Holy Snakes alive

[crash]

In the past week I have had 3 encounters with our friendly snakes.
1st I went to put something into the bin and I hear a noise and see the tail of a snake head off into a garden bed, then a couple of days later went outside in shorts and bare feet to get something out of a storage area and as I am about to grab what I needed I see the head of a brown snake come out to have a look - lucky their was something between me and it, I take a jump back and who knows where it has gone - but it was away from me.
Then last night I am walking back to the house in the dark when I step down onto a rubber hose - wait a minute - their was not a rubber hose on the ground when I went out earlier. I take a quick high step, turn around and turn my torch on to see the tail of what looks to be a tiger snake slither off into the garden bed. Very glad I had work boots and long pants on. Have no idea what part of the snake I stood on, but was glad it did not try and have a strike at me.
On a positive side I hope they are keeping the mice population down for me!

[alien]

I know a few folk who have snakes on their blocks.
They are caught between moving them on for when the grandchildren visit or keeping rodents away.
I've said run the lawn mower around before the children turn up as snakes will go into hiding with the vibrations.


On ABC's Nightlife programme last night94/12/15) there was a discussion about snakes and other garden visitors.
The recommendation was to stamp your feet and let the snake move away, who's up to try it?
The 1 hour segment...
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/local/nightlife/see_them_o_m2252981.mp3

Snake discussion is just over 1/2 way through for those who wish to cheat the system.

Oh, and listen to the bloke who won't shoot the rabbits because he does want to kill anything but is happy bait them ;)
It's after the snake/mango tree discussion.

[cafe latte]

I know a few folk who have snakes on their blocks.
They are caught between moving them on for when the grandchildren visit or keeping rodents away.
I've said run the lawn mower around before the children turn up as snakes will go into hiding with the vibrations.


On ABC's Nightlife programme last night94/12/15) there was a discussion about snakes and other garden visitors.
The recommendation was to stamp your feet and let the snake move away, who's up to try it?
The 1 hour segment...
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/local/nightlife/see_them_o_m2252981.mp3

Snake discussion is just over 1/2 way through for those who wish to cheat the system.

Oh, and listen to the bloke who won't shoot the rabbits because he does want to kill anything but is happy bait them ;)
It's at after the snake/mango tree discussion.

Very annoying, bait a rabbit, pest or not and it will die a horrible lingering death. Shoot a rabbit, BANG its dead, not hard too see what is the most humane.
Chris

[Bushie]

Very annoying, bait a rabbit, pest or not and it will die a horrible lingering death. Shoot a rabbit, BANG its dead, not hard too see what is the most humane.
Chris

Ahh - but you don't have to watch it die.

Martyn

[tact]

Have taught my lad to stamp feet and not walk too quickly in the jungles over here in Malaysia, you know, for those walks away from camp for bodily necessities. (Jungle camps, no facilities at all...)

But you have to know that some snakes don't take any notice of vibrations or other signals of impending encounters with non-snakes. Mostly the pit vipers. They just seem oblivious and sit there coiled in the leaf litter and wouldn't get out of their own way.

Some theorise they are fearless because they know their venom is so potent nothing else is a threat.

Same say they are stupid. In fact a local language name is "ular kapak bodoh" which translates to "stupid snake" because often, after striking a villager, others go find it to kill it and it will still be there where the strike happened.

One species of pit viper is arboreal, and apart from the triangular head looks a lot like the harmless Aussie tree snake. But it's NOT harmless.

[Greatsouthernland]

But you have to know that some snakes don't take any notice of vibrations or other signals of impending encounters with non-snakes. Mostly the pit vipers. They just seem oblivious and sit there coiled in the leaf litter and wouldn't get out of their own way.

.

Aussie Death Adder (originally called the DEAF adder, because it wouldn't get out of the way) wont move for you either, they are a wait and strike hunter. They come out of hiding at night and will sit in the open, car parks, lawn, garden path etc...beware - FASTEST STRIKING SNAKE in the world.

https://youtu.be/cY8QgbWu_dQ


Death adder: five bites and pulling through - National - smh.com.au (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bite-victim-mistook-snake-for-lizard/2006/10/13/1160246291336.html)

[scarry]

Snakes are very active around here at the moment.
Have recently seen two large carpets and a whip snake where i take the dog for a run.
Two whip snakes in the garden at home.

