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Re: [OM] [OT]WAS ALERT, NOW Snake Identification

Subject: Re: [OM] [OT]WAS ALERT, NOW Snake Identification
From: andrew fildes <afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 10:31:34 +1000
Oh yes - we have a lot of very nice pythons. There is a lot of discussion
about which is the most poisonous here - the Brown because it has a very
toxic venom, the Tiger in spring because it brews a strong batch over the
winter or the Taipan/Fierce Snake because it is big, bites several times
and gets a lot into you.
We have a Copperhead, which is a very beautiful and rather docile snake of
low toxicity - I've handled a tamish one which had not been defanged,
without much worry (made me a legend in my own lunchtime to my students).
It had a student almost sit on a Tiger during a bushwalking excursion but
it was a cool day, the snake was slow although ready to strike and she did
what she was told for once in her life (must have heard the 'edge' in my
voice when I called "freeze"). Brown Snakes, however, make the little hairs
on the back of my neck tingle just to watch them.
There's a lot of nonsense spoken about the speed of death from snakebite -
even from the worst, you don't die that fast. Now would you care to guess
what the most dangerous animal in Australia is (the one that kills more
than any other in any given year)?
AndrewF


>Andrew are there any non venomous snakes in OZ? :>)
>In the US the coral is confused with the Scarlet King snake and the
>Scarlet snake
>two very beneficial snakes. All have red black and yellow stripes. If
>the red and yellow stripes touch, its a Coral snake and while rarely
>lethal its not a lot of fun if you happen to get bit.
>When I was 30 I was out scouting a place to deer hunt during the early
>fall. Sat down to rest on the side of a ridge and put my right hand down
>on the ground to lean on and placed it right into the open mouth of a
>Copperhead. It was perfectly camouflaged in the leaves that had fallen
>and I never saw the snake until it bit me.
>Luckily it only bit me with one fang right in that little piece of skin
>between the thumb and first finger. I have never been in such pain
>before. The first couple of hours my arm felt like it was on fire. The
>pain went away after the first day but my hand and arm remained swollen
>for a week. Of course if you get bit in Australia there is probably very
>little pain involved, more like quick death!!
>
>later,
>mike m.
>
>andrew fildes wrote:
>>
>> Oh, except the Tiger, and the Krait of course!
>> AndrewF
>>
>> >
>
>
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