Australia - A dangerous place!

[Lawsen]

There are no particular species of snake that will not bite, even with a snake carcass decapitated.  The snake has nerves that could still fire a reflex reaction and stick the venomous fangs into the person playing with the snake's head.  Most snake bites are caused when some one is drunk and decided to get close to the snake or step on it unintentionally while hiking in the woods or at night in the hot weather.  Snakes are most active in the hot weather.  California has a lot of snakes like in Australia, too. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite#Prevention

[GeoffS]

Just another reason to not go to Tasmania. When you look at the distribution map, the place is just full of those Drop Bears, never mind the Tasmanians!

As a recent Tasmania immigrant, I resent that remark! 

You forgot scorpions. I've just finished chopping about 6 tonne of firewood and disturbed few sleepy lizards (it's cold down here), a couple of large but harmless huntsman spiders and any number of small scorpions. I don't know how dangerous these scorpions are but add them to the Do Not Touch list anyway.

[Uncle Vernon]

As a recent Tasmania immigrant, I resent that remark! 

You forgot scorpions. I've just finished chopping about 6 tonne of firewood ...........

Not to worry, once they get the power on down there you'll beable to use electric lighting.

Another dangerous Tasmanian creature we forgot to mention is the Toxic Boar. Examples of these, smuggled onto the mainland by hippies, have proven to be a real menace.



A real Toxic Bore

[EEVblog]

Director of the Australian Museum talking about Drop Bears:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/10/07/3334604.htm?site=sydney

And given that it's Bathurst today, this video is in order:

and


Yes, kangaroos do actually hop across our race tracks!

Dave.

[ErikTheNorwegian]

In terms of strength of our economy, we currently have few rivals.

Dave.

Heeemm.. well, a few.. at least one..   

[Uncle Vernon]

Yes, kangaroos do actually hop across our race tracks!

As yet, only now retired driver and team owner Dick Johnson, holds the Bathurst trifecta, having encountered Animal(Roo), Vegetable(tree) and mineral(rock) while racing at Bathurst.

[Achilles]

Hmm, well, Australia is known as the Poisonous-Continent. ...If you keep your eyes open and not act foolish in nature you have low chances to get in trouble.
I have been several time in the Amazon and in middle America, saw coral snakes, Pitvipers, tarantulas, poison dart frogs, stingrays and they all were more or less afraid and just moved away.

In europe we have wild-pigs, deers, rabbits and so on which cause accidents. The chances are given everywhere I think.


not so charming.... A deer got hit by racecar.

Well, other drivers cause accidents without any animals involved. Today I have just visited a classic mountain race (just short track) to take some pictures and the only accident was caused by some guy who has build his offroad-buggy with a Hayabusa-engine. He drove in another car, but obviously it was more HP than skill with those guys.

I would never keep away from a beautiful place because there are dangerous animals or so. You may not encounter them if you go there, but you loose some great impressions if you don't go there.....

[EEVblog]

I would never keep away from a beautiful place because there are dangerous animals or so. You may not encounter them if you go there, but you loose some great impressions if you don't go there.....

Sadly there are people stupid enough to believe all the urban myths about Australia being a dangerous place (mostly Yanks!  ).
Yes, we have some dangerous animals, but as usual, they are more scared of you than you are of them, and they bugger off at the fist sign of you.
http://www.sydney100.com/snakes-spiders-sharks.htm

Dave.

[Achilles]

[quote author=EEVblog link=topic=4828.msg66919#msg66919 date=1318207617

Sadly there are people stupid enough to believe all the urban myths about Australia being a dangerous place (mostly Yanks!  ).
...
http://www.sydney100.com/snakes-spiders-sharks.htm

Dave.
[/quote]

Well, honestly, you should also see that as an advantage, because I have seen tourists making stupid things, because they didn't know what they were playing with....and that's not affected by nationality (...but there seems to be tendencies....)

I had two colleagues who just wanted to came to our research camp by helicopter because they had the impression to get murdered when they drive there by boat. Then they have always been afraid of snakes......deadly ugly snakes
Guess what: One of them got stung by a ray when he was bathing for fun in the river downside and crossed some sandbanks...... No Problem, just wrong behavior
I also saw americans petting with a wild sloth that came down for it's weekly toilet...... well, honestly, I think if they act in that way they should be afraid and keep out of the country......

[Uncle Vernon]

A 3 footer only a baby.

[Achilles]

Ohh nice colors. Well, it keeps you house free from parasites

No honestly, I think you live a bit outside of the cities. Do you often have snakes around your House or even in your House? There are sometimes documentaries in our  TV about Krokodile and Snake captures to free them again in the Wilderness down there in AUS.

In Germany I am happy if I see a rabbit or sth. like that. Wild animals have declined very much over the past decades, but are coming back again slowly. Very nice to have a chance to spot a Wild-Cat or so again.
In the tropics....hehe, don't know it, don't touch it and don't be a fool

[vk6zgo]

There aren't many things that can actually EAT you in Australia though.
No land animals,anyway,though a croc could have honorary land animal status,whereas in the USA & Canada,there are several!