A site we do a lot of work at near Wacol,for those of you that know where that is,had a snake catcher around three times last week,three Eastern Browns.

[cafe latte]

Speaking of dogs and snakes a lot of people loose dogs from snake bites. I was really worried about my GSP as he hunts everything and he had no fear of snakes so it was just a matter of time before we lost him. So far what we did is working, we bought a training electric collar and had him wear it for a couple of hours a day, then eventually I got a recently dead snake. I put the snake in the garden and let the dog out. He went straight to the snake and sniffed it. I put the collar on full power and gave him a shock, the dog jumped about three foot in the air and yelped, then ran away from the snake.. That was ages ago and recently on his walk on the farm he would not pass down this track we take each day. I wondered what was wrong and he ran back and just looked at me. I tried to get him to come and he kept arriving at the same point and running back, then I saw the problem a snake came out of the long grass and Pluto ran away. Some say they train dogs to kill snakes which is all good until one day they loose and the snake wins. The collar and the gsp's great nose mean he goes nowhere near snakes, and I hope it stays that way..
Chris

[tact]

Speaking of dogs and snakes a lot of people loose dogs from snake bites.


Yeah speaking of dogs: we lost a dog to cobra bite one night last year. She normally slept in a sheltered passage way between front garden/carport and an indoor/outdoor garden near the middle of the house.

Found her dead in the morning. Thought she may have been baited. A few days later our neighbour called my wife to warn they just saw a cobra on their front CCTV heading from their front garden and into ours. Wife was afraid to leave he house. Told her to do the stamping thing or wait for me to get home.

On closer observation can see snake belly scale marks up the glass sliding door (and security bars combo) where the indoor/outdoor garden is. Found some scat too.

[cafe latte]

Many people are against training collars, but snake training with one can save your dogs life. I still worry about snakes and the dog, but at least he wont go looking for trouble snake wise.
Chris

[bob10]

When we were in the bush, out Ilfracombe way, on a sheep station , our toilet was out the back , down a concrete path. Snakes would lay on the path at night, getting the heat . We had a long stick at the door, and by the light of a hurricane lamp, would flick them off the path. Probably not recommended practice, but it worked.

[crackers]

My vet has a pin up board for thank you cards and photos. One showed a Jack Russel with 'Thanks for saving me when I had my snake bite'... and three dates under it, all a summer apart. :eek:

[scarry]

Many people are against training collars, but snake training with one can save your dogs life. I still worry about snakes and the dog, but at least he wont go looking for trouble snake wise.
Chris

Our Springer is the same,hunts every friggin thing.

I really rouse on her when she goes near a snake or lizard,i presume they smell the same.

When she finds a snake she runs back to me and you know she is onto one.

The danger time is when she is by herself and no one is home.

Lucky so far.

We had a few GSP's when we were kids,my parents bred them.Lots of snakes around,but never had one bitten,they were more interested in birds,rabbits and hares.Fantastic breed.

In fact they are one of the few dogs that will catch a hare.

The Springer gives it a good go but they don't have the speed of a GSP.

[cafe latte]

Our Springer is the same,hunts every friggin thing.

I really rouse on her when she goes near a snake or lizard,i presume they smell the same.

When she finds a snake she runs back to me and you know she is onto one.

The danger time is when she is by herself and no one is home.

Lucky so far.

We had a few GSP's when we were kids,my parents bred them.Lots of snakes around,but never had one bitten,they were more interested in birds,rabbits and hares.Fantastic breed.

In fact they are one of the few dogs that will catch a hare.

The Springer gives it a good go but they don't have the speed of a GSP.

We have rabbits here when Pluto was only a pup we heard a screeching noise we though something had hurt him and we both run to check. Pluto super proud of himself had a rabbit in his mouth. We called him and tried to get it off him, no way on earth it was his, then with a shake of Pluto's head the rabbit was dead.
I had a Springer as a kid. She was not fast even for a Springer, but she was a bit of a thief, she used to eat her dinner very quickly then join in and share the other dogs food.
Chris

[NavyDiver]

I know a few folk who have snakes on their blocks.
They are caught between moving them on for when the grandchildren visit or keeping rodents away.
I've said run the lawn mower around before the children turn up as snakes will go into hiding with the vibrations.


