Snake encounter of the worst kind!

[puredingo]

Scrub bashing today when I dropped off a small cliff line into a little sunny clearing. While I was looking down the gully towards the creek I was heading to BANG! Stood straight on top of a tiger snake. It got all caught up in my between my ankles, it looked like I was playing Haki sak with it.

After a furious flurry of about 3 seconds it beat a hasty retreat for a log and I got the diddly outa there. This endless summer will end me.

[Lizzy]

Oooooh that was a bit close for comfort!!!

[Xplora]

Undie change time. I must admit I tend to look all around except on the ground in front of me and walk over most snakes without knowing. I usually find out when the scream comes from my partner behind. Glad you are OK.

[JD The Bushwalker]

Wow! Close one! Good to hear you're all good... minus the dirty undies perhaps

[Lophophaps]

Nasty for both of you. Did you check to see if the snake was okay? My first snake was when I stepped off a log and seem to have broken its back. I became aware of this 50 metres later when a mate informed me that I had killed a snake.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Yuck. Glad you got away unscathed. We're you wearing gaiters?
I guess with all the commotion it's possible it struck you but was unsuccessful due boots/gaiters/clothing.

[Lophophaps]

I cannot recall if I was wearing gaiters, and did not get bitten or die. The impression I got was that I landed on the snake and killed it immediately. Stepping off a log maybe 300 mm high, I must have landed with some force. Of course snakes and other creatures can be mobile after they have been struck down, like a headless chook. There was another snake that had the head cut off and was opening it's mouth for maybe ten minutes. I have a picture of a mate holding the head, fangs very visible. Thankfully that's just a recollection, or as a wise person said, "Fangs for the memory."

[puredingo]

Well I can remember what I was wearing...joggers and ankle socks. Not exactly the best ensemble for scrub bashing but that's what seems to happen on my quick strolls up fire roads, next minute I'm an hour in to the thick stuff!

I was a bit concerned after my encounter as I already had heaps of nicks, scratches and stings on my ankles every little thing looked like a tag. The absence of any venom residue put my mind at ease enough to trudge straight out of there.

[clance]

That would scare the F out of me!

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[Stew63]

Stopped somewhere near 8Mile Flat for a quick break the other day on the way home from a Bluff circuit walk.
Suddenly felt the urge to take a wiz so stopped on some old track/pad with ~15cm high lush grass on either side of the track.
I was standing semi diagonal across the track taking a wiz into the grass when, mid-wiz a ~1.2m long snake appeared right out of the
grass from right behind my right ankle and nonchalantly slithered across the track and disappeared into the grass right in front of my
left foot! I was frozen with the hairs on the back of my neck at full attention. The snake appeared completely black.

[Lophophaps]

Stew 63, that reminds me of a climbing trip to Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island Victoria. There's a lot of mutton birds, and we were warned about snakes. I was standing over two mutton bird holes, behind and in front. A thick black snake came out of one hole and went into the other. It was a very slow slither, and seemed to last for ages. I stood very still, trying to mimic a tree. Snakes don't bite trees. There were so many holes and it was hard to know what was in them. Very scary! The climbing was not that good either, poor rock and not much protection. I've not been back.

[GregR]

Lophophaps.

your story reminds me of the 1st time I ever encountered a sea snake. Hervey Bay 1985 , murky water, down around 16m-18m deep and suddenly my buddies signalled me to stop and stay still. Suddenly realised that the irritant on my bare neck that I was trying to brush away was a very large sea snake entwining itself around my neck and arm pits checking me out. Like you I tried to imitate a piece of wreckage or coral hoping it would move on. Somewhat discombobulating at 1st.

GregR

[Lophophaps]

Greg, this is worse than in the bush! At least the snakes usually stay at or near foot level. You probably need very big gaiters when diving.

