ants packed in specialised test tubes", prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court.

Last year, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warned of a growing demand for garden ants – scientifically known as Messor cephalotes - in Europe and Asia, where collectors keep them as pets.

The laws against animal cruelty only apply to vertebrates.

But this is animal cruelty, regardless of what the laws say.

Illegal trafficking is punishable by law no matter what is being trafficked.

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Trafficking is merely a crime. But animal cruelty is a sin. Such individuals have no place in an enlightened society.

Yes. But it is part and parcel with other things.

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Driver Confronts Massive Python Constricting a Deer on the Side of a Florida Road

Link to short YouTube Video
As the video begins, the snake appears to have already captured the deer and is in the process of constricting it. Reticulated pythons are nonvenomous constrictors that kill prey by coiling around it and tightening their grip until the animal can no longer breathe or its circulation fails.

A driver then gets out of a vehicle, grabs a long branch, and strikes at the snake from a distance. The disturbance causes the snake to uncoil and retreat, thereby releasing the deer. Although the man may have been trying to help, approaching a large constrictor this closely was risky. Large pythons are powerful animals, and interfering with one during a feeding event can be dangerous.

The predator might soon become the prey if Florida scientists can confirm that Burmese pythons — an extremely invasive species in the Everglades — are safe for us to eat.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is collaborating with the Florida Department of Health to investigate the mercury levels in pythons to determine if they can be safely consumed. If so, the snakes may soon end up on restaurant menus and dinner tables across the state.

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Driver Confronts Massive Python Constricting a Deer on the Side of a Florida Road

Link to short YouTube Video
As the video begins, the snake appears to have already captured the deer and is in the process of constricting it. Reticulated pythons are nonvenomous constrictors that kill prey by coiling around it and tightening their grip until the animal can no longer breathe or its circulation fails.

A driver then gets out of a vehicle, grabs a long branch, and strikes at the snake from a distance. The disturbance causes the snake to uncoil and retreat, thereby releasing the deer. Although the man may have been trying to help, approaching a large constrictor this closely was risky. Large pythons are powerful animals, and interfering with one during a feeding event can be dangerous.

I'm torn about this. On the one hand, it was honorable for him to save the deer. On the other hand, let nature take its course. Pythons gotta eat.

But then, pythons are not native to Florida, I think, so that adds weight to my first thought.

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~Sue~

'New fear unlocked': Texas family finds rattlesnake hiding under bed at night

A Texas family got a terrifying late-night surprise when they found a rattlesnake inside their home, hiding in one of the most unexpected places.

According to a viral Facebook post by the Del Rio Police Department, officers responded to a call about an “animal complaint” just before midnight on March 23.

They found the large rattler curled up beneath a bed, right next to a sandal.

“Officers immediately evacuated the occupants to ensure their safety and requested assistance from Del Rio Animal Services,” the department wrote in a Facebook post, which has been shared more than 800 times as of Saturday.

There actually was a “Monster” under the bed.

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Video shows monster Burmese python swallow 77-pound deer whole

Key takeaways:
* A video captured in the Florida Everglades shows a massive Burmese python consuming a 77-pound white-tailed deer, highlighting the invasive species' impact on native wildlife.

* Scientists confirmed that the deer weighed 66.9% of the python's body mass, showcasing the snake's ability to swallow prey far larger than its head due to its flexible jaws and elastic tissues.

* The presence of Burmese pythons in Florida has led to significant declines in native wildlife populations, disrupting entire ecosystems and highlighting the challenges of controlling invasive species.

In the footage, the python's body is stretched around the deer as it slowly works the animal headfirst into its mouth. At one point, the deer's leg juts straight out, highlighting the sheer size of the meal.