I was digging in a small mountain stream today and had to reach in a lot to move bigger pebbles and small rocks. I'm pretty new to all this and am wondering, are there any poisonous critters down there?
Cheers
Cheers
What lurks below the surface of a river?
- Thread starter Mike Marsupial
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Bullrouts and male Platypus about all I can think of, have seen a 120kg man beg to have his foot cut off after treading on a Bullrout. Platypus are thankfully pretty shy.
Where abouts mate
Thanks. I looked them up and am I right in thinking they wouldn't usually be found unless it's tidal or not too far from the coast?AussieChris said:
Nasty blighters by the sounds of things!
On the eastern side of the ranges in Mid-Northern NSW. A good way from the coast.7.62marksman said:
Hehe Mike, you are exactly in the right spot for Bullrouts then those buggers will go up as far as they can, wear gumboots/boots. Stir up the spot you are working a bit with your shovel before getting your hands in the action, grab some riggers gloves to look after your hands anyway. After a few times out with ripped up hands and picking gravel out from under my nails, gloves topped my list for my next Bunnings visit. My mate got hit about 65km up the Macleay jumping out of a canoe in about 2 foot of water and I know another that got done on the Clarence while fishing, bloody nasty and yup Madtuna freshwater stonefish.
Well I learned something today. Never heard of a Bullrout. Nasty little buggers.
Cheers for the info.
Cheers for the info.
I have had the pleasure of treading on one of those mongrels! It was at the back of the Manning River near Mt George getting shrimp for bait.
The pain was excruciating on the sole of my foot....however the real pain come from my glands on the inside of my thighs blowing up like water balloons! I couldn't walk from the pain. I was lucky that we were able to get a car close to me and jump in and drive back to the house.
A couple of panadol plus. I stuck my foot in water, as hot as I could handle soon sorted it out after about 6 hours!
The pain was excruciating on the sole of my foot....however the real pain come from my glands on the inside of my thighs blowing up like water balloons! I couldn't walk from the pain. I was lucky that we were able to get a car close to me and jump in and drive back to the house.
A couple of panadol plus. I stuck my foot in water, as hot as I could handle soon sorted it out after about 6 hours!
Around here it would be red belly black snakes, seen them go into small holes in the side of the creek and they love it if there's a bit of water around. Don't get bullrouts, never heard of them. Don't get platypusses either. Or should that be platypii?
The bullrout (Notesthes robusta) also commonly called freshwater stonefish or kroki,
is a pale yellowish to dark-brown coloured fish that lives in tidal estuaries and slow-flowing streams in eastern Australia, from Southern New South Wales to northern Queensland, Australia. It has on a very infrequent occurrence been caught at sea. Its spines are venomous. It is the only member of the genus Notesthes.
Description
The bullrout has a large head, and seven spines on the operculum. It has a big mouth with a protruding lower jaw. The spinous dorsal fin is slightly concave posteriorly and the last soft dorsal ray is attached by a membrane to the caudal peduncle. The body is covered with small scales, but the head is scaleless. Its colouration is variable from pale yellowish to dark brown, with blotches and marbling of dark brown, red-brown, grey, or black. These markings sometimes form broad, irregular bands. Bullrout may grow up to 30 cm in size, but are more commonly found at the 20-cm size.
Danger to humans and first aid
The dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines on a bullrout have venom glands on them, and should be handled with extreme care A puncture wound from one of these spines can be excruciatingly painful. For immediate relief of pain associated with the sting of a bullrout, immerse the affected area in hot water.
is a pale yellowish to dark-brown coloured fish that lives in tidal estuaries and slow-flowing streams in eastern Australia, from Southern New South Wales to northern Queensland, Australia. It has on a very infrequent occurrence been caught at sea. Its spines are venomous. It is the only member of the genus Notesthes.
Description
The bullrout has a large head, and seven spines on the operculum. It has a big mouth with a protruding lower jaw. The spinous dorsal fin is slightly concave posteriorly and the last soft dorsal ray is attached by a membrane to the caudal peduncle. The body is covered with small scales, but the head is scaleless. Its colouration is variable from pale yellowish to dark brown, with blotches and marbling of dark brown, red-brown, grey, or black. These markings sometimes form broad, irregular bands. Bullrout may grow up to 30 cm in size, but are more commonly found at the 20-cm size.
Danger to humans and first aid
The dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines on a bullrout have venom glands on them, and should be handled with extreme care A puncture wound from one of these spines can be excruciatingly painful. For immediate relief of pain associated with the sting of a bullrout, immerse the affected area in hot water.
Platypus venom
The calcaneus spur found on the male's hind limb is used to deliver venom.
