Snakes in the Grass

Of the worlds twenty five most venomous snakes, twenty of them live in Australia. In the list of the so called hit parade, it is not until you get to Number 13  the first snake from outside of Australia gets a look in, or should that be fang in; the Cobra.

There are different ways to determine how deadly a snake is and you will find some discussion as to exactly how the list of the most venomous is comprised. As far as the number of people killed each year by snakes, the fact that Australia records about four deaths a year from snake bite, belies the underlying danger.

The list I have quoted is from data published by the Australian Venom Research Unit which uses a unit of measure called the LD50. Without going into specifics it is a measure of how much venom produced by a snake will kill you. The lower the score the higher the kill power.

 A red bellied black snake cleans out the tadpoles in the paddling pool.

 In Australia snakes simply are a fact of life.On our five acres of paradise we have encountered tiger snakes, number 4 on the list, rough scaled snakes ( 16), red bellied black snakes (21), crown snakes   ( venomous but not in the top 25), as well as carpet pythons and diamond pythons. The last two will kill your chooks, maybe your dog or cat and inflict a nasty bite, but are non venomous.

To put all this into perspective, the Eastern diamond-backed rattlesnake, the first entry on the list from America, comes in at number twenty three of the most venomous snakes on the planet.

Hey every place in the wondrous world has it's good points and it's bad. Appreciate the good and cope with the bad, what more can you do?

The majority of snake bites in Australia result from people not leaving the damn things alone.

" The only good snake is a dead one" is a common catch cry. 

It is in the attempt to kill that you have to get close. A  snake that is threatened or indeed hurt is a very dangerous critter and rightly so. Humans get pretty riled and tetchy in similar circumstances! The fact that killing wildlife is illegal seems to matter not.

 A carpet python makes itself comfortable in the my shed.

The phobia of snakes, it even has a name, Ophidiophobia, is the second most common phobia suffered by humans in the world. It is argued in our early tree dwelling days, the snake was one of the few animals that could harm us hence the deep seated fear we possess. If one learns to accept them they certainly pay you no mind. As a previous ophidiophobic I can attest to that. They are like any other creature. They live by their own means in their own world and with some obvious intelligence generally keep well away from human activity. However it is the consequence of not realising they are there that should always keep one alert.

A red bellied black snake again, not always easy to see if you are not observant.

Living remotely it is important to learn about where you might find snakes and avoid them as much as you can. Have access to a compression bandage, know how to use it correctly and have some thought as to how you could find a makeshift splint.

The majority of advice of how to deal with a snake bite assumes three things; you are not alone when bitten, you are close to assistance and you have a mobile phone. When you have thrown the safety net of suburban dwelling away and where you are in the place where you are more likely to find serpentine friends, these assumptions are in the main incorrect. If you happen to have a mobile phone in your pocket, it is unlikely to have coverage, and your trusty compression bandage and splint are back in the car. Damn!

I mentioned this to my doctor once as I was interested in what a medical person would say. You are advised to stay still, apply the compression bandage, fasten a splint to prevent movement and send someone for help. So what do you do if you are out walking and get bitten by a snake, have no compression bandage, no splint and the chance of someone hearing your cries or happening along is about as likely as the average Joe Blow walking on water?

His answer was pragmatic and simple; improvise and move.

" You could tear your shirt and make an improvised compression bandage. Find a stick or anything to use as a splint. If you were bitten on the leg (incidentally the most common place to be bitten), find a makeshift crutch to help you get along without using your leg as much. If you do not think anyone is ever going to find you within an hour or so, then move."

At least I had an answer and one that I have never seen documented. Maybe people do not want to truth. 

My neighbour always said in case of snake bite you should carry one of those fancy cigars that come in the aluminium pipe cannister, and a box of matches. When I asked him why he replied, " So if you get bitten by a tiger snake you can sit down, light the cigar and enjoy those last dying moments with pleasure!"

A carpet python in the garden with the rhubarb. You have just got to learn to live with them.