Gday...

Excellent and timely advice KJ ... I might add -

Managing the Fear Factor

It might be reassuring to know that even though Australia is infamous for its venomous snakes and we love the outdoors, there are far fewer deaths in Australia than America, India, Africa and many other countries.

Monitor the persons vital signs temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, and blood pressure if possible. Watch for any signs of shock (sweating, clammy skin, or shallow breathing), since the fear of having been bitten is often more dangerous than the bite.

Its rare for Australian snakes to strike; its even more uncommon that the fangs will get through clothing and the skin.

When they do, most snakes dont actually inject any venom or its in such small amounts that antivenin isnt needed.

So if you wear the right clothing, are prepared and stay vigilant on your camping trip, its unlikely you will ever get into a situation where you have to worry and you will be able to enjoy your holiday with confidence.

Vigilance is the key to being safe

Although snakes arent very deadly according to how many people they kill, they still pose a risk and we do see a couple of fatalities every year, so if youre worried about snakes and want to minimize the risk then follow these guidelines:

• If you see a snake, do not approach it.
• If a snake is blocking your trail, stand VERY still and wait for it to move away on its own accord.
• Never chase, corner or try to kill a snake.
• Wear sturdy shoes, preferably boots that cover your ankles. Your feet and ankles are the most likely place to be bitten by a snake. Protect them with tough boots.
• Wear loose fitting trousers. A snakes brain is programmed to immediately clamp down and inject venom as soon as contact is made with their target. If you have loose trousers, theres a good chance a striking snake will clamp down on the trousers before making contact with your skin. Apart from your feet and ankles, your legs are the next most likely place to be bitten by a snake so loose fitting trousers are a good idea.
• Take care with where you place your foot. Check several steps ahead to ensure you wont step on a snake. Stepping on a snake is a sure way of getting bitten.
• Make noise and vibration when walking. Tread firmly. Take a walking stick or hiking stick with you and smash it into the ground with each step you take. When traversing sections of trail that are obscured by vegetation, first rattle the bushes with your stick before rattling them with your body as you walk through. Poke around with your stick to scare away any snakes.
• Avoid scenarios that would put a snake in a situation where it felt like it couldnt escape. Close your car doors. Zip up your tent. Dont leave blankets and clothes and towels outside. For example, if a snake makes its way into your sleeping bag inside your tent then you have a dangerous situation. The snake will feel cornered and will likely become aggressive.
• If using your hands to climb or scramble over obstacles, watch where youre putting them. Look out for snakes.
• If approaching on obstacle, like a log, that you must step over, first check the other side before stepping over. A nice way to avoid blindly stepping over is to get into the habit of first stepping onto the obstacle.
• If youre really worried you can get some snake proof gaiters / leg armour. These are protective sheaths that wrap around the lower half of your legs and are usually reserved for serious hunters bush bashing through remote areas. With sturdy boots and snake proof gaiters you have eliminated the vast majority of potential snake bites.
• Learn snake first aid.
• Carry a compression bandage with you on your travels and when you walk.

Cheers - and I hope all snakes ya encounter are two metres away - John

You could not have better advice/advise than what was stated by the R.F.D.S.
Now back to the general snake stories.
On the Gold Coast Birdlife weekly outings we often see a variety of snakes .
On our last outing on Thursday we saw a Kookaburra trying to swallow a meter long Green Tree Snake.This was the third time over the years,we have seen a Kookaburra with a Green Tree Snake.
Another sighting was a Carpet Python swallowing a Flying Fox.We regularly see the Carpet Pythons on our weekly Birdlife outings.
A fairly common Snake we see in the G.C.Hinterland is the Red-bellied Black Snake but we have never had one strike at one of our members
I have seen more snakes on our weekly Birdlife G.C. outings than i have on our many trips around Australia looking for birds.
Cheers