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Post by bushfire on Oct 17, 2022 15:18:27 GMT -7
In my part of the world it's spring and that means snakes. Came across this decent sized eastern brown snake yesterday. Didn't get it on camera but he mock striked at me before moving on. Eastern browns are I think the worlds second most venomous snakes. I and most country aussies limit trekking through thick bush between now and April because of snakes.
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Post by Black Hand on Oct 17, 2022 16:45:05 GMT -7
We have rattlesnakes - don't see them much on the west side of the state where I live. They tend to avoid contact if at all possible. Regardless, they are delicious...
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Joe
City-dweller
Posts: 170
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Post by Joe on Oct 17, 2022 19:19:22 GMT -7
Spring and fall are when I see the most snakes, they wander onto the roads to sun themselves. a couple weeks ago I crossed a small bridge with my motorbike and it had a bunch of snakes on the deck. I didn't slow down to see what they were. But I've seen quite a few snakes this fall riding. I doubt any were venomous, but we do have rattlers.
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Post by brokennock on Oct 17, 2022 19:23:33 GMT -7
We have several species of snakes here in Connecticut, but only two that are venomous. Timber rattlesnakes and copperhead, with the latter being far more common but rarely seen. We have corn snakes, garter snakes, Eastern ringnecks, black racers, common brown watersnakes (not to be confused with water moccasins), black rat snakes, just to name a few. The eastern ringneck and corn snake are probably my favorites though.
Hard to believe you Ausies tolerate the restrictive firearms laws you have when it seems that most everything there is meant to kill you. Heck, you even have a venomous mammal!
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Post by Black Hand on Oct 17, 2022 19:56:36 GMT -7
... most everything there is meant to kill you. Heck, you even have a venomous mammal! The thought of being stalked and killed by a Platypus makes me giggle. I don't giggle....often.
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Post by bushfire on Oct 17, 2022 21:13:42 GMT -7
Its not the venomous mammals you need to worry about. Generally once a year there's a news story about some city idiot that got too close to a kangaroo. They've been known to disembowel folks from time to time. As do cassowaries, emus less so but they have the hardware for it. Snakes are protected so can't just kill them, if they're in the bush I like to leave them be anyhow. But if they're within 100m of your dwelling or in self defence it's OK. I got this one next to the house summer just been. I'm about 5'10", I'd chopped the brown snakes head off at this point.
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Snakes!
Oct 18, 2022 4:10:12 GMT -7
Post by Black Hand on Oct 18, 2022 4:10:12 GMT -7
That's a respectable-sized snake.
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Post by brokennock on Oct 18, 2022 15:27:24 GMT -7
Its not the venomous mammals you need to worry about. Generally once a year there's a news story about some city idiot that got too close to a kangaroo. They've been known to disembowel folks from time to time. As do cassowaries, emus less so but they have the hardware for it. Snakes are protected so can't just kill them, if they're in the bush I like to leave them be anyhow. But if they're within 100m of your dwelling or in self defence it's OK. I got this one next to the house summer just been. I'm about 5'10", I'd chopped the brown snakes head off at this point. View AttachmentThey need to stop calling that place the land of Oz. It's more like the land of nope. Walk around someplace where everything bites, stings, envenomates, kicks, punches, or in some way is designed to kill, maim, or hurt humans,,,, without my 1911 or at the least my P365XL?! NOPE!
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Post by brokennock on Oct 18, 2022 15:29:33 GMT -7
... most everything there is meant to kill you. Heck, you even have a venomous mammal! The thought of being stalked and killed by a Platypus makes me giggle. I don't giggle....often. They are one of God's coolest creatures. But, after the video I saw of some guy who takes a whack from those venomous dew claws,,,, I'd rather cuddle with one of our porcupines.
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Post by bushfire on Oct 18, 2022 16:00:17 GMT -7
It's funny I think of bears, lions and wolves as far more concerning than what we have.
Being Australian it is hard wired into our minds to constantly be aware of snakes. Up north you're always concious of crocodiles. Swimming in northern waters I draw the line - crocodiles, sharks, box jellies and irikanji - no thanks!
Only male platypus have spurs, just grab females and you'll be ok. It's easy to sex too, pick one up and if it stings you know it's a male and to put it back 😁
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Post by Black Hand on Oct 18, 2022 16:22:40 GMT -7
Bears, lions and wolves are more interested in staying away from humans than coming in for a cuddle. Snakes are a bit more unpredictable and tend to hide in places where one doesn't expect something to be hiding and are attracted to our warmth.
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Joe
City-dweller
Posts: 170
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Post by Joe on Oct 18, 2022 16:48:31 GMT -7
I can't help but think of Darwin when thinking of Australia's fauna.
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Post by bushfire on Oct 20, 2022 2:29:15 GMT -7
Part 2 to the snake topic occurred today.
I work in Agronomy and was with a farmer checking some crops today. We were in his polaris ranger, the kind with no door, and just exited a paddock. As he turned to get onto the road a huge brown snake about the same length as the guy in the above photo but a lot fatter lunged at his leg hanging half out the spot where a door would be. Missed him by about a foot but the farmer nearly ended up in my lap from fright! Saw another on the way back into town so it's definitely snake season now.
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Post by bushfire on Nov 6, 2023 3:23:57 GMT -7
Yesterday I was in the kitchen late morning kneading a pita dough when I see my wife running toward the house carrying my three year old who was screaming. Initially I thought he'd been bitten by a bee, but as soon as I opened the back-door my wife yelled "snake!"
After we'd checked him over for bites and calmed him down we got the story from him and my 5 year old. They were walking along some bricks I'd laid the day before and circled back over the garden bed. There was a bit of black plastic laying there and as Charlie stepped on it, he also stepped on the snake hiding under it. Thankfully it took off and went under the granny flat.
This morning I got some more mesh and set it up. Early afternoon my wife went out to check and come back saying she could see it. I went out and sure enough his head and about 6" of body was out. I assumed he was in the netting so walked past within a metre of it to grab the shovel. As I came back and stepped in to give him his eviction order he backed under the flat. Turns out he wasn't caught, it was a silly lapse of judgement getting so close in berkenstocks and shorts.
I fixed the netting and set up the kids baby monitor on the hole it was using with the motion sensor activated. We'd just come down from bathing the kids when my wife said the motion sensor had been triggered. I went out to check and sure enough there he was, this time thoroughly wrapped up. It was an eastern brown snake like most we get where i live, a little under 4ft long. I do like snakes - in the wild that is. Having one of the world's most venomous snakes living in my backyard where my kids play is a touch too much.
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990
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Post by Keith on Nov 6, 2023 15:49:37 GMT -7
In my part of the world it's spring and that means snakes. Came across this decent sized eastern brown snake yesterday. Didn't get it on camera but he mock striked at me before moving on. Eastern browns are I think the worlds second most venomous snakes. I and most country aussies limit trekking through thick bush between now and April because of snakes. View AttachmentHotter weather due to anthropogenic climate change has caused an increase in snake numbers Bushfire. One can not avoid them living in a forest as we do. Take care & stay safe. Keith.
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