Snakes,all flavours,protected.. Whats all this ???

rredbeak · Senior Member

Snakes,all flavours,protected.. Whats all this ???

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Like all Australian wildlife, snakes are protected.
Your daughters boyfriend had a lucky escape if he actually caught a King Brown... didnt anybody tell him most snake bites happen when you try to kill or catch the snake in the first place?

petengail · Guru

He is right. It is illegal to kill snakes just as it is illegal to kill most Australian wild life. Most people who are bitten by snakes are trying to kill them or move them. There was a young man killed doing exactly that at Emerald QLD last week. Apparently he was allergic to the antivenneine. see attached article

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2011/11/22/emerald-man-killed-brown-snake/

Happywanderer · The Master

Silly boy, yes they are a protected species and NO you don't go removing them yourself if you want to live. There are specialists in that field.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

petengail wrote:
He is right. It is illegal to kill snakes just as it is illegal to kill most Australian wild life. Most people who are bitten by snakes are trying to kill them or move them. There was a young man killed doing exactly that at Emerald QLD last week. Apparently he was allergic to the antivenneine. see attached article

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2011/11/22/emerald-man-killed-brown-snake/

I have a licence to keep snake's and it is illegal to kill snake's here in WA not sure of other state's but I would hope they are the same.

Most snake's will move away from you if you stand still and let them go on their way, as petengail said, it's only when stupid people try to kill them or move them on without the proper tools and they get bitten.

JRH · Guru

_wombat_ wrote:
petengail wrote:
He is right. It is illegal to kill snakes just as it is illegal to kill most Australian wild life. Most people who are bitten by snakes are trying to kill them or move them. There was a young man killed doing exactly that at Emerald QLD last week. Apparently he was allergic to the antivenneine. see attached article

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2011/11/22/emerald-man-killed-brown-snake/
I have a licence to keep snake's and it is illegal to kill snake's here in WA not sure of other state's but I would hope they are the same.
Most snake's will move away from you if you stand still and let them go on their way, as petengail said, it's only when stupid people try to kill them or move them on without the proper tools and they get bitten.

Why is it that most people want to kill? it is the first thing they think of, kill,kill.

tcp99 · Senior Member

Same attitude with sharks. IMO if you swim in their water it's your problem.

rredbeak · Senior Member

well im surprised its true.

Wasnt there but somehow he did it.

Im no different from the next guy,see something deadly and the first thought is kill.

In HIS case he lives 70Km from the nearest city but still in a country town.. Should he have called the Police maybe ?

honestly one snake looks the same as another to me.

Cheers Rod

Rip and Rosie · Guru

"Kill" isn't the first word I think of................... mine starts with an "F", and the second word in my head is run.

-- Edited by Rip and Rosie on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 05:46:41 PM

johnq · Guru

I reckon it is a 'green' myth that most people get bitten trying to handle a snake. It is more probable that most attacks occur through accident, walking just on dark, around possible hunting areas (creeks, feed sheds, on the side of paths). However I am happy to be proved wrong and doubtless the TV shows of amateur 'conservationists' have encouraged people to come into contact with wild animals, not believing they prefer to be left alone and given distance.

http://www.gympietimes.com.au/story/2011/11/15/hospital-statistics-with-bite/

That apparently few people die from bites shouldn't be encouraging either, the residual effects from bites are not recorded and publicised and anyhow, who wants to win that lottery and be recorded in the paper as another statistic?

It is legal to kill a snake that poses a threat. In any event, as a general principle no-one, including the State, can presume to take away from you the right to defend yourself or others from a threat.

We should be proactive and take necessary precautions to avoid a bite, such as using gloves and turning over logs first when collecting firewood and not charging around in sandals on and after dark or in grass.

While on the subject, removing wildlife to another area is more likely to result in slow death through starvation. Just because you can't see that all available niches are filled doesn't mean they are not. That is why culling of certain animals (say) in population boom after rains is humane. Otherwise as any farmer will attest, they can b e seen dying in droves at the first dry, which inevitably follows.

2c worth, now leave it to the experts.

JRH · Guru

Rip and Rosie wrote:
"Kill" isn't the first word I think of................... mine starts with an "F", and the second word in my head is run.

-- Edited by Rip and Rosie on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 05:46:41 PM

The second and third words should be "stand still", and the snake will in all likelihood will go away.

-- Edited by JRH on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 05:55:16 PM

Vic · Guru

Here is a link for Brian Bush, an expert on snakes, scroll down to the bottom of the page for info about myths, including King Browns, click on;

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bush/

My first action (unless I'm standing on it) is to stay still and watch what the snake does. If it moves off or stays still I normally go the other way unless it has moved out of my way. If it comes towards me I take off at a speed greater than superman.

Have been struck by a poisonus snake once, but I was wearing gaiters and it struck the gaiter instead of me and then it too off. It was in grass near a footpad I was walking on and I didn't see it until it struck.

rredbeak · Senior Member

i like Rips version ROFL [Rosie wouldnt say that so it had to be Rip].

I also like the fact you have the right to defend yourself BUT to defend yourself and handling the thing MIGHT go together in some ppls minds.

IF i ever see one around home [i live on a riverbank] i guess ill call the police and keeping GOOD distance watch where it goes till they get here. Im surprised we didnt see ANY in january when the Floods came through. The floods came up to the footpath on the opposite side of the road.

shame theres not a perfect world where they know their borderlines ...

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

In WA police will not come, so don't wait too long, they will give you a phone number for the local council ranger (24hrs) and he will give you a phone number for a local snake catcher, and that will be at your own expense

Sheba · Guru

rredbeak wrote:
shame theres not a perfect world where they know their borderlines ...

Sorry Rod, but the wildlife was here before Europeans. They don't have "borderlines".

Shame it's not a perfect world where humans have more respect for other forms of life.

I'll stop now, before I go too far.

Cheers,

Sheba.

rredbeak · Senior Member

might be worthwhile having the correct number on the fridge

Cruising Granny · Guru

I've had to kill snakes where they present a risk to the members of the household. Most times it's easier to watch as they slide by. Chances are high that you'll never see it again.
In the Kimberley where frogs are the prized food of the various species of snakes it's better to keep the frogs out, and let the pythons have their way. It's just the browns, dugites and other species which present a threat to man (and woman).
My efforts at snake "control" have always been successful with no risk to me. However, the efforts of the other station staff have not been so successful, leaving tail-less snakes to escape very grumpy until they can be put out of their misery.
As I read it, the bloke at Emerald was allergic to the antivenene. How's that for irony?

gold dandelion · Senior Member

its a good year for snakes in the west, i am licensed to remove snakes, have removed 3 this year, (in a small country town)babies only though. their venom is just as deadly.
a snake will bite the first thing it feels if it strikes. if you have baggy pants they will bite the pants first (hopefully). that's why some hairy dogs can get away with a strike. i wear baggy tracky pants that i have in my kit if called out.
a bit of useless info, snakes are not poisonous, they are venomous, if they were poisonous you wouldn't be able to eat them. like a cane toad.

Vic · Guru

Dare I say it? A person known to me all my life was caretaking a very busy camping area last X'mas holidays and a small dugite (brown snake and deadly no matter what size) was in the shower/toilet block.

A local snake catcher could not be contacted and an off site ranger gave permission for this caretaker to kill the snake because of the danger it posed to the campers, particularly the children who were frequently using these ablutions. Said snake was despatched. Illegal perhaps, but necessary in this case before someone was bitten. The caretaker was not trained to catch the snake but with items on hand was able to kill the snake safely without any danger to themselves or others.

Illegal perhaps, but sometimes safety of children has to prevail.

Zoomtopz · Guru

Where I live , population 40 , sometimes a couple more .

