arkon

Today I was out on the tractor doing a bit of slashing and I needed to get from one field to the next via a big drainage ditch, a crossing I have done many times before so I didn’t give it a second thought. I knocked the tractor into a very low gear to trundle down into the water filled ditch, The front wheels went in and drove back up the bank on the other side, then the back wheels went down and into the ditch and that’s where it all went pear shaped. I was in 2 wheel drive (back wheels) and because of the mud I lost traction and became stuck in the ditch. The tractor is an old open cab one so now my upper torso was level with the top of the ditch fully exposed to the element and snakes! I then saw the beast quickly making its way towards me through the mud. They must be able to sense when your helpless and home in on you. Anyway I was desperately trying to kick the tractor into 4WD mode and at the same time disengage the limited slip diff, both levers were stuck and not moving, Frantically I kept dumping the clutch trying to free the levers up, by now the snake about 2 feet long and unidentifiable because it was covered in mud was about 6 feet away from getting me in my seat. I then knocked it out of gear and both levers freed up and I lunged into 4WD mode and the tractor flew out of the ditch in the nick of time!

After a year on the farm and not coming across a live snake you start to get a bit blasé about them, almost convincing yourself your land is clear of them, This even after a few weeks ago finding a dead eastern brown snake under the slasher blades. Three days ago we saw a red bellied black running from the land and out onto the highway but even this didn’t prepare me for today’s encounter. So that’s 3 in a couple of weeks. Next time out I’ll have to wear my wellies!!

Luma

Whew that was a close one!

I grew up on a small holding in South Africa - it was a rule that if you are in long grass - wear your wellies "gum boots" and take a long stick with you. I've stood on a puff adder before and got the fright of my life.

<")))><

Blimey, did you see any of its marking at all?

Had a close one with a Funnelweb the other day. Was out (stupidly) cutting the grass in sandals and pushed the mower into an overgrown corner of our yard. I saw the little bugger dance and disappear into a hole, but recognised it instantly and went cold.

It's funny you mention being blase.......I was before I saw this shiny black beauty. Pah, spiders...what spiders???

arkon

You do become very blasé about them, I have so many 2-3inch golden orb spiders running over me when I'm out on the tractor they no longer put the fear of god into you, I don't like them on me and I still panic when they run across my face but by and large I can now drive through them or walk through them. As for the markings, we were told the land only had eastern brown (deadly) snakes and the relatively harmless red bellied black, Since then I’ve pound out we have carpet snakes and pythons (I’ve seen neither yet). Todays snake was about the size of a young brown or a young red belly black but it was covered in silver grey wet mud that the tractor had spewed out so I can’t be sure what it was and I was in too much of a panic trying to get the tractor to obey me to go and ask it what it was. Hey ho, life on the farm…….Just another day in paradise!

BadgeIsBack

There's a few carpet snakes out on the roads of the Mid NSW coast at night, soaking up the heat from the tarmacadam.

We've got a redback in the door of the firestation, the main door you have to lift up and over for the trucks to get out. We got a pager message warning us about it.

lostpom

Wait until you're girlfriend wakes up to find one in bed with her ! LOL - see attached

We've disturbed over a hundred redbacks doing renos here. They were mostly up in the fibro board roof we pulled down. Still, not as orrible as the 30 or so 1.5 - 2 inch cockroaches I found living behind the shower/bath wall. Yes, the wall you sit with your head a few inches from in the bath. Ugh. They were so big, the spray didn't kill them - they just walked off with a slight limp. I had to start bashing them with my crowbar to kill the buggers. That was a lovely day.

Buttockup

Gotta hand it to you mate - your adventure raised many gasps and even an "oh my God" from the wife.

Where would you like your fee transferred!?

arkon

The thing that amazes me the most now is the speed they move at (the snakes that is) The Red belly black we saw the other day was about 5 feet long and you should have seen the speed it was moving at, It wasn't slithering along the ground, more a sort of jumping in the air as it went. My only encounter with snakes before coming here was either in the zoo where they never seem to move let alone run or chase after you, or a very large python wrapped around a stripper at a stag do, also a bit placid. The snakes out here seem to be on speed!

lostpom

Theres a saying is Aus (accoring to my GF) that goes something like - 'If you kill a snake, hang it over a fence and don't go back to it until sunset'.

This links in with a story we heard on the radio last time we were here in 2003. A local farmer had apparently found a good size brown on his land. He got his machete and chopped its head off, leaving it to die. He came back hours later, went to have a proper look at it, at which point it sort of flipped up and bit him on the ankle. He died !!!

lostpom

Just looking through my photos, and heres a couple more interesting specimins - not poisonous, just unfeasably large.

Giant spider of some sort found under the house (that beam its on is a piece of 3x2")

Giant moth - Beauty !!

stutess

omg, how big!!!! their awful

lostpom

Actually they were quite alright. The spider only freaked me out because I was clearing a pile of rotten wood from under the house, and I had sort of wound myself up that I was going to come across something.

I found the moth the other day stuck between my filing cabinet and the wall - bless - it was so fat, it got stuck & died !!!

stutess

oooooh no likey, typical woman, how big must the catapillars be then

arkon

I like the moth! Next time I see our stealth moth I'll take a photo of it, I've never seen the like before, looked like a stealthed alien about the size of yours. I'll keep an eye out for it again.

stutess

anybody else got picks of scarey bugs? :scared: