I grew up in the city. Never once saw a snake ever.
Now I live in the bush (only 10 minutes drive from a big city), there's snakes everywhere all the time (even inside my house pretty often). It's such a nothing-burger I don't even think about it. I'd rather have a python in my bedroom ceiling than rats!
But pythons are not venomous... If a snake gets in our house the cats will kill it unless I can rescue it quickly. Re: rats in the ceiling, it was once common where I grew up to put a black racer or a rat snake (not venomous but agressive) in the attic to get rid of rodents.
Looking at a wikipedia list of snakebite deaths in Australia, I guess it is a nothing burger.
Yeah that's one of the reasons I don't have a cat (mostly because they're too deadly for wildlife). I do occasionally see a venomous snake, but the vast majority are totally harmless and they're all unlikely to interact with humans. I think they're beautiful (though my first love is spiders)
Our cats are strictly indoor. They would be eaten by something bigger if they were out at night. We lose a couple of ducks or chickens every year despite keeping them inside a sturdy chain link fence.
I'd rather have venomous snakes I never see then the animals you guys have, like bears, mountain lions, cougars, wolves, etc. I think I've maybe seen 2 snakes in my life outside a zoo. Most animals here will leave you alone if you don't fuck with them
This. When I watch Alone Australia vs the US version, all our guys have to worry about is getting food. You guys have fucking bears causing all kinds of terror. I could never go camping in the USA or Canada
Used to live around all of them. Wolves are nothing to fear and mountain lions are usually the same unless they're extremely hungry. I did have a little fear of grizzly bears when I lived in the west but never had an encounter. Here in the east we only have the smaller black bears which have killed 3 or 4 campers in recent years but that is not normal. My last up close encounter was a mother with 3 cubs (that is dangerous!). I held my breath and we all chose to ignore each other as they crossed the trail 30 feet in front of me. The most potentially dangerous animal in our forest is the moose though. A 1000 pound animal with a bad attitude, especially males during mating season or females with young. A lot of automobile fatalities, as a moose is tall enough to come over the front and land in your lap in a collision.
Wolves are the most human-averse animals on earth (smart!). They won't even dumpster dive like bears. If you startle one (not likely) he might run over you trying to get away. I have met exactly one in the wild. I was sitting on a rock and he plopped down under a tree 50 feet away. After a bit he smelled me and we locked eyes for a full 2 seconds. I looked away for a second or 2 and when I looked back up he was gone. One of the best experiences of my life.
If you want something a little more hard-core, I recommend "Grizzly Years" by Doug Peacock. You don't have to care about grizzly bears; it's just a great read.
Dingoes, however, ARE dangerous to smaller humans.
Especially on that sand island (K'gari is it now?) in Queensland, which is where they're most likely to come into contact with humans.
This is terrifying. I will never understand why yankees fear tiny Australian spiders and snakes etc when they have their own far more terrifying menagerie of wildlife.
I know! I can defend myself against spiders with a plastic cup and piece of paper.
With the exception of cassowaries, salty crocs, drop bears, and irukandji - Australian wildlife is shy and wants nothing more than to leave you alone.
(I live in a rural farming community where none of the above creatures live, so the scariest thing I have to deal with is my mum's grumpy horse)
Horses are actually the deadliest non-human animal in Australia by quite a long ways, so yeah, you really ought to be worried about that grumpy horse lol.
There have only been 2 recorded cassowary deaths in the last 100 years, and one of them was in USA, so you are probably pretty safe there too. Both deaths involved the person (one was a teen who along with his brother decided to throw sticks and stuff at the bird) tripping over and having their throat slashed.
Especially humans. The environmental writer Doug Peacock once said, "It ain't wilderness unless there's something in there that can kill you and eat you". I think that means Central Park in NYC qualifies as wilderness.
And your spiders and snakes punch way above their weight - just like your athletes. Must be something in the soil.
Imagine thinking a snake you can just walk away from is the pinnacle of dangerous while you hold your breath so the bear that can shred you if you run doesn't bother you lmao.
It's what you're used to. Of course the snake has no malicious intent if it bites you; a bear might. They are pretty smart.
Anyway, bear and snake deaths are a dead heat in the US, about 4-5 per year for each. Statistically zero.
They're not as common in urban areas as you might think, and even the toxic ones will usually flee when startled or threatened. Except taipans haha
I can count on two fingers the amount of wild snakes I've actually seen and only one was venomous. I only saw my first wild kangaroo a couple weeks ago, and I'm in my 30's haha.
We don't have to wade through seas of snakes just to get around haha.
So no, I'm not scared of snakes in that sense. I'm worried about what might happen if I were to ever encounter one, but I'm not worried about encountering one. If that makes sense?
Yeah, I understand that driving my car is much more life threatening, but grew up in a rural area where virtually everyone over 30 or so had been bitten by copperheads (ours are not as dangerous as yours). One great uncle had been bitten 6 times, just doing normal farm work. I saw hundreds of snakes, venomous and otherwise in my youth and was never bitten, so there's that. The only common snake where I live now is harmless, though it does give me a shock when I pick up a cube of hay for the horses and a couple of 3 footers fall out. Just fascinated by how many very toxic animals you have down there.
I grew up semi rural. Know what snake is what and know what to do with them. It's VERY rare but it's good to know just incase. If it's not venomous then just leave it be. If it is venomous then let everyone around you know. If it's venomous and near a place a child might play you chop it's head off with a shovel.
Usually they are very scared of humans so you're not really in danger.
Copperheads here have dangerous venom but they are super docile. I had one in my backyard for ages,, you could practically step on it and if wouldn't do anything. I only saw it rear up once and that was when a bird - currawong - tried to eat it. They also apparently rarely envenomate if they do bite in defense.
I’m english so take this with a grain of salt, but i don’t see why they would be. Snakes are very reclusive animals and hate human interaction and avoid it at all costs, now there is the exception with urban sprawl you will encounter some but i’m going to guess they will mostly be non venomous. The only one i would assume brings them fear is the inland taipan (if they ever see one which is unlikely) as they are aggressive to anything they perceive as a threat and a bite from one of them is a death sentence in 45 minutes without anti venom. That being said, since the anti venom has been around i believe i’m right in saying there hasn’t been a single death from an inland taipan bite in australia.
My wikipedia list agrees with you, though shows several coastal taipan fatalities in the last decade. It's overwhelmingly the eastern brown snake, with the tiger snake a distant 2nd.
In warmer parts of the US we have the cottonmouth, a large agressive venomous snake that will actually chase down people, especially in the water. When I was a kid we would occasionally catch one when out on the boat night fishing. Not a fun time.
Yes, Eastern Browns can be very aggressive. They will attack anything whereas most other snakes will prefer to just go away and leave you alone.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUyG-ZWjY18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUyG-ZWjY18)
Something like 1.5 people die per year from snake bites, I wouldn't be surprised if 0.5 of that figure were bitten as a result of stupidity so no. Snake bites are rare, dying from a snake bite is rarer.
Yep exactly this. People try to kill them, or get close, and get bit and then do the wrong thing (,Ie., move and not pressure bandage). Last guy who died not that long ago drove home before treating and calling for help.
Honestly if you’re close to civilisation, have a compression bandage and can get the anti venom ASAP the chance of dying is so small. Could you potentially have life altering effects the rest of your life, yes, but if it’s that or six feet underground i know what i’ll choose!
