The Dangers Of Australian Fauna - The Brown Snake Is One Of The Most Deadly In The World - Recent Fatality Is A Reminder
We are creatures of complacency us lot. We tend to be guided by a normalcy bias that assures us that whatever happened yesterday is likely to again happen today, and so on.
This serves us well in a complex world but fails us miserably when it comes to common dangers. Just such a danger appeared in the news today and it's a timely reminder to those of use who are used to this country's natural hazards and for those who are visiting and my have little idea.
The following is according to this article .
A man has died less than an hour after being bitten by a brown snake while trying to protect his pet dog in north western New South Wales.
Police said the incident happened in the backyard of a home in Tamworth on Wednesday night, when the man attempted to protect a pet from the snake.
The 24-year-old man was bitten on the finger.
He was rushed to hospital by family but died away within an hour.
Brown snakes are among the most deadly in the world, however fatal bites remain uncommon in Australia.
Between 2000 and 2016, 35 people died from snake bites in Australia.
The Brown Snake is as deadly as it is stunning. The site here has a lot of information on them and I've included one of their pictures below and it's actually at this time of year, in the summer, when they're at the most dangerous.
This is due to a combination of factors. Firstly, they're out of hibernation in the warm months and secondly with the rain fall at this time of year, the grass and flora is at it's longest and requires maintenance and mowing.
Currently, I hear lawn mowers running around my suburb almost every other day and over the whole weekend. People are out and about on their properties and so it's very easy to mistake one of these snakes for a fallen branch.
There are often storms at this time of year on the Australian East coast and so fallen sticks and branches are a common sight on the ground. As you can imagine, it's a perfect storm that makes the danger very real.
alchetron.com
There are a few basic precautions that can be taken in order to minimise the dangers associated with these animals.
- Always wear proper working boots, thick socks and long pants, ideally denim or a thicker fabric. Not only will this protect you from the heat and elements, but will provide you with some basic protection against snake encounters.
- Visibility is your friend. Before moving into an overgrown area, stop for a moment and listen for any movement. Keen an eye out for anything that indicates the presence of a snake. It could be fast or it could be subtle. Don't go blindly walking into areas that you can't see.
- It's a good idea to have a second person with you. If an incident does occur they are able to call emergency services and hopefully either photograph or describe the assailant.
Another shot of the Eastern Brown from this informative site.
As the article above indicates, death can be swift so it is also a good idea to brush up on your first aid skills regarding snake bites. Just two weekends ago, there was a red bellied black snake at the perimeter fence of our property. Pictured below, they're equally capable of causing fatalities.
One of these visited our property a few weeks back. Image from here.
Stay safe out there!
We underestimate their presence regularly. Upvoted and resteemed.
Wow, stories like that are always frightening. Just goes to show that disaster can strike anytime and in most unexpected ways. You've got to live life as well as you can and enjoy every day you've got, because none of us know how many more days we have left (hopefully a lot though!).
Snakes have always creeped me out. I'm thankful I live in a place where dangerous wild animals are not much of a problem. These precautions are good to keep in mind when I go on summer camping trips though.
Hey @cryptomancer, thanks for the reply. It is frightening how fragile life is. I knew a work colleague once who went on a bush walk one weekend, fell down a 30m decline and was pinned under a boulder. Required medivac and had the arm amputated.
He was pinned in water but was able to keep the head above it. Along with the lung punctures and other injuries he was very lucky to survive. I'd only seen him in the office the last working day. Sends shivers just thinking about it.
I agree, people get complacent and when they travel out of their own safe environment, it can be hard to get into the mindset of keeping aware of predators. Stay safe!
Cheers for the heads up mate! We do have a a bushy bit near our property that I heard shuffling noises at last time we were there. Might have to get that side all cleaned up to see what's going on over there or if there's a way we can tidy it so we can actually see what's coming before it lunges at me....
Not a bad idea @bearone. This weekend we're mowing our 10 acres. Doesn't sound like work does it? Especially considering the mower moves you around. Well temps in the high 30s and hours behind the wheel to add up. The results are great. It looks like a manicured park now rather than shrub. Makes you actually want to go out and use it rather than avoid it for fear of snakes. Worth doing.
10 acres wow. I'd love that much land! we've only got 1023sqm but it's a start. It actually sounds like work. I lived in a farm for 3 months in Indiana back in 2010 and had a go at the ride on mower, it's fun but it's a long job to get everything done and f. that in 30 degree temps. Make sure u have a bottle of water with you!
A chap hubby worked with went to wash his hands at a sink in an outside passage way and unwittingly cornered a brown snake. He had thick baggy overalls on and felt a tapping on the leg. When he looked down the snake was biting his overalls!
Wow that's so fortunate for the overalls @minismallholding! I take it your husband wasn't injured? Amazing that you may not even know what's happened until it's all already over with.
It was actually hubby's work mate this happened to and no, he wasn't injured the overalls write possibly saved his life. It certainly made hubby more aware to keep his eyes open though!
My Grandma went to open her laundry door one day on her property and found a Brown snake behind it. Its scary when they get inside your house!
Yeah, I can imagine! Notice in the news article the bloke who got bitten was (admirably) trying to save his dog. It's intervention that increases risks even further. I can certainly understand him wanting to save his best mate. I'd be wanting to do the same.
This is one snake 🐍 I would avoid👍 This was a very detailed and interesting post. Thank You for sharing!
My pleasure @daviddivergent. I'm glad you got something from it. It's not a topic we think of often.
Thank you for taking time to reply. I will be sure to check out your future posts as well.
That would be great @daviddivergent. I try to make the time to reply to all the worth while comments. I find that to be as important as posting itself. Look forward to reading your contributions in the future!
That is one very deadly snake. Is there any antivenom for this snake?
I've never had a need to use any but apparently there is. I believe the dosages are somewhat guess work to establish and the treatment is based on observing symptoms in the victim.
The best defense is knowledge.
Sure is! Thanks @babysdaddy.
Occasional reminders are never a bad thing. Except when they're bad reminder like someone dying D:
I should probably find out if we have any of the ones that don't move around here. Usually when entering snake territory we make a lot of noise (usually just treading/stomping heavily) which causes most to slither away as we're otherwise not likely to see them before stepping on them which is bad for everyone.
Hey @ryivhnn, yes making vibrations is another good trick that I neglected to mention in my post. Thanks for the reply!
Ohh nice! I knew it would one day pay to be a stomper.