[north-north-west]

Lophophaps.

your story reminds me of the 1st time I ever encountered a sea snake. Hervey Bay 1985 , murky water, down around 16m-18m deep and suddenly my buddies signalled me to stop and stay still. Suddenly realised that the irritant on my bare neck that I was trying to brush away was a very large sea snake entwining itself around my neck and arm pits checking me out. Like you I tried to imitate a piece of wreckage or coral hoping it would move on. Somewhat discombobulating at 1st.

This is less dangerous than it might sound.
Sea snakes are very, very curious critters and - despite having much more toxic venom than any land snakes - they very rarely envenomate on the rare occasions they bite. They actually have to chew the venom in on a bite.

While it is best to be very careful around them, this sort of 'checking out' behaviour is quite common. It's relatively easy to handle sea snakes in the wild without any problems, provided you are slow, cautious and gentle. They're lovely things.


ps: Don't blame me if you act on this info and get bitten.

[ribuck]

While we're recounting snake stories...

While on a Span trip to the McDonnell Ranges around 1985, we wanted to explore a narrow water-filled canyon. So we paddled through on someone's lilo, which only just fitted between the canyon walls. The canyon didn't go anywhere, so we retraced our steps. We had all returned except for one person (Annette), when we spotted a big snake swimming around angrily as if it was trying to find a way out of the water of the canyon. It looked as if it would board the lilo as soon as Annette set off. So she armed herself with an animal bone to fend off the snake, and successfully made her way back on the lilo.

[paul_gee]

I was a bit concerned after my encounter as I already had heaps of nicks, scratches and stings on my ankles every little thing looked like a tag. The absence of any venom residue put my mind at ease enough to trudge straight out of there.

I know the feeling. I was cycling along the Great Victorian Rail Trail back in February. There was quite a bit of tree litter on one section of track, with gaps that created lovely sunny spots. (Despite what a lot of people think about the trail, there were sections of tens of kilometres where I didn't spot another cyclist, walker, or horse rider.) Then WHAM, I rode over something that kicked up and slapped my leg. At first I thought, "Just a stick". But then that whole, "But what if is wasn't and those abrasions on my leg aren't from a branch?" thought absorbed me. I took a break. Talked myself around and continued on.

It obviously was just a stick.

[GregR]

Lophophaps.

your story reminds me of the 1st time I ever encountered a sea snake. Hervey Bay 1985 , murky water, down around 16m-18m deep and suddenly my buddies signalled me to stop and stay still. Suddenly realised that the irritant on my bare neck that I was trying to brush away was a very large sea snake entwining itself around my neck and arm pits checking me out. Like you I tried to imitate a piece of wreckage or coral hoping it would move on. Somewhat discombobulating at 1st.

This is less dangerous than it might sound.
Sea snakes are very, very curious critters and - despite having much more toxic venom than any land snakes - they very rarely envenomate on the rare occasions they bite. They actually have to chew the venom in on a bite.

While it is best to be very careful around them, this sort of 'checking out' behaviour is quite common. It's relatively easy to handle sea snakes in the wild without any problems, provided you are slow, cautious and gentle. They're lovely things.


ps: Don't blame me if you act on this info and get bitten.

Absolutely correct- I knew that then and I certainly know it now from numerous encounters since. I did say it was my First ever encounter. Most of my diving till that point had been in Vic, NSW, SA and NZ so encounters with sea snakes was not something I was accustomed to. As I said discombobulating at 1st and then somewhat surreal, as it clearly meant no harm.

[north-north-west]

My first encounter was kneeling on one, under the bow of the Yongala. Fortunately it didn't bear me any ill will from that bit of clumsiness.

[Earwig]

Walking the Dog and he picked up a wriggly stick. “Drop it” I screamed at him. “No, I said drop it, not Come … don’t come. Stay … Stay …” Luckily he dropped the chilled out, docile Tiger Snake and no harm was done.

[jobell]

Walking the Dog and he picked up a wriggly stick. “Drop it” I screamed at him. “No, I said drop it, not Come … don’t come. Stay … Stay …” Luckily he dropped the chilled out, docile Tiger Snake and no harm was done.

