Snakes on an Aussie!

[3113]

As a person who has a major phobia about snakes--PLEASE no freudian psychoanalysis on that, sometimes a snake is just a snake!--my sympathies to all Aussies (shudder!), and I don't think I'll be taking a vacation there this year....

Australia faces snake menace as drought bites

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australians are facing an increasing snake menace as searing weather bites and the country's worst drought in a generation rolls on. A 16-year-old boy died in Sydney a week ago after being bitten by an Eastern Brown snake -- one of the world's deadliest -- while in Darwin another brown snake killed a man in his suburban garden.

"As areas are drying up and snakes are having to travel more for water, they are being driven into urban areas," Australian Reptile Park General Manager Mary Rayner told Reuters on Monday.

"Snakes do drink water and we are seeing a lot more brown snakes than we are other snakes, because they really like the open and cleared land in towns," Rayner said.

"The problem is they are also more defensive, so they will actually stand their ground and do multiple bites rather than slither away, like Tiger Snakes and Red Belly Blacks."

Australia has some of the world's deadliest snakes, with at least 12 capable of killing humans among 100 venomous varieties. Several are more venomous than cobras, but unlike brown snakes are shy and will retreat if faced by humans.

Opening the door last week on his farmhouse north of Australia's capital Canberra, John Taylor was met on the mat inside by a six-foot (1.8 meter) brown snake.

"I just bolted. When I looked back in a few minutes later the snake had gone, which was good, but it was dark and now I don't know where it is," he said.

A 59-year-old man was bitten on the knee on Monday north of the city as he walked close by his home and a 60-year-old man was bitten on the wrist at a seaside town in Victoria state. Between 500 and 3000 snake bites occur each year, mostly inflicted by brown snakes.

Rayner said Australians needed to remember that warm weather increased the body metabolism of the snakes, making them both faster and hungrier.

"They just need to remember they are just looking for food and water, mostly just passing through," she said.

 

[starrkers]

It's not that bad, really. The kid in Sydney was asking to get bit - he picked the damned thing up!
I live in a rural region, very dry right now. There's no undergrowth left, it's all died and dried. The paddocks are bare (much hand feeding of stock required), so you can see a snake coming from a long way off right now. And anyone thinking realises that any cover left is likely to have a slithery resident, so you watch out.
My 83 year old mum had a red bellied black snake join her in the garage the other day.

 

[3113]

My 83 year old mum had a red bellied black snake join her in the garage the other day.

Ack! Ack! Ack!

Get out the thigh-high boots and shotgun!

 

[cloudy]

I suppose living in the south (and sharing space with Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes) has ingrained a sense of caution in me that I can't get rid of now.

 

[Misty_Morning]

I suppose living in the south (and sharing space with Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes) has ingrained a sense of caution in me that I can't get rid of now.

Not to mention Coral Snakes - Red touch Yellow , Kill a fellow; Red touch Black, Venom Lack.....beautiful snakes...but very deadly....

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Ack! Ack! Ack!

Get out the thigh-high boots and shotgun!

Shotgun sounds a bit excessive...

A pellit gun, maybe?

 

[R. Richard]

Shotgun sounds a bit excessive...

A pellit gun, maybe?

Actually, a shotgun is not really excessive. You don't want to get too close to the poisonous ones.

 

[rgraham666]

Eh.

There's only one dangerous animal. But most of the time you have to act like he's as sweet and loving as a cobra.

 

[3113]

Shotgun sounds a bit excessive...

Not in the least. Take its head off! Dead snake! Dead! Right Richard? (Richard is my new best friend, 'cause he's gonna shoot the snakes).

By the way, Thee, did I mention how distracting your new AV is?...then again, I'm a bit hormornal....

 

[starrkers]

Shotgun's standard procedure for snakes out here.

A neighbour got mum's for her, armed with a sharp edged shovel and gumboots (umm, Wellington boots, I think?).

We just figure every snake is dangerous and you can't go wrong - particularly as we have more than our fair share of the top 20 nasty snakes in this part of the world (The top 11 is all ours, according to the zoo in Sydney)