While both male and female platypuses are born with ankle spurs, only the male's spurs deliver venom, composed largely of defensin-like proteins (DLPs), three of which are unique to the platypus.The DLPs are produced by the immune system of the platypus. The function of defensins is to cause lysis in pathogenic bacteria and viruses, but in platypuses they also are formed into venom for defense. Although powerful enough to kill smaller animals such as dogs, the venom is not lethal to humans, but the pain is so excruciating that the victim may be incapacitated. Oedema rapidly develops around the wound and gradually spreads throughout the affected limb. Information obtained from case histories and anecdotal evidence indicates the pain develops into a long-lasting hyperalgesia (a heightened sensitivity to pain) that persists for days or even months. Venom is produced in the crural glands of the male, which are kidney-shaped alveolar glands connected by a thin-walled duct to a calcaneus spur on each hind limb. The female platypus, in common with echidnas, has rudimentary spur buds that do not develop (dropping off before the end of their first year) and lack functional crural glands.
The venom appears to have a different function from those produced by nonmammalian species; its effects are not life-threatening to humans, but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim. Since only males produce venom and production rises during the breeding season, it may be used as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period.
Similar spurs are found on many archaic mammal groups, indicating that this is an ancient characteristic for mammals as a whole, and not exclusive to the platypus or other monotremes.
The calcaneus spur found on the male's hind limb is used to deliver venom.
While both male and female platypuses are born with ankle spurs, only the male's spurs deliver venom, composed largely of defensin-like proteins (DLPs), three of which are unique to the platypus.The DLPs are produced by the immune system of the platypus. The function of defensins is to cause lysis in pathogenic bacteria and viruses, but in platypuses they also are formed into venom for defense. Although powerful enough to kill smaller animals such as dogs, the venom is not lethal to humans, but the pain is so excruciating that the victim may be incapacitated. Oedema rapidly develops around the wound and gradually spreads throughout the affected limb. Information obtained from case histories and anecdotal evidence indicates the pain develops into a long-lasting hyperalgesia (a heightened sensitivity to pain) that persists for days or even months. Venom is produced in the crural glands of the male, which are kidney-shaped alveolar glands connected by a thin-walled duct to a calcaneus spur on each hind limb. The female platypus, in common with echidnas, has rudimentary spur buds that do not develop (dropping off before the end of their first year) and lack functional crural glands.
The venom appears to have a different function from those produced by nonmammalian species; its effects are not life-threatening to humans, but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim. Since only males produce venom and production rises during the breeding season, it may be used as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period.
Similar spurs are found on many archaic mammal groups, indicating that this is an ancient characteristic for mammals as a whole, and not exclusive to the platypus or other monotremes.
Here's the little blighter
Crazy thing is I know someone that keeps two of the horrid things in an aquarium, he first got one by accident in a shrimp trap getting some bait for Australian Bass. Problem with keeping them though is they are fussy eaters, they will only take live food so he has to keep a steady supply of shrimp, yabbies and gudgeons breeding for them.
No hands in the tank when cleaning I'm guessing.
Thanks for all the info, all. From the sounds of things I shouldn't have too much trouble in that spot. The Joe Blakes are probably the biggest danger there.
Spotted some interesting creatures. One was a caterpillar about two inches long, fat and bright orange. I stayed out of his way, and he hung around for quite a while. Also saw a couple of medium sized spiders floating on the surface! A few 'crawbobs' came up in shovel-loads. Those were almost transparent, and I might be wrong, but I don't think they would nip too hard.
I'll take your advice, AussieChris, and get some gloves. Also have to remember to try and get a bit of a tan on my legs before next trip. Mine hadn't seen daylight for decades and look like they're radioactive now! Very painful! lololol Head is the same! I took an Akubra, but was so carried away that I didn't cart it with me.
I'll also look into knee guards and maybe elbow guards too, as crossing the stream over slippery river pebbles (while carrying gear in my arms) was a bit tricky.
So, my first serious outing worked out pretty well. I worked out what combination of sieves and pans work best, found that the gold was where I thought it would be (after lots of prior reseach), identified things to make it all easier and safer next time AND I came back with much more yellow stuff than I had expected. WooHoo!
Also ran into the land owner while I was there and he's happy to let me prospect on his land.
Cheers
Spotted some interesting creatures. One was a caterpillar about two inches long, fat and bright orange. I stayed out of his way, and he hung around for quite a while. Also saw a couple of medium sized spiders floating on the surface! A few 'crawbobs' came up in shovel-loads. Those were almost transparent, and I might be wrong, but I don't think they would nip too hard.
I'll take your advice, AussieChris, and get some gloves. Also have to remember to try and get a bit of a tan on my legs before next trip. Mine hadn't seen daylight for decades and look like they're radioactive now! Very painful! lololol Head is the same! I took an Akubra, but was so carried away that I didn't cart it with me.
I'll also look into knee guards and maybe elbow guards too, as crossing the stream over slippery river pebbles (while carrying gear in my arms) was a bit tricky.
So, my first serious outing worked out pretty well. I worked out what combination of sieves and pans work best, found that the gold was where I thought it would be (after lots of prior reseach), identified things to make it all easier and safer next time AND I came back with much more yellow stuff than I had expected. WooHoo!
Also ran into the land owner while I was there and he's happy to let me prospect on his land.
Cheers
Anolphart
Zol Straub
Well that's cured this little black duck from skinny dipping any more!
Anolphart said:
That's good we don't need anymore surprises with little pricks in the water! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Manpa said:
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