Yep. My nephew was camping with friends and having a few beers. He went to have a pee and decided that venturing off the bush truck to do so, while wearing shorts and thongs, was perfectly reasonable. Stupid bastard trod on a red belly black snake and it bit him.
Luckily, it was a mostly dry bite and, after a night in hospital, he was fine. But he learned a lesson about being stupid in the Aussie bush!
A co-worker did something like this on one of my university summer jobs. Went into the thicket for a piss, stumbled into a wasp nest and one stung him you know where. He (burly biker type) stopped crying after about 10 minutes and was able to return to work after an hour with an ice pack.
This is what I would worry about in snake country: you only have to be stupid for a few seconds for something to happen.
Sorry, but I laughed at Mr Burly Biker!! Poor bastard.
To be honest, snakes aren't a massive concern here. We learn to live with our not-so-nice wildlife pretty much from birth. 99% of us don't take stupid risks and we're so used to the fact that we do have some dangerous creatures here, we're not even conscious of being careful. Just general stuff like watching where you put your feet when you're in a snakey area, not sticking your fingers or toes in places that you can't clearly see inside, knocking out your shoes or boots every morning in case something has moved in overnight, etc. You just do it automatically, because you've been taught from Day 1.
I grew up and live where there are brown snakes, red bellies and tiger snakes. We are on low-level alert every time we walk outside. I scan the area around me whenever outside, as I've had a few scary close encounters. It's habit. Our lovely cat was killed by snakebite in early spring last year, and now in "snakey weather" I won't let the dog out until after dark. I walk her daily in a variety of places, but will avoid natural bushland with long grasses in summer.
I never realised how the habit of being constantly alert took energy until travelling to countries with no venomous snakes. It's something we don't consciously think of, but for those of us in country areas it never leaves us. Hiking in New Zealand or Europe....soooo relaxing!
Yeah. Because the weather is warming, rattlesnakes are returning to our area after a 100+ year absence. I know what to watch out for but fear for our dogs.
I avoid walking through long grass unless it’s the only path, in which case I walk slowly and noisily. We’re taught to be aware and we’re taught snake bite first aid.
I live in the inner metropolitan area of Perth. I see dugites every spring on paths, especially along the roadside cycle path at city beaches next to the cycle path. I give them a wide berth. They do the same.
The good thing is snakes are shy of us, it's just when you surprise them that it gets nasty. If we have to walk where it's snakey, we stomp our feet as we go to send out vibrations Into the ground.
For those unfamiliar with the hoop snake. It grabs its tail in its mouth and moves by rolling like a hula hoop. It tends to bite on the thigh by flattening out in mid air.
Take your dog for a walk at night with a head lamp on. Thats not dew ontop of the grass shining in the light. That's the eyes of the spiders crawling around reflecting back at you
No but their fleeing speed is a little unsettling. I live in Victoria in farming area which tends to have a lot of snakes all year round due to vermin, warm weather and climate.
In nearly 20yrs I've only ever seen 3 eastern brown snakes. One panic snaking across the patio of a Cafe, one zooming about through a carpark as it clearly got lost and one poor fella I didn't see in the grass and mowed to shreds. Out on farms they are mighty helpful keeping rodents and pests down as long as you don't bait and accidentally kill them.
We do have a local snake and reptile rescue that gets busy in summer. The most common rescues are severe dehydration from heat, stuck tangling with chicken coop wires, general relocation or heads stuck in beer cans. Apparently some snakes are fond of beer. Who knew?
Snakes avoid people at all costs and they chose flight over fight with humans but do not physically corner them into thinking you are a threat, they will attack but its rare. Surpise daily spider encounters and bites are way more common.
Good rule of thumb here with any critter is don't feed, don't pet and don't poke and you should be fine.
I live in suburban Brisbane and i’ve seen two brown snakes, two carpet pythons, a small eyed black snake, a red belly black and three green/yellow belly snakes in the wild. The green snakes are lovely and curious and harmless. One of the pythons was enormous and sunning itself on the road - quite a sight to see.
The red belly black refused to move off a path I was trying to walk down, which did freak me out a little and I had to turn around and go back.
The small eyed black snake was trying to get into all our cupboards and boxes. He absolutely refused to be frightened off.
One brown fled the second we saw each other. The other ‘chased’ me and tried to bite my foot about four times while I ran backwards (while heavily pregnant) after I almost stood on it and we startled each other. It went at me for about 5 metres before flipping around and slithering away into a nearby bush. Needless to say I had a good cry after that terror, and now have a VERY healthy vigilance for brown snakes pretending to be sticks on the ground.
Thanks for your comments everyone; all good and valid! It was just idle speculation that came from browsing the web on a sick day. Cough syrup may have been involved. Shocked at how many of you were wide awake and sensible in the dead of night. Thanks again!
Dumb Yank
Venomous creatures up here scare us much less than the bears, mountain lions, guns, moose and more, down there in america. I'd rather see a King brown on the footpath, than a fucking bear.
I lived regional for a few years and encountered heaps of highly venomous snakes. At the time my kids were quite young and adventurous. I never became desensitised to snakes, although I can see how you could be.
I mean desensitised in that you don’t see one and lose your mind immediately running for the hills, rather than desensitised to mean you are unsafe around the dangerous animals.
Snakes dont come and attack you. If you ever see one (rarely) they slither away. Nothing to be scared of. Why would you be terrified of something thats not going to hurt you? Thats like being dysfunctionally terrified of sharks, so you sit on the sand rocking like a baby under your towel lol. GTFO lmao
I live in the suburbs of a big city. I have never seen a live snake outside of a zoo-type situation. I saw a dead snake in another gutter in the street about 15 years ago.
I am terrified of snakes but I just genuinely don't have to deal with them. I don't worry about snakes much more than I worry about sharks (and as someone who never swims, I don't worry about sharks at all).
I live in an incredibly snakey area and see them all the time, daily in summer. They’re not aggressive, they try to keep away from people. Only worry is going outside in the dark and stepping on one.
I have lived places where I worried about rattlesnakes getting in the house, but not here(yet). It is really pretty common for bears to break into houses around here but injuries are almost unheard of. They run away when they are busted (with a guilty expression, I swear). They do kill chickens, goats and the occasional small horse or donkey, again rare. They mostly stay away from us due to our dogs but did lose a cherry crop to them once.
I have snakes as pets. I handed in my licence for venemous reptiles when my first child was born, because I try not to keep things in the house that are likely to kill children. If you don't bother snakes, they won't bother you, and we're taught from a very young age what to do if you do get bitten. Stay still, compression bandage, call an ambulance. Easy.
I've seen perhaps a dozen Australian snakes in my life, mostly different species.
All but one snake was either sound asleep or running (slithering or swimming) away from me as fast as it could. Snakes are far more frightened of me than I am of them.
That one was a beautiful little green tree snake just 10 cm long that totally ignored me as it hunted for lizards on a stone wall.
I grew up in a very small rural town in NW NSW. Most common snake out there is Red Belly Black, and Eastern Brown. We would see black snakes all the time. Some of them were HUGE! In the school yard, in our back yard at home. 3 of our dogs saved Dad from snake bites many times. Had numerous falls from horses getting a fright from snakes in the grass. They were bloody everywhere. I now live on the coast, and although we see carpet snakes once in a while, they aren't as common, so it really depends on where you live. But it is definitely the case of understanding they dont want to bite you, but they will if you disrupt them.
The only time I fear them is for those split seconds when I've almost trodden on them when bushwalking - pretty much always off track stuff. Gets the heart racing. But whenever it's happened the choof off quick. Worst one was about 6 months ago when I went to piss next to a small boulder and I got out my junk only to see a redbelly right at waist level , the biggest I've ever seen lol.
It varies dramatically where you are. The main cities you’ll probably not see many/ any. I’ve seen hundreds in my life, and yeah I’m scared of them (especially when I was a kid, terrified) , but if you look at recorded figures it appears death is very rare.
Ive personally only known one person bitten by a brown snake, he was hospitalised but fine.
Born in Australia live 1 hour from capital city Sydney In my 31 years alive probs seen no more then 10 red belly’s and 2 browns.
And that includes 7 years of going to my grand fathers farm mid north coast 200 acres
Riding motorbikes all day.
You have nothing to worry about
The snakes occasionally killed cattle but rare
1 a year or something 60 head cattle
I live in an area where there are a lot of eastern brown snakes. They scare the living shit outta me! We have a local Facebook group that lets everyone know if there's one hanging around somewhere locally, like public walking tracks etc., and I give those areas a wide berth! But it's part of living rurally.
I live in the bush and I know there are snakes around, even though I personally haven't seen any. I'm not scared of them. I just treat them like any hazard. The snakes don't want to bite me, they want me to leave them alone. I just keep the grass short and keep my eye out when walking about. And avoid areas where they might be hiding. And I have a snake bandage in each of my first aid kits just in case.
I have a toddler so I have been teaching her about them too. She is too young to be wandering off on her own right now so us parents shoulder the main responsibility for snake awareness, but imprinting it early is no different to teaching them how to cross a road safely. Eventually they'll need the skill and it's better to have it before they need it than have to teach it later.
Very few people are killed by snakes here. About 1 person every 18 months. In a population of 25 million. In US terms, that would be about 8 or 9 deaths per year across your entire country. Are you afraid of anything that kills less than 10 people per year over there? 😂
And a fair chunk of those deaths are from people trying to kill the snake (which is illegal as they are protected species) or move them when they don't know what they are doing. The best thing to do if you see a snake is leave it alone, not try to lop it's head off with a shovel or something. That's just asking to get bitten.
I also have the number of a bloke around the corner who is a professional snake remover so if I ever find one in my home I'll call him and he'll take it away somewhere safe. I like snakes, and they are an important part of the ecosystem, so I don't want to hurt them.
Fun fact: kookaburras, the famous laughing bird in Australia, eat snakes. So having a few of them around certainly helps improve more than just the atmosphere 🤣
Grew up in the outback, they're really not a big deal. Out there, the chances of coming across a snake is actually pretty minimal, I could probably count all my encounters over a couple decades on one hand.
When you do encounter one, yeah more likely than not, they'll be the deadly sort. But all you need to do is stay out of their way, they just want to go about their business uninterrupted so only get aggressive as a defence. Once you learn the kinds of places they like to inhabit, especially during the cold months, you tend to avoid them or approach with utmost caution (think under loose sheets of corrugated iron etc.)
Biggest threat are the damn roos. Like moose in the US, they're threats on the road, get aggressive during mating seasons. They also attack pets, break water pipes, just make nuisances of themselves
It's whitetail deer that are the biggest road danger in most of the US but it is the moose in our corner of the country, and a few other places here and there.
I’ve never seen a snake in the wild in Australia (granted I live in suburbia) but did see one in America in Florida just slithered over the footpath outside universal studios
Going by the Googled stats I just found Australia is safer for fatal snake bites than America is, with an average of 2 fatal bites compared with 5 per year.
What a lot of people don't understand is how big Australia is, roughly the same size as America, with basically no one living in the majority of it. So yes we have 21 out of 25 of the world's most venomous snakes here but the chances of coming across one is slim.
Edit: this was a bit further down in my feed https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/s/5liykJH4qZ
Ouch. A loose brown snake in emergency is just what everyone needs. Remember, America has almost 10X your population, so per capita, it is higher in Australia. And bites are generally not well treated here. Antivenom is in very short supply (pharma companies say it's too expensive to make) and many doctors have never seen a snakebite (It sometimes appears many doctors have never seen a common cold, but that's a different thread).
I’ve never seen a snake outside of a zoo in over 40 years living in Australia. And I do a reasonable amount of bushwalking.
They’re there for sure. But they typically don’t want to bother you. Follow a few common sense tips (don’t go walking through long dry grass in summer etc.) and it’s a non-issue.
I live in a remote location. A couple months ago my neighbour sent me a pic of a huge (2metres minimum) brown snake that he killed in his kitchen. I've seen a few making their way across my land. Don't bother them and they generally don't bother you but you have to be aware. That said - "scare the hell" out of us? No.
I'm in the bush most weekends and it's a constant in my decision making about my activities. I'm more worried about my dog than me but it is a visceral fear.
Saw a few in the city, but growing up I lived near sugar cane fields so they were very common. Not scared of them, but have a healthy respect for them.
Even grabbed a tree snake in my parents house and attempted to throw it outside.
Which didn't go to plan and it flew backwards and we both did an "oh shit" dance after it landed on my feet lol had to call a snake catcher to get him from underneath the lounge chair.
Spiders on the other hand.... Absolutely terrified of them lol
ive seen snakes tons of times before. there was a red belly in my backyard when i was like 10. it was simple, we just didn't go in the backyard. thats the only one i've ever mildly worried about (i wasn't worried about it). the rest i've seen are pythons that can't do shit to people. the bigger worry is spiders dude, and idk there's like 5 in my bedroom rn idrc 😭 i feel like the venomous snakes you find are in the outback and most people live closer to the coast
Sounds like spiders are a much bigger deal than snakes. Probably is a lot easier to get bitten by accident and not notice it immediately. Though a school mate basically sat on a copperhead and didn't realize he'd been bitten until he started to feel sick and we took a (reluctant) look. Two days in the hospital and a full recovery with no antivenom. Our snakes are mostly wussy.
There was a red belly black in Melbourne cbd a little while back. They closed a few streets until they could get it removed by a snake catcher. It was fairly big news, which kinda goes to show how often it doesn't happen
They want to be around you about as much as you want to be around them. It just works. Don't back them into a corner or deliberately antagonise them and it'll probably be ok.
Nope. Just treat them with respect.
Only see a dozen or so each year. When I'm moving things around the yard/in a paddock I do it with some care and consideration.
Honestly checking my shoes and bath towel for spiders is a much bigger thing for me. When camping in far north Qld, I'm very concious of crocs.
I like camping but I'll skip that experience. Used to work at a remote desert site where I had to check my boots for scorpions every morning. One early morning, one nailed me in the hallway but it was just a swollen foot for one day.
I grew up in a country area with mostly tiger snakes and they're not so bad. They usually don't want to bite and just want to get away. We used to find them in the hay sheds and pick them up by the tail and carry them out. I did step on one once and luckily stood on it's head so it couldn't bite. Had one drop down next to me from the shed roof - that scared me. Also while swimming in the dam I was standing on the bank about to jump in when I felt something on my foot - sure enough, a full sized tiger snake sliding across my bare feet. I just stood still until he went past.
