Venomous Snakes of Australia.

21/01/2022

In this blog I plan to touch on venom, venomous snakes of Australia and first aid.

The purpose of this blog is to spread awareness on venomous snakes and spread some facts on some misunderstood reptiles.

Venomous snakes have played the villain since the dawn of time. Since Eve took the apple and cast the first humans from the garden of Eden, the suicide death of Cleopatra, and through to current history with Hollywood movies casting them as agents of terror.

Playing on the human fear of snake many 'news' sources continue to use snakes and reptiles as 'click bait' to get the viewer interested and continue to fear monger and play on human fear.

Fear is a learned behaviour, fear lives within our brain. Because we can learn fear we can also unlearn fear through facts and destroying fictions.

It's certainly no secret that Australia is home to some of the most toxically venomous snakes on the planet, and according to old records (which with new research and data has changed numbers slightly) have 11 of the top 11 most venomous snakes.

Papuan Death Adder (Acanthophis rugosus).

So what is venom?

"a poisonous substance secreted by animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions and typically injected into prey or aggressors by biting or stinging."

{https://www.google.com/search?q=venom+dictionary&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU743AU743&oq=venom+dic&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i512l5j0i10i512j0i10i22i30j0i22i30l2.5037j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8}

Snakes use their venom to neutralise, and kill their prey before they eat, and no venomous snake in the world has been recorded to eat humans. Venomous snakes don't consider us prey rather predators. If bitten their venom can cause horrific issues for us humans and certainly can cause death if untreated but their venom was never designed to kill humans specifically.

"Australian snakes venom tend to have 3 main effects in differing degrees.

Bleeding - internally and bruising.
Muscles paralysed causing difficulty talking, moving & breathing.
Pain
In some snakes severe muscle pain in the limb, and days later the bite site can break down forming a nasty wound". - Rob Timmings

The Inland Taipan. The Worlds Most Toxic Snake

Venomous Snakes of Australia.

Australia is home to approx. 100 venomous snakes which live both on land and in our oceans.

The dangerously venomous snakes of Australia belong to the family group of Elapidae, which are front fanged venomous snakes.

The front fangs are hollowed out teeth with a venom duct and venom gland connected to it. Venom moves down from the venom gland into the duct and finally down the fang into the prey item.

All of the sea snakes are considered dangerously venomous to humans and can cause death.

Of our venomous land snakes 5 groups are considered to be dangerously venomous to humans, these include:

Taipans (Inland, Coastal, Western Desert).
Brown snakes (Eastern, Western, Northern, Ringed, Dugite, Strap - snouted, Speckled, Peninsula, Ingram's).
Tiger snakes.
Death adders (Common, Plains, Kimberley, Northern, Desert, Papuan, Pilbara).
Black snakes (King brown / Mulga, Collett's, Spotted, Red - bellied).

Milking a Mulga Snake (Pseudechis australis).

Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus).

Northern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja nuchalis).

Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus).

Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus).

red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).

First Aid Treatment.

Although Australia is home to some dangerously venomous snakes we have relatively low Snake - Human conflict. In Australia Approx. 2000 people a year are bitten by venomous snakes with a mortality rate of 1.5 per year.

The reason for the very low snake - human conflict is due to the fact that most venomous snakes in Australia want to get out of your way and see you (the human reading this) as a predator.

The reason for the low mortality rate is due to a few reasons:

All venomous snakes (babies included) have the ability to control their venom injection rate and will often dry bite humans (no venom given).
Venomous snakes of Australia have very short fangs and inject into our lymphatic system which can be a very slow delivery system.
We have great first aid methods for snake bite in Australia.
We have access to first class health care in Australia including antivenom.

"All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into the meat of your limb (NOT into your blood).
This venom can not be absorbed into the blood stream from the bite site.
It travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the lymphatic system (not the blood stream).
Now this fluid (lymph) is moved differently to blood.
Your heart pumps blood around, so even when you are lying dead still, your blood still circulates around the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement like bending your arm, bending knees, wriggling fingers and toes, walking/exercise etc.
Now here is the thing. Lymph fluid becomes blood after these lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (lymphatic trunks)which are connected to veins at the base of the neck.
Back to the snake bite site.
When bitten, the venom has been injected into this lymph fluid (which makes up the bulk of the water in your tissues).
The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is to be moved from the bite site in the lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten.
Stay still!!! Venom can't move if the victim doesn't move.
Stay still!!" - Rob Timmings

https://www.snakebitefoundation.org/blog/2018/9/6/how-to-survive-a-snakebite-in-the-wilderness

The Pressure Immobilisation Method.

Since developing the pressure immobilisation method in Australia snake bite deaths have dropped significantly. If bitten by a venomous snake in Australia and you follow these instructions you have a very high survival rate.

Remember:

Keep as still as possible.
Mark with a pen or marker the bite site and time (on the bandage).
You don't need to identify the snake. Doctors have access to venom detection kits, which can detect the antivenom needed for the bite.
Have pressure immobilisation bandages (heavy crepe) in your first aid kits and take them when you go hiking.
Remain calm..... I know right!

Burton's Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis).

Myths and Facts-

Snakes won't chase you! Snakes do have very poor eye sight, and staying still will cause the snake to calm.
Snakes of all ages have the ability to give as little or as much venom as they want.
You won't have a wound every year on the site of the bite.
Snake bite isn't just two fang marks. It can be a tiny little scratch or two scratches, multiple teeth marks or a two fang marks.
Milk won't feed a snake. Snakes don't drink milk.
Snakes can't hear you. Snakes have no external ears.

Have any other snake stories or questions drop me an email.

Cheers.