Kindy kids are taught - see a snake , Stop , walk backwards Away from it ,

turn & walk away . simple - leave em a bloody lone

Richo

NeilandRaine · Guru

SWMBO is fasinated by snakes and lizards, even if I was inclined I would not dare kill one.

So if they don't bite me I wont bite them. However, They do say if you get bitten by a snake or spider try to kill it and take it to the hospital for recognition.
At least thats how it used to be.

Its only a Python but it weighs 16 kilo.

-- Edited by NeilandRaine on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 07:58:53 AM

ozi2 · Guru

JRH wrote:
Rip and Rosie wrote:
"Kill" isn't the first word I think of................... mine starts with an "F", and the second word in my head is run.

-- Edited by Rip and Rosie on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 05:46:41 PM
The second and third words should be "stand still", and the snake will in all likelihood will go away.

-- Edited by JRH on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 05:55:16 PM

In a post last year I mentioned that I was "squatting down" in a very delicate situation when a King Brown slithered by 6 inches from some important tackle.........he had me cold if he so desired and I thank him from the bottom (no pun intended) of my heart that he had other things on his mind and continued on. It was obviously my presence that had disturbed him.

As a young child I remember seeing govt adverts at the movies showing/telling people how to avoid snakes, ie, never step over a log, always look on the sunny side etc; but we never see or hear such programs today and yet the general public dont realise that we have more venomous snakes due to land clearing and the cane toad. Browns know not to eat the toad, red belly blacks etc dont. Brown snake numbers in SE Qld are exploding as a result of these changes.

In a perverse sort of way I am still here because Mr K Brown decided to leave me be..........I'm happy to return the favour! biggrin

valnrob · Guru

oh yuk....gives me the cold shivers.

rredbeak · Senior Member

Wheres the pic taken Raine?

Ozi2,
Bet you choose your spots now LOL..

ozi2 · Guru

valnrob wrote:
oh yuk....gives me the cold shivers.

It gave me more than the shivers! biggrin biggrin

ozi2 · Guru

G'day RRbeak, unless its porcelin it aint happening! biggrin

Vic · Guru

This is a picture of a dugite (aka brown snake) near a well used walk path at Denmark WA about two years ago, near the Rivermouth Caravan Park.

I was wearing thongs at the time.

I stopped, snake stopped, looked at me then slithered away.

rredbeak · Senior Member

creepy. bigger than i thought too

johnq · Guru

Vic wrote:
Dare I say it? A person known to me all my life was caretaking a very busy camping area last X'mas holidays and a small dugite (brown snake and deadly no matter what size) was in the shower/toilet block.
A local snake catcher could not be contacted and an off site ranger gave permission for this caretaker to kill the snake because of the danger it posed to the campers, particularly the children who were frequently using these ablutions. Said snake was despatched. Illegal perhaps, but necessary in this case before someone was bitten. The caretaker was not trained to catch the snake but with items on hand was able to kill the snake safely without any danger to themselves or others.
Illegal perhaps, but sometimes safety of children has to prevail.

Why would it be illegal? Snakes do set up camp in such areas as they are squeezed out of territory by other snakes. Because of their small body size children are likely to be killed by a bite.

Snake populations are booming because of a favourable season.

Besides, 'relocation' to another snake's territory is not necessarily the best solution for the snake either, although it might be a salve for our conscience and we do not get to see the final reckoning with nature.

-- Edited by johnq on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 12:34:20 PM

JRH · Guru

johnq wrote:

Besides, 'relocation' to another snake's territory is not necessarily the best solution for the snake either, although it might be a salve for our conscience and we do not get to see the final reckoning with nature.

-- Edited by johnq on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 12:34:20 PM

Why not let nature take it's course. The trouble with human beings is most think we know best and our interference usually has dire results.

When these species are extinct those that have interfered with natue will be among the first to bemoan the demise of yet another species.

Leave nature alone.

Edited for a typo.

-- Edited by JRH on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 01:34:41 PM