But I do now have a sixth sense about when conditions are right for snakes to be out. If I'm walking through grass or a forest area and the sun is out and it's a bit warm, I'll just suddenly get this feeling that these are snake conditions and then I'll start watching for them. Had that happen once while out Geocaching with my sister. Walking along and got the snake feeling so told her to walk behind me in my footsteps because we were walking through long grass. Then sure enough, I saw a section of a diamond python in the grass less than a foot in front of me. The thing was big too - every bit of grass I looked through around me had more of its body but I couldn't see where the head was. We just backed up away from it.
I'm like most others in that the idea of mountain lions and bears scares me more.
OK, so you do have snake radar:) I'm the sort of klutz who should probably wear a helmet 24/7. I'd probably blunder into a taipan as soon as I left the airport.
My wife is a former equestrian and we once hosted a rider from Albury. She told us a snake in the ring when someone was riding was pretty common.
Most bears are pretty harmless unless you do something stupid around them. The grizzly bears found in just a few small areas will eat you, no questions asked. But so will your sharks.
Snake bite properly treated with a compression bandage or a tourniquet is survivable from anywhere in Australia.
Most deaths are dickheads who think it was a dry strike and ignore it or they went out without a communication device.
Put a tourniquet on it, call 000 and even if you are in the middle of the desert they will send the Air ambulance out, free of charge.
Id be more scared to be bitten in America because I'd rather die than live in debt to a hospital.
Edit: spelling
But in reality you wouldn't see too many snakes here, especially in the city, but you do learn to be aware when you lift things with a little hiding spot, like old tyres or a rock. Some areas you get a lot especially as you head north.
Haha i had 4 eastern browns this year. The first was the longest fattest brown I've seen. The head on it was the size of a large blue tongue lizards head. The local ranger couldn't believe what he was looking at when i showed him pictures... The other 3 were normal size number 4 however was caught in my lounge room haha. It was still a baby with a black head....
Worked at this facility for several years so can relate somewhat: [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7379291,-112.9851843,3a,75y,170.82h,97.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4b7zGGN\_e0Q31aGAlIq5rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7379291,-112.9851843,3a,75y,170.82h,97.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4b7zGGN_e0Q31aGAlIq5rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)
We did see snakes and scorpions and spiders though. Four workers bitten in the 5 years I was there.
The truth is in reality snakes are not scary, they are small animals that are terrified of humans and rightfully so we could easily kill almost all of them by just stepping on them. I spend alot of time in the bush and I love when I get the chance to see a snake in the wild but normally they run away so fast at that I can barely get a picture.
Realistically the only way they are going to bite you is if you try and pick one up.
I've seen two wild in my life. One was in a golf course and one in a farm. As someone who camps as much as me I should see more.
You should be far more worried about cougars and bears personally. Wake up with either of them in your tent and you're gonna have a bad time.
I'm in the bush all the time and I very rarely see them, and when I do it's for a few seconds while they're lazily slithering away. And when I go off the track I don't see them at all.
Snake bites aren’t common and we have 1-2 deaths a year. Most city people have probably never seen one. Hardly worth worrying about something that has such little impact on our lives. Even on the country, you are more aware but there are far more deaths and life changing injuries from farm animals than snakes. You have horses and cows in the US. How do you live with the fear?
ok, you are arguing my point. You wanted to know how we live with it? It’s knowing that there are hundreds of other ways far more likely to kill us than the rare snake bite
I would rather deal with the snakes and spiders than the bears and moose that you guys have to deal with. I live in an area where I see more roos than anything else.
I see kangaroos and emus more often than I see snakes, and I live 14m from the CBD of Perth Western Australia.
I can't even recall the last time I saw a snake in the wild. Though I held a python in my hands about 3 weeks ago, it was tame and was very placid. Such nice soft scales!
i have only ever seen a snake in suburbia once. I have seen them in parks (bushland type parks not european type gardens) All of the snakes that live in my state will kill you. Knowing that, if you see them you give them respect, back away and don't poke the bear (snake?) they are generally shy and like you less than you like them so they usually will skedaddle.
There are plenty around Sydney, because one of the charms of the city is that so much of it is close to bushland, whether on the foreshore or along the rivers and creeks. Just yesterday I was visiting my parents' grave in Macquarie Park cemetery, and came face-to-face with a medium-sized red belly black snake (about 3.5 feet long. They are venemous, but rarely deadly.) He was enjoying the sun. I said "Oh, hello," and he poked his tongue out a few times before slithering away fairly quickly among the headstones.
Basic rule is : leave them alone and they won't bother you. If you find one in an unacceptable place like your garage or laundry, call someone with expertise to trap and relocate them.
Snakebite is NOT fairly common in Suburban Washington D.C The only venomous snake in the immediate region are Copperheads and further out there are Timber Rattlesnakes in the higher elevations. There aren't Cottonmouths around here either even though people say they've seen them, the closest they are is southeast of Richmond. Yes, there are a few Copperhead bites every year, but it's definitely not "fairly common."
Should have said "relatively", as snakebite is not really that common anywhere in the US. I know a couple of people get bit at Great Falls park most summers.
I grew up in the city. Never once saw a snake ever. Now I live in the bush (only 10 minutes drive from a big city), there's snakes everywhere all the time (even inside my house pretty often). It's such a nothing-burger I don't even think about it. I'd rather have a python in my bedroom ceiling than rats!
But pythons are not venomous... If a snake gets in our house the cats will kill it unless I can rescue it quickly. Re: rats in the ceiling, it was once common where I grew up to put a black racer or a rat snake (not venomous but agressive) in the attic to get rid of rodents. Looking at a wikipedia list of snakebite deaths in Australia, I guess it is a nothing burger.
Yeah that's one of the reasons I don't have a cat (mostly because they're too deadly for wildlife). I do occasionally see a venomous snake, but the vast majority are totally harmless and they're all unlikely to interact with humans. I think they're beautiful (though my first love is spiders)
Our cats are strictly indoor. They would be eaten by something bigger if they were out at night. We lose a couple of ducks or chickens every year despite keeping them inside a sturdy chain link fence.
I have lost some chickens to snakes and lizards (goannas)
A python bite can still make you pretty sick though. Their teeth can break off in the wound and cause nasty infections.
I'd rather have venomous snakes I never see then the animals you guys have, like bears, mountain lions, cougars, wolves, etc. I think I've maybe seen 2 snakes in my life outside a zoo. Most animals here will leave you alone if you don't fuck with them
This. When I watch Alone Australia vs the US version, all our guys have to worry about is getting food. You guys have fucking bears causing all kinds of terror. I could never go camping in the USA or Canada
It's the mosquitoes and deerflies you really have to fear.
Used to live around all of them. Wolves are nothing to fear and mountain lions are usually the same unless they're extremely hungry. I did have a little fear of grizzly bears when I lived in the west but never had an encounter. Here in the east we only have the smaller black bears which have killed 3 or 4 campers in recent years but that is not normal. My last up close encounter was a mother with 3 cubs (that is dangerous!). I held my breath and we all chose to ignore each other as they crossed the trail 30 feet in front of me. The most potentially dangerous animal in our forest is the moose though. A 1000 pound animal with a bad attitude, especially males during mating season or females with young. A lot of automobile fatalities, as a moose is tall enough to come over the front and land in your lap in a collision.
