G'day all, I was sitting on my back deck after a hard days fettling and noticed this snake skin hanging in a tree, almost touching distance from my deck. The skin would have to be 3.5M to 4M (11ft to 13ft) long. Some of the skin cant be seen in the photo as it goes behind a branch and is wrapped around the branch quite a few times. The photo was taken standing on my deck.
@phaedrus42 Phil, yes indeed, it would go around quite a few Akubra's. It probably wouldn't fit around my fat gut though @Nils Stephenson Don't you worry, I have wondered the same thing. The branches of the tree touch the side of the decking so it could easily be in or around the house. I'm pretty sure this will be a carpet snake. So, they aren't poisonous but still, I'd hate to be laying in bed and have it crawl over me. 2 years or so ago, a woman got in her car to go to work. She was promptly bitten by a brown snake that was under her seat. She died. A week or so after the poor woman in the car was bitten, a woman was sitting on her lounge in her house, was also bitten by a brown snake and died before the ambulance arrived. I think about those two woman every so often. I just can't believe how two people that were going about their daily routines, minding their own business and lost their lives. Man, oh man! The thing I wonder about most is, how did the snakes get into a car and under a lounge? Truthfully, I often check under my desk just to make sure one of those killing machines isn't curled up just where my feet would go.
@Mackburner Australia does have a fair few deadly snakes (and a most venomous spider; and octopus), but the death rate from snake bite is only 0.03 per 100,000 per year. In Tasmania (where I live) we have three venemous snakes but the most dangerous snake is the Tiger Snake. There are a few around my property, so we are very careful to where “proper shoes” when wandering or walking outside. Now is the most dangerous season for them: warm enough for them to come out and warm up in the sun; cold enough for the to not move fast enough to get out of your way. Matty’s carpet snake is a fine beast, often poached by snake collectors. Cheers Tony
@Thomas I have seen one at least that big once on the island I live on. The snake was crossing the road and took up both lanes and the shoulder of the lane I was travelling in. Its head and God only know's how many feet of the snake had disappeared into the shrubbery of the swamp it was entering. I swung across the road onto the opposite shoulder and continued on my merry way. It was quite remarkable to see such a large snake as it was thick as all get out as well as being long. The most remarkable thing I thought about after passing the snake was, in my rear view mirror, I could see cars stopping and people exiting the cars to get a better look at the snake. The only way I would have got out of my car for a better look was if I had of consumed a LOT of whiskey and was escorted by the SASR.
@Mackburner Tragically, a young Brit was killed by a snake last week in Australia. This snake happened to be a sea snake that was hauled on board a fishing trawler along with the rest of the catch. It took less than 2 hours for him to die. "A trawler fisherman who died off the Northern Territory coast is believed to be the first person to be killed by a sea snake bite in Australia in more than 80 years. Key points: Harry Evans, from the UK, died on a trawler after being bitten by a sea snake His mother told media he was "living his dream" in the NT prior to his death Experts said sea snake bites more common in developing countries than in Australia Last Thursday, Harry Evans was bitten and killed by a sea snake at about 12:00pm, as he pulled a net onto a trawler, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The 23-year-old from Poole, Dorset, in the United Kingdom, had been working for Darwin-based prawn trawler Ocean Exporter, owned by WA Seafood Exporters. The trawler was about 75 kilometres north-east of Bing Bong in the Gulf when calls for assistance were made. An Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesperson said crew from its rescue catamaran reached the vessel and declared the man dead shortly after 2:00pm AEST"
Kerry, I do understand your love of snakes despite my great distaste of them. Each to their own. You are a braver man than I. Even so called expert snake handlers get bitten and have died. From memory, the Tiger snake you are holding drops down 1 place to 5th most deadly snake in the world since the discovery of the Western Taipan a few years ago. Speaking of Taipan's, I just read this about the Inland Taipan. Estimated to have enough venom in each bite to kill more than 100 men, the Inland Taipan is considered the most venomous snake in the world. It is just as well that most Australian live on the coast.
@kerry460 I’ve always wanted to ask- Australian zoos/reptile museums seem to have examples of very poisonous snakes from around the globe but I can’t recall ever seeing a brown snake (or a tiger) on display, and I’ve only seen a red-belly black snake on display once - at Taronga Park Zoo (housed in a wire cage outside the reptile area). Is this because Australian snakes are more problematic to keep or display?
I expect the zoos want to display the more exotic stuff and not your everyday garden variety of animal (snake). I have been to a reptile park in Qld that only had Australian snakes though. Much more educational/helpful to learn about what's in your own neck of the woods.
