A few times in my life I've come face to face with a rearing brown and had time to get outta the way, I have been chased by them and successfully out run them. But my poor sissy was just watering her garden when a big brown hurtled out from her hedge at the front door and bit her, thank goodness it got her on the toe, she is out of hospital with only minor effects but it was bent on getting another go at her. She is just lucky addrenalin kicked in and she got out the way for the second strike. Terrifying for her and her family, the ambulance got lost so she really thought she would die.
I just thought it is a good reminder to really keep an eye on where we land our feet, walk with care all and please wear shoes (I'm a cronic thong wearer). One report says 95% of bites are on the feet and hands. We have seen so many this year it must have been a great season for them.
dazren said
10:12 PM Nov 14, 2011
Have never come face to face with a Brown snake, but a few years back i was chased and bitten by a Hoop snake, that was bad enough,
Elle on Wheels said
01:36 AM Nov 15, 2011
Yep it's breeding and hatching season and snakes ae everywhere. I know the experts say keep out of their way and the stats are very low for people dying of bites. But snakes can be aggressive I understand from Nov until Feb/March. It can be dificult to keep out of their way and what about dogs and other pets.
I don't like snakes at all and would not hesitate to shoot or kill one.
Zoomtopz said
06:05 AM Nov 15, 2011
Yright there Elle - 92% of people who get bit by snakes ARE trying to
kill th snake - leave em alone .
Richo
Gerty Dancer said
08:45 AM Nov 15, 2011
I grew up on a farm where we often saw brown snakes, and we were taught to stay away from them, and they'll stay away from us. Apparently not so. Scary!
JRH said
11:02 AM Nov 15, 2011
Some snakes are naturally aggressive so wherever possible try and keep out of their way, no need to kill them. Attacking them in any way will only cause them to react in a more aggressive manner and I have found that they can move damned fast when they want to.
HeadnHome said
11:05 AM Nov 15, 2011
My worst fear is snakes and I get so many here.. hope your sister recovers quickly, what a scare she would of had..
johnq said
12:46 PM Nov 15, 2011
I reckon that most people get bitten because they trod on the snake, or disturbed it picking something up, eg firewood. Many bites at ankle height or below and some on the hands.
A lot of the basic bush knowledge that was passed on has been forgotten.
We have become complacent ('Disney' nature shows?) and could heed a warning.
So chaps, be sensitive and let the woman lead on those bush walks, while staying at least three long steps behind. Get her leather gloves for collecting the firewood - do colour coordinate with the Lady Stihl you picked out for her. For Xmas consider a quality LED headlight so Milady can keep her hands free for those outside chores on dark. Ahem, and do warn her that she is not the only one looking for something to catch along the water's edge. Hmmmm, maybe some fashion boots (see below) or buy ankle height numbers at KMart and paint to suit.
hi all, just a point, on average if bitten, you have 6 to 8 hours before you have to worry about treatment, do the right thing, bandage the entire limb firmly (not tight) immobilise the limb and seek help, all the hype you see and hear is normally just not true (unless you are unlucky enough to be allergic or have the venom injected into the bloodstream) best bet is to leave the blighters alone if able to do so, regards, gary
Peterpan said
04:35 PM Nov 15, 2011
I agree wholeheartedly with gary. I spent many years on a farm with my parents in the Western district of Victoria.
Lots of Tiger snakes, brown snakes and balack ones as well. None of them are friendly!
They will get very angry if you try to kill them.
So as all the others have said, take care and be prepared.
Brownie
Happywanderer said
04:43 PM Nov 15, 2011
johnq wrote:
I reckon that most people get bitten because they trod on the snake, or disturbed it picking something up, eg firewood. Many bites at ankle height or below and some on the hands.
A lot of the basic bush knowledge that was passed on has been forgotten.
We have become complacent ('Disney' nature shows?) and could heed a warning.
So chaps, be sensitive and let the woman lead on those bush walks, while staying at least three long steps behind. Get her leather gloves for collecting the firewood - do colour coordinate with the Lady Stihl you picked out for her. For Xmas consider a quality LED headlight so Milady can keep her hands free for those outside chores on dark. Ahem, and do warn her that she is not the only one looking for something to catch along the water's edge. Hmmmm, maybe some fashion boots (see below) or buy ankle height numbers at KMart and paint to suit.
Oh! if only I could think of something witty to come back with, very funny but liked it all the same.
Peterpan, I think I would get very angry if someone was trying to kill me too.
Seriously, I hate snakes and intend staying right away from them.
I did see one up close in the Bundaberg Botanical gardens a few years ago. Everyone ran in the opposite direction, I ran back to take a photo of it. Small lime green snake.
Geoff n Jen said
07:04 PM Nov 15, 2011
Didn't cha know it's always the second one in line that gets bit - least thats what I was taught but you have a uniquewish list
johnq said
07:19 PM Nov 15, 2011
Geoff n Jen wrote:
Didn't cha know it's always the second one in line that gets bit - least thats what I was taught but you have a uniquewish list
Where it is not trodden on first that is. Hard to see those Death Adders.
However at three long respectful paces behind (very New Age and PC) there shouldn't be a problem.
Nicholstones said
08:00 PM Nov 15, 2011
John usually gets me to go first on bush walks, he claims it is because he is a gentlemen, I always thought it was to break the spider webs that accumulate across the path, now I know its because of snakes!
