Snakes

[Australian]

Got our first one in the chook ( poultry) coop the other day. My wife went to collect eggs out of the nesting box and these beady eyes were looking at her. It was a red belly black, venomous but not as bad as some here in Australia. He was big fat and shiny, probably had a few eggs over the days. So we wonder how many times we had put our hands near him. He's now in a bottle ready for our son to display in his shop. We were sitting out the back of our house when the rescue helicopter went over our house as it does when its on its way to our hospital for a retrieval to a larger centre. My wife said I wonder what it is, is it some one we know ( know most people in small country communities) It might be a snake bite..
Went to work to find out it had been a man that had been bitten by an Eastern Brown ( one of our most venomous snakes) on the finger. He was very unwell by the time he had arrived at our little hospital. He had two lots of antivenom ( our entire stock) and another three given by the retrieval team. He's recovered now and at home. Thank goodness for antivenom and our retrieval service. its a wonder it doesn't happen more often with the number of Browns in the area.

 

[aussie_cowgirl]

We mostly get dugites and tiger snakes where I am. My sister found 2 dugites about 2 metres away from my old cat who was sleeping under a tree. Pretty lucky that old Frank didn't get bitten. We were pretty lucky as kids; I don't think Mum counted on our Jack Russell X to be such a good snake killer. She's about 12 and was bitten by 2 snakes last year (still managed to kill them), survived both without antivenom but is stone deaf. Every time a summer rolls around we worry she'll die from a bite. But Mum felt safer about us playing in the yard when Millie was there.

 

[peg4x4]

I've posted this hint before,but here it is again.... Punch a hole in both ends of an egg,blow out the contents.
Close up one end with candle wax/tape whatever. Fill the eggshell with salt,clost the hole. Put the egg in the nest,or leave a few scattered around on the floor. If you smear a little egg in the shell,the snake will find it better. Yes,that much salt will kill a snake..That much salt at one time would kill you!

 

[Jogeephus]

So we wonder how many times we had put our hands near him.

Probably more than you want to know. I wonder the same about walking over them. You don't realize how often you step over one until you have someone walk with you. When walking with others many more snake sightings are made and they are normally seen after the lead person has stepped over it and it has moved. Spooky thought.

 

[Oldtimer]

Reminds me-- I'd better stock up on snake bite "medicine"--its getting closer to snow snake season.... ;-)

 

[jilleroo]

I wonder if the salt/egg trick would work on goannas! We cannot keep chooks because of them - I've even tried suspending the nesting boxes by wire - the hens fly up into them to lay but the goannas still get up there somehow. They root all through my garden, tearing out plants, disturbing the mulch. They hog the swimming pool on hot days and there's no way of getting them out until they're good and ready. These are seriously big guys, well over a metre long and fat as well.
To top it all of, we had a big nasty one in our bedroom last Friday! Not one of the regulars....he was an unusual two-tone, yellow on top, black on the bottom half like he'd been in molasses. Very aggressive and it was a major drama getting him out again. We were left with a huge mess. I'd left a sliding door open a crack for the cat and that's where he came in. We could shoot them all out but hubby says leave them alone.
The snakes are about too, was greeted by a six foot king brown under the laundry tubs when I went to mix the calf milk late the other afternoon. Killed him with my trusty hoe. The whole house and environs is alive with big green frogs - perfect snake food. I was bitten by a brown years ago and, after an initial reaction to the antivenene, suffered a rare secondary one a week later and nearly died. Consequently, I can't afford to get bitten again but come up against snakes on a very regular basis, living where we do. I have the mobile no. of a medical professor handy who says he will "look after" me if the worst happens! However, the green frogs give me the creeps more than the snakes! Neighbours found a big king brown fresh dead - cut him open and found a cane toad!
I must say though,purely through "saturation" therapy, I'm getting better with frogs.
As for snake dogs, we've gone through many dear little jackies and foxies over the years. We've always tried to keep a pair, one to train the new pup after one gets bitten and dies. We've only got one at the moment and she's a pearler, doesn't really bark at anything other than a snake which is rare for a yappy breed!

 

[cross_7]

I wonder if the salt/egg trick would work on goannas! We cannot keep chooks because of them - I've even tried suspending the nesting boxes by wire - the hens fly up into them to lay but the goannas still get up there somehow. They root all through my garden, tearing out plants, disturbing the mulch. They hog the swimming pool on hot days and there's no way of getting them out until they're good and ready. These are seriously big guys, well over a metre long and fat as well.
To top it all of, we had a big nasty one in our bedroom last Friday! Not one of the regulars....he was an unusual two-tone, yellow on top, black on the bottom half like he'd been in molasses. Very aggressive and it was a major drama getting him out again. We were left with a huge mess. I'd left a sliding door open a crack for the cat and that's where he came in. We could shoot them all out but hubby says leave them alone.
The snakes are about too, was greeted by a six foot king brown under the laundry tubs when I went to mix the calf milk late the other afternoon. Killed him with my trusty hoe. The whole house and environs is alive with big green frogs - perfect snake food. I was bitten by a brown years ago and, after an initial reaction to the antivenene, suffered a rare secondary one a week later and nearly died. Consequently, I can't afford to get bitten again but come up against snakes on a very regular basis, living where we do. I have the mobile no. of a medical professor handy who says he will "look after" me if the worst happens! However, the green frogs give me the creeps more than the snakes! Neighbours found a big king brown fresh dead - cut him open and found a cane toad!
I must say though,purely through "saturation" therapy, I'm getting better with frogs.
As for snake dogs, we've gone through many dear little jackies and foxies over the years. We've always tried to keep a pair, one to train the new pup after one gets bitten and dies. We've only got one at the moment and she's a pearler, doesn't really bark at anything other than a snake which is rare for a yappy breed!

i'd move before the sun went down

 

[Ryder]

Sounds like you folks need to have a big snake killing. :roll:
You ever try using those frogs for bait in a snake trap? Maybe get rid of frogs and snakes at the same time.

