snake bite

[devoswitch]

Don't get me wrong i'm more than willing to press the button and will not be not be returning it to the store. It's a lovely assurance knowing it's there as I do all my walking solo.

[Overlandman]

From Nuts post on the Tasmanian Helicopter Rescue forum

At 4:30pm, 18th January while on route to the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie, the helicopter then conducted a medivac of a 37-year-old man bitten by a tiger snake in Strahan. He was transported to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a stable condition.

[wildwanderer]

on the subject of snakes.

Ive been encountering a significant number of lizards (20+ each walk) on recent walks. However Ive not encountered any snakes. (aside from a walk down the kowmung in the first week of spring where I encountered altleast 15 snakes must have been the first week out of hibernation or something)
but after that nothing...

Just seemed strange to see all these lizards but no snakes.

Wondering if it is because ...

The snakes are just faster at getting out of the way and disappear before you see them?
or is there a significantly greater lizard population compared to snakes? (Greater Sydney/blue mountains area)

[Lamont]

Hmm, ferocious aura?

[eggs]

I do believe snakes sense vibration through the ground and will pre-emptively evacuate.
That is why I sometimes ensure thumping of boots or sticks on the ground when I think an area is very likely to have active snakes.
Lizards tend to look a bit lazy and spaced out in a good warm spot.

[Lamont]

Nope, sorry eggs, I definitely don't agree that we should assume they will bolt. They may sense you. I reckon this is a classic furphy we are all told as kids.
I have nearly stepped on three in recent months. One had a go at me. Maybe they will bolt, maybe not, but I now don't assume if I make noise by stomping my feet I am safe safe. I stomp around, I am not exactly light on my feet.
See here viewtopic.php?f=5&t=26551
The gaiters have gone back on when the track is overgrown (negligent for a while) and I tap the metal tip of a Fizan stick well front of me on rocks especially if there are some, hoping to telegraph a greater vibration than on ground, etc al la Stevie Wonder and hope..

[Xplora]

I do believe snakes sense vibration through the ground and will pre-emptively evacuate.
That is why I sometimes ensure thumping of boots or sticks on the ground when I think an area is very likely to have active snakes.
Lizards tend to look a bit lazy and spaced out in a good warm spot.

I had it explained to me by a snake expert and he said they do feel the vibration but Browns will get upset and send out warning signals for us to keep away but being stupid bipods we don't see it. By the time we do see it is really agro because we did head the warnings. These guys may not move for you but some snakes will so stomping around and planting your pole is still a good idea but expect the odd Brown snake to stand his ground.

[Lamont]

Yep, had a brown stop me on the track at the back of Lorne. It would not move until I was well away (was not a threat?) While I stood within 4 - 5 metres of it it did not move. If I moved slightly forward it did too. I stood stock still and after about 2-3 minutes it moved to the edge of the track coiled and sat facing the track. I watched from a distance of about 7-8 metres and eventually it vanished into the scrub. The ones I nearly stepped on and the one that had a go at me were all tigers. All within 30cms.

[Overlandman]

One from the Vigilante Facebook page from last night.

The Tasmania Police Westpac rescue helicopter is flying in to the city tonight with a snake bite patient medivac from Bronte Lagoon we are told.

Regards OLM

[Overlandman]

From ABC

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-3 ... om/9365082

[Lindsay]

From ABC

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-3 ... om/9365082

*&%$#! bean counters....

[Overlandman]

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-06/p ... wa/9400752

A heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby have died after a suspected snake bite in the Mid West WA town of Meekatharra, 775 kilometres north-east of Perth.

St John Ambulance officers were called to a home in Main Street at 8:43pm on Monday.

It was reported the 27-year-old woman had been bitten while outside her home and began fitting.

She alerted family members who called emergency services.

The woman was taken to Meekatharra Hospital but died shortly after arrival.

The ABC understands medical staff at the hospital were unable to save her unborn baby. She was 31 weeks into her pregnancy.

[Overlandman]

From Vigilante news
We are told the Tasmania Police Westpac rescue helicopter was activated this afternoon to the Lake St Clair area for a medivac. We understand a person aged around 20 suffered a snake bite.
The helicopter was also activated this afternoon to medivac a motorcycle crash patient to hospital.

[north-north-west]

*Med(ical)evac(uation)

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Sigh. Both are acceptable. Any online search would have confirmed this. In a similar format:

Medi - medical
Vac - evacuation

The official Australian Government AIP - Aeronautical Information Publication, defines aviation rescue operations.

It lists these as medivac, not medevac - so the article and Overlandman are quite correct using Medivac.

Back to the original topic - where the Overland track widens out towards Watersmeet and there Visitor Centre, I’ve often seen Tigers basking in the sun. I always take care along that stretch.

[Lindsay]

Heard this morning that a mates son has been bitten by a brown snake while cleaning at Wyangala golf club. Taken first to Cowra then to Orange hospital. Seems it was a venomous, not a dry bite.

[neilmny]

Crikey I hope the young bloke is OK.

[Lindsay]

Crikey I hope the young bloke is OK.

Heard yesterday that he was OK. Dry bite, but the bloke went into shock and they initially thought he had been envenomed.

[Overlandman]

Not in the bush, but a bite just the same.
Very rare & very venomous.
Regards OLM

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/d ... on/9533950

[slparker]

Another reason why clininians give tetanus shots to land snake bitten patients if they're due for it.
It would be embarrassing to survive a venomous snake bite only to die of a preventable infection.

[Overlandman]

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-20/s ... es/9679716

A man in his 40s has died after being bitten by a snake at a home in Townsville.

Queensland Ambulance Service said paramedics were called to an address in the suburb of Deeragun on Thursday afternoon.

Paramedics were not able to confirm the type of snake involved.

[sailfish]

PLB. If you can't complete the last 1st aid step (get medical assistance) everything else you did is worthless.

[Overlandman]

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-20/4 ... e/10139124

Not sure when this happened
Also no mention of a pressure immobilisation bandage, lucky boy as it would have been a different story if it had of been a venomous bite
Regards OLM

[Aardvark]

My first snake bite kit.

At last i found my snake bite kit.

[Overlandman]

Good find Aardvark
I have a friend that has a large collection over 50, some are very impressive.
The earliest he has is late 1800’s.
Interesting to note Snakes start to come out of hibernation around the first week of September in Northern Tasmania.

Regards OLM

[devoswitch]

I found a small white lipped whip snake on the side of Mt connection today, was really surprised considering there’s quite a bit of snow still around up there.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Looks like his slithering days are behind him Devo or was he so sluggish he let you pick him up like that?

As Overlandman said in the previous post it is from this time of year on you will start to see them! I recall someone on the West Coast telling me and a mate they start to see them in late August out there.

[devoswitch]

Its slithering days were well and truly over it had copped a boot to the head by the looks of it.

[Overlandman]

Dry bite from Victoria

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/ ... ar-horsham

Regards OLM

[Overlandman]

Sea Snake Fatality

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-05/b ... t/10341670

A British man has died after being bitten by a sea snake while working on a fishing trawler off the Northern Territory coast.