Too funny! Lol.

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[puredingo]

I remember my cattle dog herding a big angry black snake right at me. Lucky for me I was standing above a wombat hole and it took a detour into the underground haven....what went on below I guess I'll never know?

[jobell]

I was walking down a four wheel drive track late in the day on the AAWT somewhere, my walking buddy at the time walking alongside on the second wheel track and in between us quite long grass. I had just commented on the wetness of the surrounds and the frog life providing a great environment for snakes when just on cue something reared out of the grass between us. We both took off at the same time, me high stepping with my unconscious self having decided that was the best way to protect my bare knees above my gaiters. Lol. The snake luckily chose to head in the opposite direction. We all stopped about ten metres on and looked back... the snake included, nice looking yellow belly black snake. I wish someone got us fleeing on camera, would have been funny as.

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[north-north-west]

One of my more memorable encounters, from the Wildlife thread. I'd been doing the Cobbler, Kings, Koonika, Speculation loop over a September weekend and was heading back to Lake Cobbler on the final morning:

Apart from the usual, last weekend was snakey. One Copperhead, three tigers and a something I don't know with a white throat. They're up and about in mountains and at least one was in a seriously bad mood on Sunday.

I was just ambling down the Speculation Road, one of the few straight stretches clear of fallen timber for a good 300 metres, and there's this skinny metre-long Tiger Snake barrelling up the road at me, in full threat posture, half its body vertical, head about knee level. I wouldn't swear its eyes weren't glowing red. I stopped, yelled at it, turned my trekking pole around to use as a club if necessary, and started backing off quickly when it didn't slow down. It wasn't until it had reached the point where I'd stopped going forward that it finally calmed down and dropped down to ground level - although it still took a long time to move off into the scrub.

Not a common behaviour. Can only assume it woke up bleary-eyed, hungry and with a massive hangover . . .

[GBW]

We all stopped about ten metres on and looked back... the snake included, nice looking yellow belly black snake. I wish someone got us fleeing on camera, would have been funny as.

What is a yellow belly black snake?

Yes those wet, grassy areas that frogs love...I always expect something there and do a bit of prodding with the walking poles.

Never been chased by one but have seen a few. Had my closest encounter on the track out to 4 mile hut near Kiandra this year...stopped to look behind me, felt something touch my boot, looked down and the thing was slithering between my feet. My guess was a copperhead. A bit unnerving but I thought I kept my composure quite well...after my pants had dried!

[melinda]

Exiting the Yoyo track a few years ago, 50ms from the carpark... a tiger comes screaming around the corner heading straight for me. I stopped, a second later a 2 year old comes round the corner ... chasing it! Turns out the parents were dropping some mates off and were so busy talking that they didn't notice kid had decided to amuse itself. Needless to say, the tiger and I weren't too impressed!

[puredingo]

Nor me...a two year old is the most annoying specie on earth!... Where's the Yolo track ?

[devoswitch]

The Huon track from where the Picton river meets the Huon river to Junction Creek is sometimes called Yoyo track cause it's up and down the whole way.

[melinda]

Heh puredingo,
Really, ... 2 years olds ... , I can deal with ... but any child above that age, ... would of left them to play with the tiger
I have always thought of the Yoyo track as the route along the Huon River from Cracroft Crossing out to near the Tahune Flyway.
Usually used for access to Eastern or Western Arthurs.
( See http://tastracks.webs.com/southeast.htm#543449804 )
And as devoswitch said, "... up and down the whole way."
The Huon is beautiful here!!!

[devoswitch]

Ahh sorry you're right, I meant Cracroft crossing not Junction creek!

[MrsGypsy]

Wish we had a camera...
Some years ago we were walking in a state forest with our dogs.
The two little terriers were sniffing around on the edge of the trail when they raced out carrying a red belly black one on either end as tug of war.
We started shrieking at them to ..."LEAVE IT... LEAVE IT..." which they did only to go after the terrified black that was trying to flee for its life!!