 

[Australian]

That amount of browns would annoy me. We think we see a few at times but it's not too bad.

 

[peg4x4]

Try the egg/salt thing-all you'd be out is a bit of salt and time.. Should work on anything that gulps an egg down whole..

 

[lavacarancher]

Try the egg/salt thing-all you'd be out is a bit of salt and time.. Should work on anything that gulps an egg down whole..

I'm told Tabasco sauce works pretty well too. It'll stop a egg suckin' dog as well - won't kill him but he will puke up his socks.

 

[GMN]

What is the most poisonous snake you have in Australia?

GMN

 

[cross_7]

What is the most poisonous snake you have in Australia?

GMN

i wondered as well so i googled it and best i can tell if your bitten by a snake in australia there is a good chance your going to die.
Taipan is the world's most venomous, with toxin 50 times more potent than the Indian cobra.
Fierce Snake
King Brown
Tiger Snake
Death Adder

 

[angela dawn]

Thats a good idea but what do you do for a chicken eating dog other than a bullet? Any suggestions.

 

[cross_7]

Thats a good idea but what do you do for a chicken eating dog other than a bullet? Any suggestions.

get a dog eating chicken
one of them there fight'en chickens

 

[dcara]

A snake trap I have used (mainly on cottonmouths) is a 4ft square piece of plywood on the ground with a brick under one end and a 10ft rope tied to a nail in the plywood at the brick end. After a few days I get the shotgun and go jerk the rope flipping the plywood away. Then its open season.

Though I've never seen them actually do it. For 2 years in a row I saw a snake smashed and cut to pieces in the middle of a pasture during the spring with hoof prints all around it leading me to believe that cattle will kill snakes.

 

[Australian]

it sounds if every two feet you walk in this country you are likely to get bitten. Thats not the case. Not very many people die in Australia from snake bite. They do if proper first aid isn't used. The main snakes in our area are Eastern Brown, Red Bellied Black snake,Blue Bellied Black snake,Tiger snake and Copperhead. The only ones that I have seen on our place are Eastern Browns and Red Bellied Black. Down to our east at the lower altitude coastal area they have the same as us ( except Copperhead) they also have Death Adders, Clarence River rough scaled and Taipans have been caught but not many. Of those listed above the most venomous are Taipan Eastern Brown and the rough scaled snake ( it looks a bit like a cross between a brown and a black)
The snakes generally keep away from you. Most people get bitten when they go chasing them to kill them. I've had two close calls with Black snakes, been hit on the leg when I stepped out of my 4 WD near a tussock of Matt Rush. Luckily I had jeans on. I quickly moved out of their way.

 

[jilleroo]

Snakes are always plentiful in this type of country, rolling mitchell and flinders grass downs with black cracking clay soil. Years ago at Winton, the only big snake we ever saw was the Collett's, a black with an orange belly, sort of the western version of the red-bellied black. We rarely saw a King Brown. Now they've exploded in numbers and eaten up the Collett population and it's rare to see one. During the mid-nineties, the snakes, the big varieties and smaller browns, were so thick we kept a tally for a three week period of what was killed within the houseyard fence - the total was over 60 snakes! We'd chuck them in a bucket and take it away when it was full or smelt too much. You just learn to automatically scan for them constantly within your field of vision. The kids had to wear rubber boots and always had the snaking dogs with them. We often say that the boys wouldnt have survived but for those little dogs. We've got a million bizarre snake stories - but so does everyone out here.

 

[Ryder]

Snakes are always plentiful in this type of country, rolling mitchell and flinders grass downs with black cracking clay soil. Years ago at Winton, the only big snake we ever saw was the Collett's, a black with an orange belly, sort of the western version of the red-bellied black. We rarely saw a King Brown. Now they've exploded in numbers and eaten up the Collett population and it's rare to see one. During the mid-nineties, the snakes, the big varieties and smaller browns, were so thick we kept a tally for a three week period of what was killed within the houseyard fence - the total was over 60 snakes! We'd chuck them in a bucket and take it away when it was full or smelt too much. You just learn to automatically scan for them constantly within your field of vision. The kids had to wear rubber boots and always had the snaking dogs with them. We often say that the boys wouldnt have survived but for those little dogs. We've got a million bizarre snake stories - but so does everyone out here.

Glad to see you people speak of snake dogs. People here don't believe me when I talk about a dog I had that was a snake dog.

 

[jilleroo]

Many breeds of dogs seem to be good snakers but the terriers are best because they're small and quick. Sometimes however they dive in and get bitten straight up as a pup and die. Others are more wary as pups and just stand back and bark - which is all we want them to do really. As they get older, they tend to get braver and eventually get got. We had one corgi x terrier who would just saunter up, dive in, crunch the snake's head, give it a few shakes, scratch some dirt on it with her hindlegs, and saunter off again! The inevitable happened when she was about 11 years so she had a good run, despite being in a coma a couple of times in earlier years after being bitten.
There are sometimes nice things in our homestead yard besides. Red and blue wrens, parrots, shingleback lizards, water hens etc.