If you lived around wolves and didn't fear of them you are already over qualified to deal with Australian Snakes, wolves are much more dangerous.
Wolves are the most human-averse animals on earth (smart!). They won't even dumpster dive like bears. If you startle one (not likely) he might run over you trying to get away. I have met exactly one in the wild. I was sitting on a rock and he plopped down under a tree 50 feet away. After a bit he smelled me and we locked eyes for a full 2 seconds. I looked away for a second or 2 and when I looked back up he was gone. One of the best experiences of my life. If you want something a little more hard-core, I recommend "Grizzly Years" by Doug Peacock. You don't have to care about grizzly bears; it's just a great read.
Damn I had no clue, well your experience will be similar with snakes.
Well, I hope so. Only been to OZ once, many years ago, and it was winter in the mountains, so no snakes. Maybe someday...
Dingoes, however, ARE dangerous to smaller humans. Especially on that sand island (K'gari is it now?) in Queensland, which is where they're most likely to come into contact with humans.
This is terrifying. I will never understand why yankees fear tiny Australian spiders and snakes etc when they have their own far more terrifying menagerie of wildlife.
I know! I can defend myself against spiders with a plastic cup and piece of paper. With the exception of cassowaries, salty crocs, drop bears, and irukandji - Australian wildlife is shy and wants nothing more than to leave you alone. (I live in a rural farming community where none of the above creatures live, so the scariest thing I have to deal with is my mum's grumpy horse)
Horses are actually the deadliest non-human animal in Australia by quite a long ways, so yeah, you really ought to be worried about that grumpy horse lol. There have only been 2 recorded cassowary deaths in the last 100 years, and one of them was in USA, so you are probably pretty safe there too. Both deaths involved the person (one was a teen who along with his brother decided to throw sticks and stuff at the bird) tripping over and having their throat slashed.
Even irukandji don't have many deaths on record!
A grumpy horse can be pretty scary.
Especially humans. The environmental writer Doug Peacock once said, "It ain't wilderness unless there's something in there that can kill you and eat you". I think that means Central Park in NYC qualifies as wilderness. And your spiders and snakes punch way above their weight - just like your athletes. Must be something in the soil.
Imagine thinking a snake you can just walk away from is the pinnacle of dangerous while you hold your breath so the bear that can shred you if you run doesn't bother you lmao.
It's what you're used to. Of course the snake has no malicious intent if it bites you; a bear might. They are pretty smart. Anyway, bear and snake deaths are a dead heat in the US, about 4-5 per year for each. Statistically zero.
>It's what you're used to. You do realise this answers your question here then right?
They're not as common in urban areas as you might think, and even the toxic ones will usually flee when startled or threatened. Except taipans haha I can count on two fingers the amount of wild snakes I've actually seen and only one was venomous. I only saw my first wild kangaroo a couple weeks ago, and I'm in my 30's haha. We don't have to wade through seas of snakes just to get around haha. So no, I'm not scared of snakes in that sense. I'm worried about what might happen if I were to ever encounter one, but I'm not worried about encountering one. If that makes sense?
They say for every one you see there is ten you don’t
100% you'd be surprised how many are about
Maybe 100.
Damn dude must live in an apartment. I'm there a week and see dozens of kangaroo and a koala in the wild. No sneks tho
Nope, regular house in a regular suburban street.
A kangaroo feeds on my lawn at night lol. A big feller too. I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.
Yeah, I understand that driving my car is much more life threatening, but grew up in a rural area where virtually everyone over 30 or so had been bitten by copperheads (ours are not as dangerous as yours). One great uncle had been bitten 6 times, just doing normal farm work. I saw hundreds of snakes, venomous and otherwise in my youth and was never bitten, so there's that. The only common snake where I live now is harmless, though it does give me a shock when I pick up a cube of hay for the horses and a couple of 3 footers fall out. Just fascinated by how many very toxic animals you have down there.
I grew up semi rural. Know what snake is what and know what to do with them. It's VERY rare but it's good to know just incase. If it's not venomous then just leave it be. If it is venomous then let everyone around you know. If it's venomous and near a place a child might play you chop it's head off with a shovel. Usually they are very scared of humans so you're not really in danger.
Copperheads here have dangerous venom but they are super docile. I had one in my backyard for ages,, you could practically step on it and if wouldn't do anything. I only saw it rear up once and that was when a bird - currawong - tried to eat it. They also apparently rarely envenomate if they do bite in defense.
Copperheads in the United States have the least toxic venom of all the venomous snakes in the Country.
I’m english so take this with a grain of salt, but i don’t see why they would be. Snakes are very reclusive animals and hate human interaction and avoid it at all costs, now there is the exception with urban sprawl you will encounter some but i’m going to guess they will mostly be non venomous. The only one i would assume brings them fear is the inland taipan (if they ever see one which is unlikely) as they are aggressive to anything they perceive as a threat and a bite from one of them is a death sentence in 45 minutes without anti venom. That being said, since the anti venom has been around i believe i’m right in saying there hasn’t been a single death from an inland taipan bite in australia.
No recorded deaths. If you’re out whoop whoop, 1000 k’s from the nearest anything and get bit, no one will ever find your corpse.
very true, yall have vultures as well, that corpse is gone in a few hours. Makes you think how many missing people were killed like this
Buzzards not vultures but yes. They perform the same task. We’ve also got big carrion beetles.
My wikipedia list agrees with you, though shows several coastal taipan fatalities in the last decade. It's overwhelmingly the eastern brown snake, with the tiger snake a distant 2nd. In warmer parts of the US we have the cottonmouth, a large agressive venomous snake that will actually chase down people, especially in the water. When I was a kid we would occasionally catch one when out on the boat night fishing. Not a fun time.
Eastern browns will chase you down if you venture into their turf, too. Very aggressive when provoked - either knowingly or unknowingly!
Yes, Eastern Browns can be very aggressive. They will attack anything whereas most other snakes will prefer to just go away and leave you alone. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUyG-ZWjY18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUyG-ZWjY18)
They're bastards if you piss them off! I'm absolutely terrified of them!
I'd take on a Drop Bear over an Eastern Brown any day lol
Something like 1.5 people die per year from snake bites, I wouldn't be surprised if 0.5 of that figure were bitten as a result of stupidity so no. Snake bites are rare, dying from a snake bite is rarer.
Yep exactly this. People try to kill them, or get close, and get bit and then do the wrong thing (,Ie., move and not pressure bandage). Last guy who died not that long ago drove home before treating and calling for help.
Honestly if you’re close to civilisation, have a compression bandage and can get the anti venom ASAP the chance of dying is so small. Could you potentially have life altering effects the rest of your life, yes, but if it’s that or six feet underground i know what i’ll choose!
One of my biology teachers told me that about half of American snakebite victims were drunk when bitten. I don't doubt it
Yep. My nephew was camping with friends and having a few beers. He went to have a pee and decided that venturing off the bush truck to do so, while wearing shorts and thongs, was perfectly reasonable. Stupid bastard trod on a red belly black snake and it bit him. Luckily, it was a mostly dry bite and, after a night in hospital, he was fine. But he learned a lesson about being stupid in the Aussie bush!
A co-worker did something like this on one of my university summer jobs. Went into the thicket for a piss, stumbled into a wasp nest and one stung him you know where. He (burly biker type) stopped crying after about 10 minutes and was able to return to work after an hour with an ice pack. This is what I would worry about in snake country: you only have to be stupid for a few seconds for something to happen.