On ABC's Nightlife programme last night94/12/15) there was a discussion about snakes and other garden visitors.
The recommendation was to stamp your feet and let the snake move away, who's up to try it?
The 1 hour segment...
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/local/nightlife/see_them_o_m2252981.mp3

Snake discussion is just over 1/2 way through for those who wish to cheat the system.

Oh, and listen to the bloke who won't shoot the rabbits because he does want to kill anything but is happy bait them ;)
It's after the snake/mango tree discussion.

At a Deer Hunting meeting a nice gent let about 20 snakes out on the wooden floor. He was discussing old husbands tales re stamping your feet to scare of snake. He jumped up and down with vibrations moving the drinks on the tables.

Snakes did not react in any way to the violent vibrations. Lots of big hairy blokes did have thier feet off the ground :D

[tact]

At a Deer Hunting meeting a nice gent let about 20 snakes out on the wooden floor. He was discussing old husbands tales re stamping your feet to scare of snake. He jumped up and down with vibrations moving the drinks on the tables.

Snakes did not react in any way to the violent vibrations. Lots of big hairy blokes did have thier feet of the ground :D

Heh. Nice! ;)

Maybe the stamping works better in a situation in the wild where the snake doesn't already think "flight" isn't an option - better stand for a fight.

Or maybe the stamping needs to be much "closer" to said snake. I once stamped ON an eastern brown when bush walking in QLD. My shock reaction was to fly vertically! Snake shot off horizontally!

[NavyDiver]

Pretty sure stamping gets a fail in the wild as well. I run a lot. Foot fall is 2-3 time your body weight for running so it is effectively stamping:D
Tigers along the Yarra and the odd brown or red belly I get to see do not seem to respond to my hoofing it past them.

My wife got told to hold her hand up above her head higher than a Emu keeps them away from you. The funniest thing I have ever seen was 3 emus following her running away with her hand puppet high in the sky :D and the sort after sandwich in the other hand.
Emus at tower hill are friendly sorts:) Like sharing lunch

[cafe latte]

Long story short, went to cattle yards in guys truck which is a way from house. He wanted a very young calf ear tagged which legally it did not need to be but not to make problems I went to the house to get the tags. He was loading up in the mean time, I was jogging back to the house mind elsewhere like where are the tags and the ear thingy?
BLEEP!!!!!! I looked down and my foot was coming down on a massive Taipan!!! He did not move with my running I dont think stamping feet worries snakes. I jumped higher than ever before though!!
Chris

[tact]

Long story short, went to cattle yards in guys truck which is a way from house. He wanted a very young calf ear tagged which legally it did not need to be but not to make problems I went to the house to get the tags. He was loading up in the mean time, I was jogging back to the house mind elsewhere like where are the tags and the ear thingy?
BLEEP!!!!!! I looked down and my foot was coming down on a massive Taipan!!! He did not move with my running I dont think stamping feet worries snakes. I jumped higher than ever before though!!
Chris

Is it the speed of approach? You and NavyDive both mentioned jogging.

Like I mentioned above I taught my lad to stamp when on ablution hikes...AND not to walk too quickly.

Has to be a reason why most often when people are just meandering around or pottering around they only see the tail of the beast as it makes its way out of harm's way. (of course not at all applicable to some species like Death Adders and ular kapak bodoh)

I mean to say... If I turned around in the jungle and saw a wild thing slowly walking my way, I would make an unpanicked exit. But if it were bounding along and scared the spit outta me, even if it seemed to be unaware of my presence... "fight or flight", or maybe even analysis paralysis would be a big factor in me!

[tact]

Bit late, I know, but just now thought I should checkout sites like Snopes for any snake myths around footsteps and hearing etc. Didn't find anything there.

Widened the search and found the below (see link). May not be authoritative!



https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-snakes-hear-without-ears/2011/12/29/gIQAuseoWP_story.html

[alien]

Stamping feet has to work.
It was on the ABC and we know Aunty always checks the facts:wasntme:

[crash]

My BIL lives in QLD on a bush property - he was mowing long grass with his ride on, when he saw a large snake slither off. He kept mowing, and as he was finishing off the last strip he hit a bump and stalled the lawn mower. When he investigated - mr snake was the culprit.