Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Peter Fitness on October 20, 2014, 05:00:52 am
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Most people know that Australia is home to some of the most dangerous creatures on earth, snakes, spiders and crocodiles, to name a few, and I had a sharp reminder of that fact this morning.
I was walking out the back of our farm, looking at the cattle, when I heard a rustle in the grass as an Eastern Brown Snake struck at me. I had obviously startled it, but nowhere near as much as it startled me :o , and its strike was more of a warning than a serious attempt to bite me. It was about 2 metres away, and after striking it immediately disappeared under some dead leaves. It's Spring here now, a time when snakes can be very active, although they are not often seen, as they tend to move away as soon as they feel the vibrations of an approaching person or large animal. I must admit some complacency about the presence of snakes, they are there but rarely seen. However, on the way back to the house I was rather more vigilant than on the outward journey.
The Eastern Brown is the second most deadly snake in the world, after the Australian Inland Taipan, but is one of the biggest causes of snake bite, mainly because they are quite common in the more populated areas of Australia. The bite, if not treated fairly quickly, can be fatal, so I count myself quite lucky. I will keep a sharp lookout, and carry a big stick, in future O0
Peter.
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Blimey Peter, it just goes to show, we are never too old to learn lessons in life. Glad this worked out okay for you....
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had a taste of one once whilst trekking with a mate in the outback..............quite tasty.....get yer own back time it was. :embarrassed:
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had a taste of one once whilst trekking with a mate in the outback..............quite tasty.....get yer own back time it was. :embarrassed:
No can do anymore, because they are all now a protected specie you are not allowed to bite back, but have to relocate them %% %%
gently, gently easy does it yeh right.
Ankle boots around the farm time by the look of it.
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glad you are ok...like your little windows of life on the other side of the world.....tony
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Hello
I have just spoken about your message to my neighbor.
At the idea of seeing you dying she cries a lot.
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:-)) Last time I had a close call was when the wife found out how much I spent on my latest boat,Ray. :-)) :-)) :-))
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Yep you re locate them after you belt them over the head <*< :-)
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As you say, "close call!"
Did the Eastern Brown Snake cause Australian brown trousers?!!
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Between this and the discovery of a puppy sized spider in South America........ personally I'm never leaving the UK again :o :o :o :o
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{:-{ Mind you Scorpions have been found in the London docks and that was in the 1960s when I lived at Rotherhithe,they are still there I am told in Canada water,Ray. :((
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Home delivery !!!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11172553/Brazilian-Wandering-spider-delivered-in-Waitrose-online-shopping.html
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or eating bananas! O0 O0 O0
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as a spiderphobic, dont show any, non in the UK, have you seen the size they have been getting to lately - shuuuuudddddeeeeerrrr
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:P As I live in a house full of women the spider word is a no no,Ray. 8) 8) 8)
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Lucky you! This is what passes for a snake here in Spain, a Horseshoe whiptail, this is a baby I rescued earlier this year, its about a 1ft long, they can get as big as 4ft.
But we have to be vigilant against insects, there are about a dozen here that can put you in hospital with their bites or stings. What about this wasp attacking a tarantula? I put the third one in so you can see the size of the spider against my finger. The wasp came back later and ate it.
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Me wife is on off talking about us moving to Australia but if she see this post it will never happen {:-{
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Me wife is on off talking about us moving to Australia but if she see this post it will never happen
Just tell her that some of the venomous spiders have a habit of hiding under toilet seats....
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Just tell her that some of the venomous spiders have a habit of hiding under toilet seats....
Which I say is damned unsporting!
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Which I say is damned unsporting!
Absolutely, as it can lead to an attack of the Dire Rear....
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{-) Ouch ! {-)
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The most venomous critter in Europe isn't anything that walks , slithers , flies or crawls... it swims
(http://getswellsoon.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/lesserweever.jpg)
Yup the small Lesser Weever is a right old nasty piece of work , it buries itself into the sand in shallow water , usually where a lot of people go swimming......
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I know that one, it's actually very tasty, used to catch them, hold them with pliers and cut of the fillets the rest goes overboard again.
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Did the Eastern Brown Snake cause Australian brown trousers?!!
Very nearly Martin {-)
As a couple of the other Aussies have said, given the chance you "relocate" snakes, after anaesthetising them with the back of a shovel. Browns need a bit of caution though, as they can be very aggressive, and are extremely quick, and my reactions aren't what they used to be <:( . Perhaps a pair of jeans may be more appropriate than shorts next time.
Red back spiders were immortalised in Australia in the song "There was a red back on the toilet seat", referring to a time when many houses had outside toilets. Words here -
http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/satan-s-sibling/redback-on-the-toilet-seat-lyrics-famed-aussie-poem/ (http://)
We used to see a lot of red backs, but they seem to have disappeared, thankfully. They are not in the least aggressive, you have to actually touch one before it will bite, not that I've ever tried :-) , but you need to be aware that they may be around.
Actually, anyone thinking of visiting Australia needn't worry about all the dangerous creatures, you hardly ever see them - (they just sneak up on you when you least expect it %% ) At least we don't have crocodiles where I live (the sharks ate them all %) )
Peter.
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Very nearly Martin {-)
Actually, anyone thinking of visiting Australia needn't worry about all the dangerous creatures, you hardly ever see them - (they just sneak up on you when you least expect it %% ) At least we don't have crocodiles where I live (the sharks ate them all %) )
Peter.
Your right Peter it's not a problem at the moment as it isn't election time yet but when it is, that's when they, the pollies, AKA dangerous creatures, sneak up on you
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I always thought this song was a great way to promote Australia to the rest of the world.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I
and maybe this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ci3b-IsWg
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Fantastic, Mermod, I love them both :-)) They make me wonder how I've survived so long in this dangerous country {-)
I might add that my encounter with the snake was the first time I've actually seen a brown snake for over 20 years......and I don't care if it's another 20 years before I see the next one O0
Peter.
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Just goes to show that the conservation of snakes is working %) %)
We are even seeing them in suburbia and on the Gold Coast tourist strip.
Last season, news article warning Gold Coast bathers to beware as we watched on the tellie, coppers chasing a snake in Surfers Paradise, time for them to be out and about getting a sun tan O0 O0
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Been to Australia 5 times now just last week got back snakes you worry about snakes and spiders I think Australians just play on the fact that they have these dangerous creatures there to keep us all out of there country I have never seen anything which will poison you Australiians need to worry about them bloody Echidnas one crept up on me the other day nearly gave me a heart attack if I had fallen over it could have taken out one if not both of my eyes, Snakes and Spiders indeed {-) {-) {-) %% ok2
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I think Australians just play on the fact that they have these dangerous creatures there to keep us all out of there country
Darn!! You've discovered our secret %% {-)
Jokes aside, they're there all right, you need to be aware of them but, as I have said before, most of the time you don't see them. Living as I do, in a rural area, you have to be vigilant, especially in long grass in the warmer weather when snakes are most active. I had become complacent, but it was a wake up call and I'll be keeping a much sharper watch from now on.
As for echidnas; they are not regarded as dangerous unless you try to pick one up.....or sit on one :o
Peter.