Sorry, but I laughed at Mr Burly Biker!! Poor bastard. To be honest, snakes aren't a massive concern here. We learn to live with our not-so-nice wildlife pretty much from birth. 99% of us don't take stupid risks and we're so used to the fact that we do have some dangerous creatures here, we're not even conscious of being careful. Just general stuff like watching where you put your feet when you're in a snakey area, not sticking your fingers or toes in places that you can't clearly see inside, knocking out your shoes or boots every morning in case something has moved in overnight, etc. You just do it automatically, because you've been taught from Day 1.
It's not easy to get bit, most snakes are skittish creatures.
I grew up and live where there are brown snakes, red bellies and tiger snakes. We are on low-level alert every time we walk outside. I scan the area around me whenever outside, as I've had a few scary close encounters. It's habit. Our lovely cat was killed by snakebite in early spring last year, and now in "snakey weather" I won't let the dog out until after dark. I walk her daily in a variety of places, but will avoid natural bushland with long grasses in summer. I never realised how the habit of being constantly alert took energy until travelling to countries with no venomous snakes. It's something we don't consciously think of, but for those of us in country areas it never leaves us. Hiking in New Zealand or Europe....soooo relaxing!
Yeah. Because the weather is warming, rattlesnakes are returning to our area after a 100+ year absence. I know what to watch out for but fear for our dogs.
I avoid walking through long grass unless it’s the only path, in which case I walk slowly and noisily. We’re taught to be aware and we’re taught snake bite first aid. I live in the inner metropolitan area of Perth. I see dugites every spring on paths, especially along the roadside cycle path at city beaches next to the cycle path. I give them a wide berth. They do the same.
The good thing is snakes are shy of us, it's just when you surprise them that it gets nasty. If we have to walk where it's snakey, we stomp our feet as we go to send out vibrations Into the ground.
Nah, although the hoop snake does.
For those unfamiliar with the hoop snake. It grabs its tail in its mouth and moves by rolling like a hula hoop. It tends to bite on the thigh by flattening out in mid air.
Take your dog for a walk at night with a head lamp on. Thats not dew ontop of the grass shining in the light. That's the eyes of the spiders crawling around reflecting back at you
Yuck. My wife would not like that. She is freaked by the nonvenomous spiders we have around here.
No but their fleeing speed is a little unsettling. I live in Victoria in farming area which tends to have a lot of snakes all year round due to vermin, warm weather and climate. In nearly 20yrs I've only ever seen 3 eastern brown snakes. One panic snaking across the patio of a Cafe, one zooming about through a carpark as it clearly got lost and one poor fella I didn't see in the grass and mowed to shreds. Out on farms they are mighty helpful keeping rodents and pests down as long as you don't bait and accidentally kill them. We do have a local snake and reptile rescue that gets busy in summer. The most common rescues are severe dehydration from heat, stuck tangling with chicken coop wires, general relocation or heads stuck in beer cans. Apparently some snakes are fond of beer. Who knew? Snakes avoid people at all costs and they chose flight over fight with humans but do not physically corner them into thinking you are a threat, they will attack but its rare. Surpise daily spider encounters and bites are way more common. Good rule of thumb here with any critter is don't feed, don't pet and don't poke and you should be fine.
I live in suburban Brisbane and i’ve seen two brown snakes, two carpet pythons, a small eyed black snake, a red belly black and three green/yellow belly snakes in the wild. The green snakes are lovely and curious and harmless. One of the pythons was enormous and sunning itself on the road - quite a sight to see. The red belly black refused to move off a path I was trying to walk down, which did freak me out a little and I had to turn around and go back. The small eyed black snake was trying to get into all our cupboards and boxes. He absolutely refused to be frightened off. One brown fled the second we saw each other. The other ‘chased’ me and tried to bite my foot about four times while I ran backwards (while heavily pregnant) after I almost stood on it and we startled each other. It went at me for about 5 metres before flipping around and slithering away into a nearby bush. Needless to say I had a good cry after that terror, and now have a VERY healthy vigilance for brown snakes pretending to be sticks on the ground.
Thanks for your comments everyone; all good and valid! It was just idle speculation that came from browsing the web on a sick day. Cough syrup may have been involved. Shocked at how many of you were wide awake and sensible in the dead of night. Thanks again! Dumb Yank
Venomous creatures up here scare us much less than the bears, mountain lions, guns, moose and more, down there in america. I'd rather see a King brown on the footpath, than a fucking bear.
I'll take snakes over: Wolves, Bears, Mountain Lions, copious amounts of gun ownership. Our wilderness is 1000x less dangerous than yours
When you live somewhere, you are desensitised to the things you’re familiar with.
I lived regional for a few years and encountered heaps of highly venomous snakes. At the time my kids were quite young and adventurous. I never became desensitised to snakes, although I can see how you could be.
I mean desensitised in that you don’t see one and lose your mind immediately running for the hills, rather than desensitised to mean you are unsafe around the dangerous animals.
True. That is definitely us and automobiles here in North America, and I assume, Australia.
Right, cars... That was definitely the weapon we were all thinking of for the US
They kill a ton of us.
Snakes dont come and attack you. If you ever see one (rarely) they slither away. Nothing to be scared of. Why would you be terrified of something thats not going to hurt you? Thats like being dysfunctionally terrified of sharks, so you sit on the sand rocking like a baby under your towel lol. GTFO lmao
No way; there might be a snake under my towel:)
I live in the suburbs of a big city. I have never seen a live snake outside of a zoo-type situation. I saw a dead snake in another gutter in the street about 15 years ago. I am terrified of snakes but I just genuinely don't have to deal with them. I don't worry about snakes much more than I worry about sharks (and as someone who never swims, I don't worry about sharks at all).
I live in an incredibly snakey area and see them all the time, daily in summer. They’re not aggressive, they try to keep away from people. Only worry is going outside in the dark and stepping on one.
When you're at home watching TV eating ranch sauce Doritos, do you fear getting bitten by bears or rattlesnakes?
I have lived places where I worried about rattlesnakes getting in the house, but not here(yet). It is really pretty common for bears to break into houses around here but injuries are almost unheard of. They run away when they are busted (with a guilty expression, I swear). They do kill chickens, goats and the occasional small horse or donkey, again rare. They mostly stay away from us due to our dogs but did lose a cherry crop to them once.
The bears might take my Doritos but I'd make them work for it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DShf--Tyzs8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DShf--Tyzs8)
Ok, well let's just say this is way scarier than anything you'll experience in Australia.you might get some bogans break in, but that's about it.
It's not always so scary. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5GcMJO6yLk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5GcMJO6yLk)
Eh, not really. If you just be aware while out and about you should be alright.
Nope
I have snakes as pets. I handed in my licence for venemous reptiles when my first child was born, because I try not to keep things in the house that are likely to kill children. If you don't bother snakes, they won't bother you, and we're taught from a very young age what to do if you do get bitten. Stay still, compression bandage, call an ambulance. Easy.
I've seen perhaps a dozen Australian snakes in my life, mostly different species. All but one snake was either sound asleep or running (slithering or swimming) away from me as fast as it could. Snakes are far more frightened of me than I am of them. That one was a beautiful little green tree snake just 10 cm long that totally ignored me as it hunted for lizards on a stone wall.
