Snake sightings, encounters and reminders.

I find snakes love rubbish and food scraps left around which attracts mice etc..... which you do get in suburban areas

My best tip... keep your eyes open and tread heavily.. most snakes will pick up the vibration in heavy footsteps and be on their way long before you see them.

My darling (adult) kids bought me a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) for Xmas a couple of years ago after I broke my ankle while camping on my own in an isolated area (000 and 112 did not work!), 10 year battery life.

I am now under strict orders to wear it at all times when I'm out in the bush on my own, and I do (only take it off when I'm safely in bed). I also have a well stocked First Aid Kit which was a godsend when I broke my ankle.

So being realistic there is more likelihood of having an accident than getting bitten by a snake.

Cheers :sunny:

silver said:

You could always wipe the wound with anything at all first, and just save that for the ambos to test,.... then you could irrigate the bite site asap,,,, and have the best of both worlds/wisdom,... wouldn't you both agree(ha).

Click to expand...

You missed your calling as a Diplomat Silver

Thanks stoney , i keep mentioning the snakes everytime Grabby is mentioned , because they are thick there and usually stepping backwards or taking big fast steps away from one snake will suddenly have you ontop of another out there.

:100: oop: COMPLETELY INCORRECT oop: :100:

What you are actually seeing and photographing is the mythical GG Spinel Serpent, the story goes that while slithering through the rocks and boulders of a running stream, it drops its shiny black scales a streaks of shiny gems behind big boulders. As the weather starts to get cooler, their red scales are known to drop off and can sometimes be seen shining brightly in the sun.

When the weather gets really cold they retreat underground where their scales turn blue. Warm spring storms awaken the serpent who drops all their blue scales prior to returning to the streams. If you look carefully after a big spring storm, blue scales often come to the surface to shine brightly.

Sickness and death awaits those who try to harvest the spinel serpent scales without waiting for them to reveal themselves.

Whatever your'e smoking there Wally, I want some :lol:

Here's an idea, fossick GG in winter, problem solved.

You've gotta break the ice first.

Ex Goulburn Boy.

Keep it simple, don't stuff around looking for things to clean the bite. There is a standard procedure for treating snake bites, DON'T mess with it or the venom damage will be a lot more serious

Time is of the essence, once bitten get the bite wrapped and immobilised as fast as possible. The venom has been injected so washing off won't make any difference, AND the Hospital will need the skin residue to confirm the snake identification otherwise they can't administer the correct anti-venine.

read an article where the venom travells via the Lymph system, so any movement will help it to progress, also heard that there is now one antivenom

ray

Looks like the Big Boys are still Slithering around...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-23/giant-five-metre-burmese-python-caught-on-gold-coast/12081952

But I wonder if it is a Relative of this one released at the Gold Coast Seaway several years ago by our 'boys in Blue' .....Dumb A##es... ]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04...-constrictor-by-mistake-on-gold-coast/6374398

And that one has Never been found... :lol:

LW...

BIG red belly black in my yard on weekend
Sorry no pic , i didnt hang around

Baby brown in bark of dead tree on the weekend!

Might be a tad early but seems the odd snake is making the most of a couple of sunny days .... I know it's Victoria but has been warmish in the sun.

Wife (suitably masked), was out walking (exercise) this morning around the local lake (within 5km of home) when another walker (also suitably masked) warned them of a snake sun baking adjacent to a lake crossing walkway ..... they changed direction (I would have gone of a look).

Time to start thinking again of suitable protection when out and about.

Cheers T.

It would appear that spring has sprung early in victoria. I spotted the first flowering wattle almost a month ago, theyre in full bloom up here now. My Brother spotted a pair of wild ducks with a clutch of ducklings over the weekend also. He's in Gisbourne. If they are hatching this early they will probably get three clutches in for the season. Time to give the snake gaitors a wash and lube up the zips. :|

OK, noticed this Victorian FB post from a responsible/reliable bloke ........ initial thought was to call it as Bull oop: but karma being what it is I'd probably get bitten next time out so thought it safer to check with with the good PA community.

Now I've rarely seen snakes out detecting .... exceptions were panning/sluicing on creeks when I came across a Red/yellow bellied black on 2 occasions. being shy they hid their heads in rocks and probably thought they were invisible.

So, how often have you spotted a snake and more importantly what's the greatest number you've come across on one outing/day.

Cheers T.

In one day 8 or 10 as separate sightings, not while detecting but as a kid in SW NSW the ground crawling with them one particular year. We had an old gal water tank sunk in the ground (not sure what its purpose was we never used it) with a corrugated iron cover over it. We lifted it to have a look one day and there would have been 50 or more :argh: dropped the lid and never went near it again.

In the GT I reckon I'd be lucky to have come across 4 or 5 in the last 20 odd years.

Yes, it depends on size too. A customer only a couple of weeks back had a dozen or so in their factory all in the same day, all very young ones. So, mum is probably close by too.

In the wild in the one place, I've seen a few on the same day. A large Tiger snake making its way underneath my camp chair while fishing (left the lid off of a tub of worms in wet compost, in the middle of a harsh drought which was a dumb mistake to make), while seeing a couple of black snakes making their way back and forth across the river on the same day. Mind you, I say in the wild, but I'm talking about Westerfolds park in Melbourne which is not that far at all from suburbia. And, on a different day the one I almost stepped on that I mentioned recently on here, in the same park on a pathway.

But while detecting? Not one in the GT as yet in the couple of years I've been doing it, but I'm sure that day will eventually come :awful: In Vic at least, you increase your chances of encounters too, the closer you get to a natural water source and a food source. My above encounters were on the banks of the Yarra, I suspect the GT areas all along the Loddon and Campaspe rivers & their tributaries and creeks would also be crawling with them on the right day. Don't be alarmed, just be alert. Oh, and sensible footwear, long pants and gaiters are also wise :Y:

Can't say I've seen any since getting back into detecting about 5 years ago. But that's probably cause I detect for Half an hour then stop for beers.
Back in the 70's as a young 'un used to camp around Beenak a lot in the black snake range. Appropriately named.
You were always guaranteed to sight one or 2 walking down to the creek for water.
Geez we used to tease them at times. Surprised no one ever got bitten.
These days I know well enough to leave them alone.

I like the blacks , they will eat the browns . Nearly stood on a black , he was warming himself up in the morning , among-st black burnt sticks .