Chapter 62

The snake hiding in the crevice of the large rock by the stream was a pit viper, also known as the five-step snake.

Even those who don't know much about snakes have heard of the "five-step snake." The name is too well-known.

Just hearing the name "five-step snake" tells you how toxic it is!

As a member of the pit viper subfamily, the green pit viper has a poetic name, while the five-step snake's name is simple and brutal, naturally adding a sense of terror.

When Steve approached, the snake in the rock crevice didn't react. It only moved when Steve parted the grass and tried to pull it out.

"It's a big one! Looks like it weighs seven or eight pounds!" Cheng Si sighed.

He had only seen part of the snake in the crevice and knew he couldn't handle it.

A seven or eight-pound five-step snake is already quite large. This is a venomous snake!

A short and stout venomous snake, at this weight, Cheng Si didn't have the courage to try.

This is a snake, all muscle!

Without enough experience and strength, don't attempt it lightly. He still valued his life.

Compared to Cheng Si's retreat, Steve was even more excited when the snake came out. Seeing its raised head and upturned nose, he looked for an opportunity to act, exclaiming, "Oh baby~" and "So cute~" all the while.

Feng Yi: "……"

Cheng Si shivered, seeing Steve struggle to catch the snake and get attacked several times. He asked, "Need help?"

Steve waved his hand, "Stand back, your strength won't hold it!"

Cheng Si thought to himself, "Even if I had the strength, I couldn't hold it!"

He had been chased by a five-step snake before and was always wary of them.

After Steve finally caught the snake, the three of them headed back.

Cheng Si looked around and said to Professor Zhou, "Professor Zhou, why don't we do a live stream here? We just caught a five-step snake, and it would be good to show everyone what a venomous snake looks like in the wild."

Cheng Si was brought into the team to leverage his live streaming popularity to help the public understand some aspects of scientific research and enhance environmental awareness.

Professor Zhou looked at the weather and nodded, "Sure, you and Steve can do a live stream first."

Cheng Si prepared to start the live stream and asked Feng Yi, "Want to join in?"

Feng Yi shook his head, "You guys go ahead, I'm not interested."

"Alright." Cheng Si felt relieved. Feng Yi's good looks would definitely steal the show.

Feng Yi didn't care about Cheng Si's thoughts and took out a compressed biscuit from his bag, savoring it.

After the scientific team entered the mountains, if they followed the planned route, there would be supply points along the way where they could replenish supplies and store collected samples. Someone would come to retrieve them and send them to the Nan Chong Nature Reserve experimental base for testing and analysis.

But even with supply points, the food they carried couldn't satisfy Feng Yi's appetite.

While Feng Yi was thinking about how to find a way to get some extra food, Cheng Si and Steve had already started the live stream.

Steve was interacting with the online audience.

"……This is a pit viper, commonly known as the five-step snake. We just caught it. I heard that in the past, when they were more numerous, they often coiled by the roadside at night, and you could easily step on one. Using a bamboo pole to beat the grass might not be effective……

"……Arrogant? Looking at people through its nostrils? Hahaha, its upturned nose is like that, hence the title 'Never Bows Down'……

"However, the two large holes you mentioned are not its nostrils. Its nostrils are here, these two small holes. The two large holes are typical heat-sensing pits of the pit viper subfamily, similar to the lip pits of pythons.

"……Small eyes? Its eyes aren't small, just the pupils don't look very big.

"Snakes that hunt during the day usually have large, round pupils, while those that hunt at night have vertical slits, which you often call 'vertical pupils.' You know cats, their pupils narrow in bright light, just like this, almost forming a line. But in dim light, the pupils dilate, making the eyes look bigger.

"However, I think their narrow pupils are still cute. Look, aren't they cute and fierce?"

Cheng Si: "……"

Audience: "……"

You can say it's fierce, but "cute" isn't something most people can see!

Snakes are born hunters, natural killers! Cold-blooded animals! Venomous snakes!

Where's the cuteness?

The chat was filled with comments criticizing Steve's "cute" and "fierce" description.

Steve's pronunciation was too accurate; he definitely didn't mean "fierce."

However, Steve didn't care what others thought; in his eyes, it was just a little cutie!

"……Fat? Couch potato? Hmm, it does look a bit, but it's definitely not fat. There are even fatter ones! For example, the southern spitting cobra and the gaboon viper, which are definitely couch potatoes plus!"

Cheng Si added, "I know the gaboon viper. When it moves in a straight line, it looks like a caterpillar. The first time I saw one, I thought, 'Is it going to turn into a butterfly?'!"

Steve, looking at the online comments, laughed, "……Like you, a couch potato? This viewer, you're too naive! Their fat is all well-developed muscle, flexible and highly venomous fat!"

Then Steve showed the online audience the five-step snake's large fangs.

"……Look at its teeth. The five-step snake, green pit viper, and rattlesnake are all pit vipers with hollow fangs. Look at its large hollow fangs. We'll collect some venom first……"

Feng Yi, who was munching on a biscuit, paused, making sure his own large hollow fangs were secure, rubbed his cheeks, and continued to munch as if nothing had happened.

After Steve talked about the five-step snake for a while, he left time for Cheng Si.

Cheng Si continued to interact with the online audience.

"……Steve and the team will measure the five-step snake's physical characteristics, recording its body length, tail length, weight, location of discovery, and surrounding environment. All this information will be entered into the database……Fieldwork is tough. When walking in the forest, you have to be careful not to step on venomous snakes……

"My harvest? On my first day in the mountains, I caught a banded krait. The process was a bit complicated, but I did catch it……"

As for the incident of Feng Yi catching a snake, Professor Zhou said not to spread it, as it could have a bad influence. So Cheng Si didn't mention it.

"……We also pick up trash along the way. Look, this is what I picked up today. Professor Zhou, who leads the team, said these might have been in the mountains for over 30 years, but most haven't decomposed. So we pick them up to prevent them from damaging the mountain's ecosystem……

"……Pick up a giant python?? You're giving me too much credit! Picking up a small python is more like it, a giant python???"

Speaking of this, Cheng Si asked Professor Zhou, "Professor Zhou, are there pythons in this nature reserve?"

Professor Zhou walked over, "Yes. During abnormal weather periods, frozen pythons have been found. Later, several wild release activities were organized, including the release of pythons. However, these pythons were implanted with biochips for location tracking. The scientific team sometimes encounters them.

"However, in recent years, the scientific team hasn't found any native pythons. And our planned route avoids the areas where the released pythons are, so the chances of encountering a python are very low."

Cheng Si felt relieved.

The chances of encountering a python are very low, and the chances of encountering a giant python are even lower. The native pythons might have already frozen to death during the abnormal weather periods.

On the other side, Steve, who was holding the five-step snake and measuring its physical characteristics with others, heard the live stream and turned to ask Feng Yi, "Have you caught a giant python before?"

Feng Yi shook his head, "No."

Steve: "Do you think you can catch one alone?"

Feng Yi: "I don't think so."

Steve: "Hey, I can't either. If you find a giant python, call me, and we'll catch it together!"

Feng Yi: "Sure!"