Something that happened when I was small.

I've been reading about marine creatures for most of the night and I remembered something that happened when I was a child. Its not that mythical but it is still strange. I was about 9 or 10 years of age and I was down a beach where I live in Wales. Anyway, my cousins and I were playing amongst the rock pools when one of them shouted that they had found something. We found a rock with a hole in it, the hole was deep and it was about head hight. It was about the size of a hole that a bird nests in on a river bank. Anyway, we looked in there and there was something in there. You could only see its head but you could tell the rest of its body was inside the hole aswel. Its head was sort of like that of an Eel except it looked as if it wanted to bite, it looked quite angry if i remember right. and you could not see its body as it was lodged in there pretty good. but it kept opening and closing its mouth making a really loud clicking noise? (The only way I can describe the noise is when you put your tongue against the rooth of your mouth and make a sort of clicking noise). Anyway, if it was an Eel, can eels live on land for long periods of time like that? Anyone got any ideas as to what it was??

Likely a snake or lizard of some sort.

SLPEXE

[edit on 9-6-2008 by jbondo]

Originally posted by jbondo
Likely a snake or lizard of some sort.

SLPEXE

[edit on 9-6-2008 by jbondo]

Not in Wales... Juvenile conga eels (or even morays, but they're pretty rare that far north) can deal with tidal exposure pretty well. They're generally exclusively sub-tidal but if the weather was rough/storm surge etc. and one found itself high and dry on the ebb tide, it would most likely find a pot-hole as you have described for refuge. By juvenile I'm talking up to 1m in length.

I'll tell you what though, it's a good job you didn't go poking it! They've got a hell of a bite - large one can have your finger off...

yeha was gonna say the same thing, it was a conga eel. they can be pretty dangerous, was always looking out for them when fishing in rocky outcrops. didnt fancy going home with a hole im my leg

edit\/
funny thing is ive seen picture of ones over 150lbs

Some info www.eastcoastcharters.co.uk...

[edit on 9-6-2008 by monkeybus]

Ah cool! Mystery solved! Yeah I'm quite glad I didnt poke it!! Probably would have had my hand off!