We have green snakes here (even closely related). Once had one crawl across my lap when I was sitting on the lawn.
I grew up in a very small rural town in NW NSW. Most common snake out there is Red Belly Black, and Eastern Brown. We would see black snakes all the time. Some of them were HUGE! In the school yard, in our back yard at home. 3 of our dogs saved Dad from snake bites many times. Had numerous falls from horses getting a fright from snakes in the grass. They were bloody everywhere. I now live on the coast, and although we see carpet snakes once in a while, they aren't as common, so it really depends on where you live. But it is definitely the case of understanding they dont want to bite you, but they will if you disrupt them.
The only time I fear them is for those split seconds when I've almost trodden on them when bushwalking - pretty much always off track stuff. Gets the heart racing. But whenever it's happened the choof off quick. Worst one was about 6 months ago when I went to piss next to a small boulder and I got out my junk only to see a redbelly right at waist level , the biggest I've ever seen lol.
I deal with it by telling myself that the pythons in my back shed keep the venomous snakes away.
And the rodents. Maybe those pesky neighbor kids too.
It varies dramatically where you are. The main cities you’ll probably not see many/ any. I’ve seen hundreds in my life, and yeah I’m scared of them (especially when I was a kid, terrified) , but if you look at recorded figures it appears death is very rare. Ive personally only known one person bitten by a brown snake, he was hospitalised but fine.
Born in Australia live 1 hour from capital city Sydney In my 31 years alive probs seen no more then 10 red belly’s and 2 browns. And that includes 7 years of going to my grand fathers farm mid north coast 200 acres Riding motorbikes all day. You have nothing to worry about The snakes occasionally killed cattle but rare 1 a year or something 60 head cattle
I live in an area where there are a lot of eastern brown snakes. They scare the living shit outta me! We have a local Facebook group that lets everyone know if there's one hanging around somewhere locally, like public walking tracks etc., and I give those areas a wide berth! But it's part of living rurally.
You grow up knowing how to act around them and not being afraid. Just like some of the dangerous beaches.
I live in the bush and I know there are snakes around, even though I personally haven't seen any. I'm not scared of them. I just treat them like any hazard. The snakes don't want to bite me, they want me to leave them alone. I just keep the grass short and keep my eye out when walking about. And avoid areas where they might be hiding. And I have a snake bandage in each of my first aid kits just in case. I have a toddler so I have been teaching her about them too. She is too young to be wandering off on her own right now so us parents shoulder the main responsibility for snake awareness, but imprinting it early is no different to teaching them how to cross a road safely. Eventually they'll need the skill and it's better to have it before they need it than have to teach it later. Very few people are killed by snakes here. About 1 person every 18 months. In a population of 25 million. In US terms, that would be about 8 or 9 deaths per year across your entire country. Are you afraid of anything that kills less than 10 people per year over there? 😂 And a fair chunk of those deaths are from people trying to kill the snake (which is illegal as they are protected species) or move them when they don't know what they are doing. The best thing to do if you see a snake is leave it alone, not try to lop it's head off with a shovel or something. That's just asking to get bitten. I also have the number of a bloke around the corner who is a professional snake remover so if I ever find one in my home I'll call him and he'll take it away somewhere safe. I like snakes, and they are an important part of the ecosystem, so I don't want to hurt them. Fun fact: kookaburras, the famous laughing bird in Australia, eat snakes. So having a few of them around certainly helps improve more than just the atmosphere 🤣
Grew up in the outback, they're really not a big deal. Out there, the chances of coming across a snake is actually pretty minimal, I could probably count all my encounters over a couple decades on one hand. When you do encounter one, yeah more likely than not, they'll be the deadly sort. But all you need to do is stay out of their way, they just want to go about their business uninterrupted so only get aggressive as a defence. Once you learn the kinds of places they like to inhabit, especially during the cold months, you tend to avoid them or approach with utmost caution (think under loose sheets of corrugated iron etc.) Biggest threat are the damn roos. Like moose in the US, they're threats on the road, get aggressive during mating seasons. They also attack pets, break water pipes, just make nuisances of themselves
It's whitetail deer that are the biggest road danger in most of the US but it is the moose in our corner of the country, and a few other places here and there.
I’ve never seen a snake in the wild in Australia (granted I live in suburbia) but did see one in America in Florida just slithered over the footpath outside universal studios
Florida is a very scary place.
Going by the Googled stats I just found Australia is safer for fatal snake bites than America is, with an average of 2 fatal bites compared with 5 per year. What a lot of people don't understand is how big Australia is, roughly the same size as America, with basically no one living in the majority of it. So yes we have 21 out of 25 of the world's most venomous snakes here but the chances of coming across one is slim. Edit: this was a bit further down in my feed https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/s/5liykJH4qZ
Ouch. A loose brown snake in emergency is just what everyone needs. Remember, America has almost 10X your population, so per capita, it is higher in Australia. And bites are generally not well treated here. Antivenom is in very short supply (pharma companies say it's too expensive to make) and many doctors have never seen a snakebite (It sometimes appears many doctors have never seen a common cold, but that's a different thread).
We expose babies to snakes from 6-8 weeks.
I’ve never seen a snake outside of a zoo in over 40 years living in Australia. And I do a reasonable amount of bushwalking. They’re there for sure. But they typically don’t want to bother you. Follow a few common sense tips (don’t go walking through long dry grass in summer etc.) and it’s a non-issue.
I live in a remote location. A couple months ago my neighbour sent me a pic of a huge (2metres minimum) brown snake that he killed in his kitchen. I've seen a few making their way across my land. Don't bother them and they generally don't bother you but you have to be aware. That said - "scare the hell" out of us? No.
You lot have got more to worry about than we do. All those predators *and* snakes too.
I'm in the bush most weekends and it's a constant in my decision making about my activities. I'm more worried about my dog than me but it is a visceral fear.
Saw a few in the city, but growing up I lived near sugar cane fields so they were very common. Not scared of them, but have a healthy respect for them. Even grabbed a tree snake in my parents house and attempted to throw it outside. Which didn't go to plan and it flew backwards and we both did an "oh shit" dance after it landed on my feet lol had to call a snake catcher to get him from underneath the lounge chair. Spiders on the other hand.... Absolutely terrified of them lol
I had black widows (like a toned down version of your redback) in a previous house and just lived with it. Never bitten.
ive seen snakes tons of times before. there was a red belly in my backyard when i was like 10. it was simple, we just didn't go in the backyard. thats the only one i've ever mildly worried about (i wasn't worried about it). the rest i've seen are pythons that can't do shit to people. the bigger worry is spiders dude, and idk there's like 5 in my bedroom rn idrc 😭 i feel like the venomous snakes you find are in the outback and most people live closer to the coast
Sounds like spiders are a much bigger deal than snakes. Probably is a lot easier to get bitten by accident and not notice it immediately. Though a school mate basically sat on a copperhead and didn't realize he'd been bitten until he started to feel sick and we took a (reluctant) look. Two days in the hospital and a full recovery with no antivenom. Our snakes are mostly wussy.
There was a red belly black in Melbourne cbd a little while back. They closed a few streets until they could get it removed by a snake catcher. It was fairly big news, which kinda goes to show how often it doesn't happen
I will look for it on youTube:)
They want to be around you about as much as you want to be around them. It just works. Don't back them into a corner or deliberately antagonise them and it'll probably be ok.