VK6ZGO

[Bored@Work]

There aren't many things that can actually EAT you in Australia though.

I consider the difference between just being dead or being dead and eaten marginal and not relevant.

[Achilles]

I consider the difference between just being dead or being dead and eaten marginal and not relevant.

Hehehe 
No honestly, most animals which are called deadly are dangerous but nor lethal. It could happen if you don't get medical treatment. Venenemous snakes often have very high toxins but inject small amounts because they know they won't eat you and actually have to work to get their poison. High injection may mean no poison left for pray.
It's a problem if you get a bite in a remote area (which could possibly be the case in Australia). If you keep a bit careful it's mo Problem, even if you encounter a snake or scorpion or tarantula. Keep Moving away and she keeps moving away.
Most cases of snakebites in South America are plantation workers which have to walk through shrubs and high grass and can't see what's beneath that

@Uncle Vernon:
The snake may have liked you music and wanted to move in
Snakes are curious

[Uncle Vernon]

Ohh nice colors. Well, it keeps you house free from parasites

No this one has been dispatched to the far end of the creek! Blacks are fairly timid, but he was getting a tad pissed off by the time that we got him in the bag.
Blacks you don't have to be too brave even if they can kill you, they'll only strike when they feel threatened. Browns are a different story much more aggressive, and tigers will chase you at any sign of threat.

No honestly, I think you live a bit outside of the cities.

I'm spending time in both but yes this is in coastal NSW, south of Sydney.
There are plenty of snakes about in the cities or more accurately in the outer suburbs of the cities.

Do you often have snakes around your House or even in your House?

Around yes! Especially at this time of year, with new chums looking for spaces, and the older ones coming out of hibernation. Lots of ponds around, means lots of frogs, which means more than a few snakes.
In the house, not so often, they are timid, but it does happen from time to time.

There are sometimes documentaries in our  TV about Crocodile and Snake captures to free them again in the Wilderness down there in AUS.

I don't think my bit of snake wrangling today was quite to doco standard, but there was some crouching, jumping back and shouts of crikey. And a thick pair of welding gloves probably marks me as less butch (foolhardy).

In Germany I am happy if I see a rabbit or sth. like that. Wild animals have declined very much over the past decades, but are coming back again slowly. Very nice to have a chance to spot a Wild-Cat or so again.

You can have all the rabbits you want from here. A couple of idiot poms released a few 200 years ago and it's been plague and damage ever since. Rabbits don't belong here.

[Achilles]

No you can keep the rabbits, you may ned the fur for the next Ice-Age .

We have some struggles with racoons which were released in the 1930's here for hunting. Guess what, they got an invasive species..... People never learn

So all in all it keeps you moving and active down there in Australia. I would prefer frogs in my House, .....ok I have frogs in my house...., but as long as you can move out what you don't like it's OK

[Uncle Vernon]

@Uncle Vernon:
The snake may have liked you music and wanted to move in

No one likes my music but me. And it certainly wasn't heavy metal snake music.
Should I have put the receiver on eBay as genuine Metal Amp? Could have captured the headbanger market, who'd probably appreciate it if their amp bit them.

[vk6zgo]

There aren't many things that can actually EAT you in Australia though.

I consider the difference between just being dead or being dead and eaten marginal and not relevant.

The thing is,snakes & suchlike are usually reacting to something you(probably inadvertently)did to them, whereas the creatures that eat you like lions & tigers & bears (Oh my!) are usually proactive in the process of killing you.

VK6ZGO

[baljemmett]

The snake may have liked you music and wanted to move in

No one likes my music but me.

Didn't you have a Tom Waits quote in your signature for a while?  That's good enough to get a thumbs up from me, at any rate  

(New album out tomorrow, hope my pre-order arrives; the record shop in town couldn't guarantee they'd have any in on the day, and wanted 50% more than their own web operation to boot.  Bah.  But I digress.)

[ThePranksta]

The Australian drop bear is similar to Quade Cooper = quite gay with bark a lot worse than its bite.

The South African tokoloshe on the other hand is real scary, it bites of your toes and rapes your ass.

[Uncle Vernon]

The Australian drop bear is similar to Quade Cooper

Still bitter about the rugby huh? Australia got a miserable third! Where did the Boks come again?  :-)

[ThePranksta]

The Australian drop bear is similar to Quade Cooper

Still bitter about the rugby huh? Australia got a miserable third! Where did the Boks come again?  :-)

Me? Bitter about the rugby??? Never!!
      
F%#$ YOU BRYCE LAWRENCE!

Well at least South Africa produces proper refs. 

PS - will stop hi-jacking the thread now.

[kolbep]

You think Oz is dangerous.
In South Africa if you are a cyclist in a nature area, you are in danger of being ambushed:
(This happened just the other day, about 150Km from where I live):

[Time]

die antwoord?

[Uncle Vernon]

Well at least South Africa produces proper refs. 

The finest refs money can buy.