A close shave.

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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:43 am

My heart is still pounding. Neighbour is away and I have the job of animal feeding and mail collecting. I drew up to his gate a few minutes ago and went to get his mail. Luckily I caught a glimpse of movement and stopped before I opened his box. When I flicked the lid back there was a 1 metre long rough scaled brown snake in there and it wasn't happy about being disturbed. I had to go and break a thin branch off a tree and hook the bloody thing out. It can find somewhere else to hibernate.
Please check your own boxes. It's not in my job description Shocked

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:48 am

Quote:

Please check your own boxes

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:07 am

It's always amazed me how many seriously poisonous creatures there are in Australia without any real predators for them to need it as a defence against; I mean, does a funnel web spider really need enough venom to kill a horse ?

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:22 am

Yikes! Thanks for the heads up Jeff - I'm looking after my Ma's mailbox for the next few weeks. Not sure we get too many brown snakes in suburban Melbourne but you can't be complacent about these things.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:25 am

and THIS is exactly the reason, why your lovely continent will NEVER EVER see my ass on it!! Wink

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:32 am

^^^^ Now THAT's what I call a reason to go there!

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:37 am

For you, my dear Donnie, I would of course make an exception Wink

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

was expecting wallace and grommit.

My friend used to play with brown recluse spiders till he got bit, now he dont play with them no more.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:38 am

Them boxing kangaroos can be buggers too if they catch you unaware with an uppercut. Very Happy

My sis. lives in Perth. She never mentions about the creepy crawlies or snakes. Probably because she lives on the 12th floor.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:13 am

Don't believe everything Steve Irwin told you. There's plenty of bugs and besties here that will kill you in a heartbeat but they are usually in rural/outback areas and prefer to stay well away from humans just as much as we prefer to stay away from them. Almost every Aussie has a 'snake story' but very few ever get bitten, and even fewer actually die. You'll find that more people die from peanut allergies and certainly a lot more die in road accidents.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:53 am

^^^^ Bee Stings cause more deaths here than anything other poisonous critter. Snakes are plenty and will usually run away just as fast as you do. Sometimes accidents happen. Just like with knives, cars, small children etc.

It's a great place, we just don't tell too many people about the good stuff Smile

So next time you want to smell the roses - remember the bees.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:54 am

Geez, the neighbor asks you to feed his asp and all you do is complain. He figured by putting him in the mailbox you could kill two birds with one stone (and one Jeff in the process).

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:08 pm

Quote:

usually in rural/outback areas

The ones that can kill you in a heartbeat are mostly in the water [just ask Steve Irwin]. No-one has died from a funnel web bite since 1980. The only people that die from snake-bites are those who don't get treatment in time, and despite our abortionate health system, that's unlikely in urban areas. Nobody drops dead on the spot. Our marine nasties are another matter. [sharks, rays, jellyfish, stonefish, bondi cigars etc] Some can literally kill you in a few seconds. But they are easily avoided.
Steve Irwin was pretty much on the mark. He was not advocating that everyone go out and play with snakes, just greater tolerance of all animals, not just the cute & cuddly ones.

Actually, the most dangerous animals in the outback are [human] psycho killers. We seem to be getting a bad rep for that. And not surprisingly. Whenever I'm in isolated areas I'm far more concerned about whatever ratbags might be lurking in the scrub than an old black snake.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:18 pm

True - and many fatalities are caused by allergic reactions to the venom, just like bees. I was in Airlie Beach last year and a couple of (foolish) Poms went swimming depite the irukandji (tiny but very toxic jellyfish) warnings. Both got stung and both were paralysed with pain if nothing else (those mofo's HURT) but one recovered and the other went into severe shock and almost didn't make it. Luckily the local medics had the necessary meds and knowledge to give appropriate treatment. My Dice With Death was to almost step on a Blue Ring Octopus here in Port Phillip Bay (Melbourne) while bringing a boat up onto the beach.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:32 pm

^^^ Ah yes, there's one I left off my list. The blue ringed octopus. You sure as HELL don't want to get bitten by one of those. If you do, and you don't get treatment immediately....well, it's not a pleasant way to go. It takes about 5 minutes to die, as the toxin gradually paralyses your respiratory system. You are conscious through the whole process and can't draw a breath. There is no anti-venom for the blue ringed octopus. Your only chance is artificial respiration for however long it takes for the poison to be metabolised out of your system. Welcome to Australia.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:57 pm

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the drop-bears. Nasty things they are...

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:05 pm

Koalas on speed. Niiiice!

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:13 pm

@ breadcrumb. I totally agree with you - far too many nasty bitey snappy things there. My OH is from there and he tries to tell me you never see any of these things. Who needs to lift up the loo seat to check for redbacks Shocked

? - I can live without that.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:17 pm

@Jeff

Snakes in the mailbox? still better than Leicester though! Very Happy

Not quite a Newb Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 23

Gnasher , watched aprog on the box this weekend about a snakecatcher who rides a Harley who said that Melbourne is one of the biggest areas in Oz for snakes Confused

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:37 pm

Australia sounds fantastic, but do you know that the biggest killer in the UK is boredom, thousands perish every year from that little critter Wink

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:08 pm

ScamAngel wrote:

Gnasher , watched aprog on the box this weekend about a snakecatcher who rides a Harley who said that Melbourne is one of the biggest areas in Oz for snakes Confused

Well I've never seen one - but then I live in the inner 'burbs. The outer suburbs are very pastoral with lots of lovely snake habitats. The current drought is bringing them closer to built-up areas too because they are looking for water. We've had a few snakebites reported in greater Melbourne this year but no fatalities as far as I know.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:38 pm

Dark Spirit wrote:

..., but do you know that the biggest killer in the UK is boredom, thousands perish every year from that little critter
....

And there's me thinking it was Harold Shipman. You live and learn. Maybe not. Shocked

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:55 pm

All I've gotta say to you Jeff is, wow! If I saw a snake in a mailbox, I would have screamed so loud that the neighbours would think that I'm being sexually assaulted and call the police Laughing

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 8:01 am

It wasn't there today!!! Laughing

@music man. Sure is, anything is!
@ Jojo. Never thought of that. He owes me $5.00!
@Rockaway. Bondi Cigars Laughing

Absolute killers!
@SP. I don't mind them and would never kill them. I relocate them but I treat them with the respect they deserve. I'm too far away from help to risk a bite.
@Tommo. I know some creepies in Perth Wink

@ Scam Angel. You know Gnasher Laughing

As for the rest of you, come for a visit Twisted Evil