Re: 23 out of 25
 

I should imagine its a little more difficult to step on a lion, rather than a snake, by accident though. :)

Re: 23 out of 25
 

Have not seen a single one and it's not as if we don't ever venture into the bush or walk across sand dunes.

Reminds me of a friend from Ireland who was concerned about being attacked by a lion when getting off the plane at Johannesburg.

Don't believe the hype!

Re: 23 out of 25
 

I'm quite happy living here but very relieved that the Kangaroo is vegetarian.:)

Re: 23 out of 25
 

Thanks for all the replies as usual:) not sure about the trouser snake, is it some sort of spitting cobra:o
My hubby loves all things creepy crawly, but us lot hate the sight of spiders, especially hairy legged ones:D

Re: 23 out of 25
 

Well here's a piccie from my kitchen to be going on with...

Re: 23 out of 25
 

Those stats are all so contentious anyway. That stat is certainly the most bold one I have heard about Aussie snakes, I would imagine it was invented by some Aussie trying to act tough and talk up the harsh living conditions that he has to put up with in this country to make him sound interesting to foreigners.

There are a number of ways of determining the danger that a snake poses to humans. One is their toxicity, that is most commonly referred to by how many mice a single dose of venom will kill. The other is the regularity of venom injection per bite (ie: many venomous snakes are rear fanged), as such many snakes will not inject venom with every bite because of the grip or bite that they attack with. Some snakes even hold back their venom to conserve it and just use the biting action as a warn off. The other way of determining a snake's danger to humans is its regularity of encounter with humans. For instance, the Fierce Snake (Inland Taipan) lives in such remote parts of Australia that encounters with them are very rare, so much so that there are no recorded fatalities from bites of this snake, even though it has the highest level of toxicity than any other land snake on earth. Additionally, if you do get bitten by one, you are likely to be in such a remote part of the country as far away as possible from hospital treatment and anti-venom that your chances of survival are slim.

In short those stats are bullsh!t really, and that one takes the cake as one of the most absurd I've ever heard.

Re: 23 out of 25
 

I see snakes a lot, far more than the average it would seem, as the water park the council have built seems to be red belly wonderland.... long grass, huge black granite soakaways to sun yourself on and lakes full of small water birds to eat. Only once have I felt remotely threatened by one and that was when I got far too close for comfort to a very large snake. It wasn't happy about it and neither was I and we both made a strategic withdrawl.

While your chances of being killed by a snake or spider are incredible rare being bitten by either can leave you with some long term health problems, particularly if you are not the youngest cab off the rank anymore.

While the risks are undoubtable overblown, indeed you are much more likely to be killed by a bee sting than any other insect bite, the risks are there and you don't want to start messing with some of the nastier creatures of the Australian landscape.

Re: 23 out of 25
 

My point wasn't to poo-poo the danger that snakes can represent, more so to bring a bit of reality to the claim that Australia has 23 of the 25 most dangerous snakes.

The fact that there are no recorded deaths associated to the most venemous land snake on earth suggests that their threat to humans is relatively low compared to a Brown Snake or Red Bellied Black. Browns are responsible for over 60% of all snake bite fatalities in Australia in the last 100 years and Red Bellieds are responsible for the most bites.

Incidently, Red Bellieds should be cherished in my opinion as they are active hunters of Brown Snakes and it is believed that they manage the population growth of Browns in populated areas.

Re: 23 out of 25
 

The trouser snake is the worst kind which inflicts long term suffering. I recommend complete avoidance.

Re: 23 out of 25
 

nine months of swelling before resulting in a massive painful discharge

Re: 23 out of 25
 

And then suffering and pain for the rest of your life.

Re: 23 out of 25
 

and all for 90 seconds of pleasure....:)

Re: 23 out of 25
 

you can get sprays to make that last longer mate

Re: 23 out of 25
 

:confused:

I was talking about my testicles, what were you talking about?

Re: 23 out of 25
 

90? You're good!

I would hazard a guess that the OP stats came from Bill Bryson's Down Under. Whilst the books make you chuckle, I wouldn't accept his word for much of what he says.