Yes, I suppose that is true. For instance, there isn't anything very exotic about the Death Adder. It isn't a very pretty snake. It must be difficult to display such a snake that is visually unappealing and then explain an unappealing truth to the public - they will kill you. Zoos must find it difficult to find a medium of good and bad information to portray to the visiting public with a great majority of Australian snakes. On one hand, you don't wish to be displaying snake after snake with information that they are highly venomous and will kill you. Zoos don't want to be giving the public the heebie jeebies about the snakes. The last thing they want is the public killing every snake they encounter just in case it was one that could kill them On the other hand, if zoos display a venomous snake, they can't dilute just how dangerous they are in case the public or some of the public get the idea that the bad rep snakes have isn't deserved. Some of the public may leave the zoo thinking it is OK to attempt to handle them. Of course not every snake in Australia is deadly. Boy, a lot of them are though. Because we have so many snakes, misidentification becomes a problem, both for humans and snakes. As we all know, if you aren't certain you know what snake may lay in front of you, it is a very, very bad idea to handle them. Well, a very bad idea for the vast majority of the public to attempt to handle them. Not those that know what they are doing such as Kerry above. Zoos may feel it is simply best to not display the snakes at all for some of the above reasons. I say may, as I simply don't have a clue.
@kero-scene @Nils Stephenson & @Matty Quite a number of zoos in Australia have Australian (and overseas) venomous reptiles in their collections. Taronga Zoo (one of Australia’s oldest) has (at least) the Black Tiger Snake, Western Brown Snake, Coastal Taipan, Death Adder: List of Animals at Taronga Zoo, Sydney Queensland’s “Australia Zoo” (ex Steve Erwin) has the Taipan, Fierce Snake, and Eastern Brown Snake: Australia Zoo - Reptiles The Australian Reptile Park (NSW) has the Fierce Snake, Coastal Taipan, King Brown Snake, Eastern Brown Snake, Death Adder, Copperhead, and Tiger Snake: https://reptilepark.com.au/animals/reptiles/ I think as “zoos” (the old ‘Zoological Gardens’) re-badge themselves as part of global efforts to bread endangered animals, the not-so-spectacular and/or ‘scary’ species (such as snakes) will be displayed less in these older establishments, while places like Australia Zoo and the Reptile Park will continue to display venemous snakes as part of their appeal and marketing. Cheers Tony
On the property that I live on, Golden Palms line much of the perimeter. I live on a one acre block and it is a long way around the perimeter. I, along with a friend, have been clearing and tidying up the perimeter cutting back the Golden Palms I had fully been expecting to run into snakes. The two I thought would be likely candidates are the Whip Snake and Carpet Snake. Carpet Snakes are no danger to humans. The Whip Snake is often seen by me as they are active through the day. Whip Snakes are venomous but are unlikely to kill a human. Apparently, the bite is very painful though. Thankfully, I haven't seen any snakes, I'm not a big fan of them, venomous or not. I have however seen some monstrous spiders. Whilst I don't go running, screaming down the back paddock, to get away from the spiders they too, make my skin crawl. Because of all the rain we have had through winter, the Paralysis Tick is rampant at the moment.Thankfully, none have been found on the dogs nor me. I'm sure that is a disappointment for some.
Don’t mess with a big python! Snake catcher survives python strangulation in 'freak accident' - ABC News Cheers Tony
G,,day my tiger snake was bred and born in captivity and had been handled since birth . all three tassie snakes give birth to live young "reptile rescue" a tassie group hold a number of displays each year of tiger . copperhead and white lip snakes . these are the three tassie species . it is very informative and also gives safety instructions , including the correct pressure bandaging method if you are bitten special pressure bandages are now available with rectangles woven into them . these rectangles become square when applied to the correct pressure . kerry
@Tony Press,@Nils Stephenson, @Matty Thanks for your responses above about zoos, I’d not thought of those reasons. Matty - you asked how a brown snake gets into a car. Our friends parked near a lake in Canberra and left the window down, came back to a brown snake resting underneath the drivers pedals. It would never happen to me because the car windows are always up - to keep the Huntsman spiders out! They range from ‘sort of cute’ to ‘monsterous’ depending on the colour, size, etc.
Over here we have huge Rain Spiders (Palystes superciliosus, formerly P. natalius) that are quite harmless to humans, except for sometimes causing heart attacks. They tend to come indoors before a rain shower or when it becomes cooler outdoors than indoors in the evenings, hence the name.
@kero-scene Michael, Sorry, I didn't notice your reply. Well, there you go, Brown snakes must be good climbers and it seems it would be very good advice to keep your windows closed. Speaking of Canberra, when I was a young bloke we used to go up to the Brindabella ranges and fish for trout. It was an arduous few hours ride on our dirt bikes, mine was a Suzuki DR 400. We used to be in the middle of nowhere and if anything went wrong, including snake bike - good luck. We used to see lots of Tiger Snakes. As disconcerting as it was to see the snakes, it was even more in-nerving thinking about the snakes we couldn't see @phaedrus42 Phil, The Rain Spider looks a bit like the Huntsman that Michael mentioned. Like the Rain Spider, the Huntsman spider aren't considered dangerous to humans as they are placid and have no interest in humans. However, if you are unlucky enough to be bitten by one of these spiders, the consequences can be severe.