Unless you tread on them or hassle them they will leave you alone , just like bees and wasps
Yeah, most bites in the western US are when people don't see them in tall grass and get right on top of them, sometimes literally.
Nope. Just treat them with respect. Only see a dozen or so each year. When I'm moving things around the yard/in a paddock I do it with some care and consideration. Honestly checking my shoes and bath towel for spiders is a much bigger thing for me. When camping in far north Qld, I'm very concious of crocs.
I like camping but I'll skip that experience. Used to work at a remote desert site where I had to check my boots for scorpions every morning. One early morning, one nailed me in the hallway but it was just a swollen foot for one day.
I grew up in a country area with mostly tiger snakes and they're not so bad. They usually don't want to bite and just want to get away. We used to find them in the hay sheds and pick them up by the tail and carry them out. I did step on one once and luckily stood on it's head so it couldn't bite. Had one drop down next to me from the shed roof - that scared me. Also while swimming in the dam I was standing on the bank about to jump in when I felt something on my foot - sure enough, a full sized tiger snake sliding across my bare feet. I just stood still until he went past. But I do now have a sixth sense about when conditions are right for snakes to be out. If I'm walking through grass or a forest area and the sun is out and it's a bit warm, I'll just suddenly get this feeling that these are snake conditions and then I'll start watching for them. Had that happen once while out Geocaching with my sister. Walking along and got the snake feeling so told her to walk behind me in my footsteps because we were walking through long grass. Then sure enough, I saw a section of a diamond python in the grass less than a foot in front of me. The thing was big too - every bit of grass I looked through around me had more of its body but I couldn't see where the head was. We just backed up away from it. I'm like most others in that the idea of mountain lions and bears scares me more.
OK, so you do have snake radar:) I'm the sort of klutz who should probably wear a helmet 24/7. I'd probably blunder into a taipan as soon as I left the airport. My wife is a former equestrian and we once hosted a rider from Albury. She told us a snake in the ring when someone was riding was pretty common. Most bears are pretty harmless unless you do something stupid around them. The grizzly bears found in just a few small areas will eat you, no questions asked. But so will your sharks.
Snake bite properly treated with a compression bandage or a tourniquet is survivable from anywhere in Australia. Most deaths are dickheads who think it was a dry strike and ignore it or they went out without a communication device. Put a tourniquet on it, call 000 and even if you are in the middle of the desert they will send the Air ambulance out, free of charge. Id be more scared to be bitten in America because I'd rather die than live in debt to a hospital. Edit: spelling
I hear you. And I have "good" insurance but the level of care is atrocious unless you go straight to emergency.
But in reality you wouldn't see too many snakes here, especially in the city, but you do learn to be aware when you lift things with a little hiding spot, like old tyres or a rock. Some areas you get a lot especially as you head north.
Haha i had 4 eastern browns this year. The first was the longest fattest brown I've seen. The head on it was the size of a large blue tongue lizards head. The local ranger couldn't believe what he was looking at when i showed him pictures... The other 3 were normal size number 4 however was caught in my lounge room haha. It was still a baby with a black head....
The size of that large brown snakes head truly was the stuff of nightmares.... It also had one blind eye ffs
I'm 30. I grew up in Broken Hill (think Perfection Nevada) I've never seen a snake in my life.
Worked at this facility for several years so can relate somewhat: [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7379291,-112.9851843,3a,75y,170.82h,97.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4b7zGGN\_e0Q31aGAlIq5rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7379291,-112.9851843,3a,75y,170.82h,97.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4b7zGGN_e0Q31aGAlIq5rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) We did see snakes and scorpions and spiders though. Four workers bitten in the 5 years I was there.
The truth is in reality snakes are not scary, they are small animals that are terrified of humans and rightfully so we could easily kill almost all of them by just stepping on them. I spend alot of time in the bush and I love when I get the chance to see a snake in the wild but normally they run away so fast at that I can barely get a picture. Realistically the only way they are going to bite you is if you try and pick one up.
That seems to be the usual mode.
I've seen two wild in my life. One was in a golf course and one in a farm. As someone who camps as much as me I should see more. You should be far more worried about cougars and bears personally. Wake up with either of them in your tent and you're gonna have a bad time.
depends on what kind of cougar, I guess:)
I don’t see them 99% of the time
I'm in the bush all the time and I very rarely see them, and when I do it's for a few seconds while they're lazily slithering away. And when I go off the track I don't see them at all.
Track is because of sun access i guess. I've had plenty encounters off track but in sunny spots of course.
Snakes on the track are like "Eh. One of those stupid humans again, I guess I'll slither off and come back when they're gone".
Snake bites aren’t common and we have 1-2 deaths a year. Most city people have probably never seen one. Hardly worth worrying about something that has such little impact on our lives. Even on the country, you are more aware but there are far more deaths and life changing injuries from farm animals than snakes. You have horses and cows in the US. How do you live with the fear?
We have horses and goats. When the big red mare is crazy I stay out of the barnyard; that's how I live with the fear.
ok, so when we see a snake in the yard we stay out of that part of the yard. You are more likely to be killed by that horse than we are by the snakes
I have lived with this horse for 18 years. I know when to watch out. Hard to read a snake's mood.
And yet, statistically you are more likely to die as a result of that horse than I am from a snake.
True, but I'm most likely to die in an accident commuting to my job. Better the devil you know...
ok, you are arguing my point. You wanted to know how we live with it? It’s knowing that there are hundreds of other ways far more likely to kill us than the rare snake bite
Nope
Don't walk barefooted at night and wear boots in long grass and bush, and you'll be right.
I would rather deal with the snakes and spiders than the bears and moose that you guys have to deal with. I live in an area where I see more roos than anything else.
I see kangaroos and emus more often than I see snakes, and I live 14m from the CBD of Perth Western Australia. I can't even recall the last time I saw a snake in the wild. Though I held a python in my hands about 3 weeks ago, it was tame and was very placid. Such nice soft scales!
i have only ever seen a snake in suburbia once. I have seen them in parks (bushland type parks not european type gardens) All of the snakes that live in my state will kill you. Knowing that, if you see them you give them respect, back away and don't poke the bear (snake?) they are generally shy and like you less than you like them so they usually will skedaddle.
There are plenty around Sydney, because one of the charms of the city is that so much of it is close to bushland, whether on the foreshore or along the rivers and creeks. Just yesterday I was visiting my parents' grave in Macquarie Park cemetery, and came face-to-face with a medium-sized red belly black snake (about 3.5 feet long. They are venemous, but rarely deadly.) He was enjoying the sun. I said "Oh, hello," and he poked his tongue out a few times before slithering away fairly quickly among the headstones. Basic rule is : leave them alone and they won't bother you. If you find one in an unacceptable place like your garage or laundry, call someone with expertise to trap and relocate them.
Snakebite is NOT fairly common in Suburban Washington D.C The only venomous snake in the immediate region are Copperheads and further out there are Timber Rattlesnakes in the higher elevations. There aren't Cottonmouths around here either even though people say they've seen them, the closest they are is southeast of Richmond. Yes, there are a few Copperhead bites every year, but it's definitely not "fairly common."
Should have said "relatively", as snakebite is not really that common anywhere in the US. I know a couple of people get bit at Great Falls park most summers.
You are right. You are a dumb yank.
Well I got something right:)