"So in order to be safe all you need to do is wear jeans."



So you would be happy with a big eastern brown striking your jeans clad leg?

I looked thru most of the list.
Unlike our venomous snakes here in the U.S. a lot of yours don't have distinct color patterns to make them easily identifiable. Scary for sure.
Gives new meaning to look but don't touch!!!

Even the kids are used to them!

http://www.theherald.com.au/st...h-this-photo/?cs=303

quote:

Originally posted by Rockdoc:
Even the kids are used to them!

http://www.theherald.com.au/st...h-this-photo/?cs=303

Ahh, looks like a lowly king brown. Way down on the list of the twelve most deadly ...

quote:

Originally posted by jcinsa:
About our snakes.

Because our snakes have evolved in an environment where there was no thick skinned game, their fangs are short.

So in order to be safe all you need to do is wear jeans.

Most of the time when you see a snake they're heading away from you as quickly as possible.

Not my favourite creature, but they do a lot more good than harm.


JC

That's not true about fang length in relation to the taipan.

Coastal Taipan, Oxyuranus scutellatus - Australian Museum
https://australianmuseum.net.au/coastal-taipan
Oct 26, 2015 - The venom apparatus of the Coastal Taipan is well developed. The fangs are the longest of any Australian elapid snake, being up to 12mm long, and are able to be brought forward slightly when a strike is contemplated (the fangs of elapids are generally short and 'fixed' in position).

quote:

Originally posted by jcinsa:
About our snakes.

Because our snakes have evolved in an environment where there was no thick skinned game, their fangs are short.

So in order to be safe all you need to do is wear jeans.

Most of the time when you see a snake they're heading away from you as quickly as possible.

Not my favourite creature, but they do a lot more good than harm.


JC

That is false.

Our venomous snakes are "elapids" as are cobras, mambas, kraits and all have short fixed fangs as compared to vipers and pit vipers (rattle snakes)

The list in the opening post is the LD50 test nad the subcutaneous method, that is, venom injected just under the skin.

LD50 is the amount of venom that will kill 50% of the mice. The LD50 is also expressed for other poisons including oral.

The LD50 number is the number of milligrams required per 1 kilogram of body weight. When you see figures like a Taipan etc. has enough venom to kill 50 people, 250,000 rats or whatever it is based on the LD50 figure applied to the maximum venom yield.

As compared to elapids the vipers and pit vipers have very large retractable fangs and very large venom yields. However the venom is completely different. Elapids are neurotoxic based venom and essentially death is caused by paralysis of the breathing system and heart.

The viper and pit viper venom is destructive to blood, blood vessels, organs and general body tissue. A big problem with viper bites is necrosis and loss of fingers or arms can and does occur.

As far as I am aware no one has survived a Coastal Taipan bite without medical intervention. The same has been said of the Black Mamba but there is some dispute because of poor records in Africa. However, while its venom is less toxic than the Taipan it does have the habit of repeated bites and always envenomation, that is, no dry bites so it is likely to be 100% fatal without medical intervention.

The mainland Tiger snake is about 50% to 65% fatal without medical intervention. However, if it always fully envenomated like the Taipan then it would be 100% fatal.

Before anti venene was introduced the Tiger snake was the biggest killer in Australia.

The Eastern Brown has very potent venom but also a very small venom yield and very small fangs. Without medical intervention it is about 20% fatal, far less than a mainland Tiger snake. However, in the case of some people the venom has an extremely rapid effect so the game can be pretty much past the point of no return by the time anti venene is available. Undoubtedly this is the reason that the vast majority of snake bite deaths in Australia are from the Eastern Brown.

In general, that is, heaps of exceptions, bites from vipers and pit vipers can really fuck up your body even when anti venene is available. You might say the bite from an elapid is a "cleaner" bite.

All venomous snakes can be bad. I don't think there has been a recorded fatality from our red bellied black snake. However, a bite from one can be very bad news. When I was a reptile keeper, a mate of mine (also a reptile keeper) copped a bite from one of his red bellied black snakes and spent about 3 or 4 months in and out of hospital.

After reading this, I can't believe I've been to Oz three times!
I hate snakes!
Glad I live in Alaska. I may never leave.
Cal