The Dangers Of Australian Fauna - The Brown Snake Is One Of The Most Deadly In The World - Recent Fatality Is A Reminder

We are creatures of complacency us lot. We tend to be guided by a normalcy bias that assures us that whatever happened yesterday is likely to again happen today, and so on.

This serves us well in a complex world but fails us miserably when it comes to common dangers. Just such a danger appeared in the news today and it's a timely reminder to those of use who are used to this country's natural hazards and for those who are visiting and my have little idea.

The following is according to this article .

A man has died less than an hour after being bitten by a brown snake while trying to protect his pet dog in north western New South Wales.

Police said the incident happened in the backyard of a home in Tamworth on Wednesday night, when the man attempted to protect a pet from the snake.

The 24-year-old man was bitten on the finger.

He was rushed to hospital by family but died away within an hour.

Brown snakes are among the most deadly in the world, however fatal bites remain uncommon in Australia.

Between 2000 and 2016, 35 people died from snake bites in Australia.

The Brown Snake is as deadly as it is stunning. The site here has a lot of information on them and I've included one of their pictures below and it's actually at this time of year, in the summer, when they're at the most dangerous.

This is due to a combination of factors. Firstly, they're out of hibernation in the warm months and secondly with the rain fall at this time of year, the grass and flora is at it's longest and requires maintenance and mowing.

Currently, I hear lawn mowers running around my suburb almost every other day and over the whole weekend. People are out and about on their properties and so it's very easy to mistake one of these snakes for a fallen branch.

There are often storms at this time of year on the Australian East coast and so fallen sticks and branches are a common sight on the ground. As you can imagine, it's a perfect storm that makes the danger very real.

alchetron.com

There are a few basic precautions that can be taken in order to minimise the dangers associated with these animals.

• Always wear proper working boots, thick socks and long pants, ideally denim or a thicker fabric. Not only will this protect you from the heat and elements, but will provide you with some basic protection against snake encounters.
• Visibility is your friend. Before moving into an overgrown area, stop for a moment and listen for any movement. Keen an eye out for anything that indicates the presence of a snake. It could be fast or it could be subtle. Don't go blindly walking into areas that you can't see.
• It's a good idea to have a second person with you. If an incident does occur they are able to call emergency services and hopefully either photograph or describe the assailant.

Another shot of the Eastern Brown from this informative site.

As the article above indicates, death can be swift so it is also a good idea to brush up on your first aid skills regarding snake bites. Just two weekends ago, there was a red bellied black snake at the perimeter fence of our property. Pictured below, they're equally capable of causing fatalities.

One of these visited our property a few weeks back. Image from here.

Stay safe out there!