Cruising Granny said
08:43 PM Nov 15, 2011
I "met" my share of snakes in the Kimberleys. Not so much down in SA, but they usually saw me before I saw them and bolted. The biggest fright was when I opened the linen press at the station house and found a small python curled up sleeping on the linen on the bottom shelf. "Oh, python! Ah well, let it sleep", I though to myself. When the rain started I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and saw a fat python slowly winding its way around a stump post the house was standing on. I don't know how long it had been winding, but I watched it and it took an awful long time to complete the lap of the post. Most snakes were looking for frogs so some people went to many lengths to keep the frogs away, like spraying them with bleach with a water pistol. Not my way. I loved the frogs. Legless lizards can give one an awful fright when least expected, but they are completely harmless, except for the first impression when they look like a snake.
milo said
12:40 AM Nov 16, 2011
we used to get alot of brown snakes on our farm when we were there, one day mum and i were cleaning out the chooks house together and i went to get something from the shed and i had locked the door of the chook house from the out side she was yelling something out to me and i didnt take much notic and came back and she was bashing a brown snake with a shovel.. mind you she wasnt too happy with me for awhile! also another time she was gardening in our big garden on the farm and she thought she was picking up a hose, turend out it was a black snake, i think it took off pretty quick.. and one time i was working around some trees and i heard a noise and snake went slowley past me.. so we kind of grew up with snakes..
oh, my neices hubby has snakes in fishtanks ..yuk
-- Edited by milo on Wednesday 16th of November 2011 01:01:46 AM
A few times in my life I've come face to face with a rearing brown and had time to get outta the way, I have been chased by them and successfully out run them. But my poor sissy was just watering her garden when a big brown hurtled out from her hedge at the front door and bit her, thank goodness it got her on the toe, she is out of hospital with only minor effects but it was bent on getting another go at her. She is just lucky addrenalin kicked in and she got out the way for the second strike. Terrifying for her and her family, the ambulance got lost so she really thought she would die.
I just thought it is a good reminder to really keep an eye on where we land our feet, walk with care all and please wear shoes (I'm a cronic thong wearer). One report says 95% of bites are on the feet and hands. We have seen so many this year it must have been a great season for them.
Have never come face to face with a Brown snake, but a few years back i was chased and bitten by a Hoop snake, that was bad enough,
I don't like snakes at all and would not hesitate to shoot or kill one.
Yright there Elle - 92% of people who get bit by snakes ARE trying to
kill th snake - leave em alone .
Richo
Some snakes are naturally aggressive so wherever possible try and keep out of their way, no need to kill them. Attacking them in any way will only cause them to react in a more aggressive manner and I have found that they can move damned fast when they want to.
A lot of the basic bush knowledge that was passed on has been forgotten.
We have become complacent ('Disney' nature shows?) and could heed a warning.
So chaps, be sensitive and let the woman lead on those bush walks, while staying at least three long steps behind. Get her leather gloves for collecting the firewood - do colour coordinate with the Lady Stihl you picked out for her. For Xmas consider a quality LED headlight so Milady can keep her hands free for those outside chores on dark. Ahem, and do warn her that she is not the only one looking for something to catch along the water's edge. Hmmmm, maybe some fashion boots (see below) or buy ankle height numbers at KMart and paint to suit.
http://www.wellies.com.au/willow-designer-gumboots.html
hi all, just a point, on average if bitten, you have 6 to 8 hours before you have to worry about treatment, do the right thing, bandage the entire limb firmly (not tight) immobilise the limb and seek help, all the hype you see and hear is normally just not true (unless you are unlucky enough to be allergic or have the venom injected into the bloodstream) best bet is to leave the blighters alone if able to do so, regards, gary
I agree wholeheartedly with gary. I spent many years on a farm with my parents in the Western district of Victoria.
Lots of Tiger snakes, brown snakes and balack ones as well. None of them are friendly!
They will get very angry if you try to kill them.
So as all the others have said, take care and be prepared.
Brownie
Oh! if only I could think of something witty to come back with, very funny but liked it all the same.
Peterpan, I think I would get very angry if someone was trying to kill me too.
Seriously, I hate snakes and intend staying right away from them.
I did see one up close in the Bundaberg Botanical gardens a few years ago. Everyone ran in the opposite direction, I ran back to take a photo of it. Small lime green snake.
Didn't cha know it's always the second one in line that gets bit - least thats what I was taught
but you have a uniquewish list
Where it is not trodden on first that is. Hard to see those Death Adders.
However at three long respectful paces behind (very New Age and PC) there shouldn't be a problem.
The biggest fright was when I opened the linen press at the station house and found a small python curled up sleeping on the linen on the bottom shelf.
"Oh, python! Ah well, let it sleep", I though to myself.
When the rain started I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and saw a fat python slowly winding its way around a stump post the house was standing on.
I don't know how long it had been winding, but I watched it and it took an awful long time to complete the lap of the post.
Most snakes were looking for frogs so some people went to many lengths to keep the frogs away, like spraying them with bleach with a water pistol. Not my way. I loved the frogs.
Legless lizards can give one an awful fright when least expected, but they are completely harmless, except for the first impression when they look like a snake.
we used to get alot of brown snakes on our farm when we were there,
and came back and she was 
one day mum and i were cleaning out the chooks house together and i went to get
something from the shed and i had locked the door of the chook house from the out side
she was yelling something out to me and i didnt take much notic
bashing a brown snake with a shovel.. mind you she wasnt too happy with me for awhile!
also another time she was gardening in our big garden on the farm and she thought she was picking up a hose, turend out it was a black snake, i think it took off pretty quick..
and one time i was working around some trees and i heard a noise and snake went slowley past me..
so we kind of grew up with snakes..
oh, my neices hubby has snakes in fishtanks ..yuk
-- Edited by milo on Wednesday 16th of November 2011 01:01:46 AM