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I have read some horror stories about deadly snakes biting folks in the suburbs and even city centers of Australia's largest cities- when I visit what is the real truth about snakes and spiders? What are precautions I should take?
I hear the brown snake is the second most deadly in the world- and is everywhere
Well, you see it's like this...the Aussies perpetuate the rumors about the many hazardous critters in their country because they're trying to keep the rest of us afraid enough to stay away and not come live there.
I did read something in an Aussie paper about a man walking down a pathway, who decided to 'relieve' himself- and a 3 meter brown snake wrapped itself around his leg, and took a bite at his 'private part' or as the article said his 'Wily' yikes
I did read something in an Aussie paper about a man walking down a pathway, who decided to 'relieve' himself- and a 3 meter brown snake wrapped itself around his leg, and took a bite at his 'private part' or as the article said his 'Wily' yikes
These stories for the most part, if they were true, are the exception, rather than the norm. People do not live in fear of spiders, snakes and sharks. I have never seen a snake in the city centres of Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Alice, Hobart, etc.
The Eastern tiger Snake, Notechis scutatus, is an elapid from South Eastern Australia. It has a highly toxic venom and until recently held the record for most Australian snakebite fatalities (now overtaken by the Eastern Brown Snake, Pseudonaja textilis).
It is a medium sized elapid generally reaching about 3.5 feet in length but has been known to reach 6.5 feet. In the wild they mainly feed on frogs and mice as adults, but will take the odd bird or lizard. As juveniles however, skinks make up a large portion of their diet. They are active mainly by day (Diurnal) but on excessively hot nights (over 34 degC/ 93F) they become semi nocturnal.
In the wild they are mainly a swamp dwelling species, often found around waterways etc. They have also been known to climb into surrounding vegetation to a height of 1 metre. They have probably become more common with the arrival of people in Australia. It is not uncommon to find them in and around houses in the Melbourne area. (They are the main snakes I catch on Snake calls). The record I have caught in one day was 31 on a 22 deg. C / 72 F, overcast day at a tip about 20 kms / 12.4 miles from the city centre of Melbourne, (Melbourne has a suburban sprawl of 40 kms / 25 miles).
Snakes are not agressive, they are far more afraid of us than we are of them. If you see one, give him some respect, and a wide berth. If he's slithering around, he's not 'after' you, he's on his way somewhere else.
We have carpet pythons on our property..stunning..but very, very lazy. And who wouldn't be on a nice summer day up there?
We've also heard wild dogs at night, pretty scary sounding, but again, they avoid humans. They are however, a threat to livestock. (We'll avoid mentioning dingoes and babies, but let me just say I think the dingo was innocent!)
If you're wandering around areas where you know snakes may nest, whether in the country or city, wear good strong shoes and jeans at least, even in summer.
Actually, I think the scariest things I've seen in Oz so far have been of the human variety.
Snakes are not agressive, they are far more afraid of us than we are of them. If you see one, give him some respect, and a wide berth. If he's slithering around, he's not 'after' you, he's on his way somewhere else.
We have carpet pythons on our property..stunning..but very, very lazy. And who wouldn't be on a nice summer day up there?
We've also heard wild dogs at night, pretty scary sounding, but again, they avoid humans. They are however, a threat to livestock. (We'll avoid mentioning dingoes and babies, but let me just say I think the dingo was innocent!)
If you're wandering around areas where you know snakes may nest, whether in the country or city, wear good strong shoes and jeans at least, even in summer.
Actually, I think the scariest things I've seen in Oz so far have been of the human variety.
Thanks for the advice
It seems these snakes are quite common in and around the largest cities from what I have been reading- I of course would not wander into areas where these snakes might be found-from what I have read, the Tiger snake, eastern brown and red bellied black snake are the most common in the Melbourne area where I will be visiting- it seems common sense is the best policy- I weed my garden here without any fear- except for poison Ivy-
I would not be so foolhardy there- I hate snakes! And you guys down under have some real nasty varmints- we only have here in southern New England the eastern timber rattler- poisonous of course- and they will bite- though rare- and the eastern copperhead-also poisonous- but uncommon, and I agree about the humans!
I thought I read somewhere that a general rule of thumb (anywhere in the world), is that the more colorful an animal/reptile/plant/fish is, the more of a warning that is to stay away, due to the venemous nature of the species.
I'm not sure how much that applies though..our carpet python, Monty, is gorgeous...but he's really lazy, and squeezes rather than bites.
He's not really bright though. In color I mean, not general intelligence.
(He's not our pet, he just hangs around on the property).
Lived for 15 years in melbourne.
and have travelled most of aus am still living in aus.
Never seen a snake here in my life
Me as well. the only 'dangerous' thing I ever saw was a saltie.. and that's because I went to their habitat at kakadu national park...
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