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Thanks brisjoe makes me hate them even more
Snake Gaiters
- Thread starter Brian_N
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
I didn't know snakes could run!!! Haha..
On a more serious note joe, I believe what you just said is a myth. In Australia we don't have any snakes that I'm aware of that can spit venom, most (if not all) our snakes rely on glands to be compressed for the delivery of venom, imagine it as a wet sponge that sits above the fang if that is not squashed no moisture will come out. For this reason if a snake strikes and misses you have absolutely no fear at all of any symptoms arising. A good proportion of our snakes have quite small fangs that are set back quite far in the jaw so If you're unfortunate but lucky at the same time you can even get what they call a dry bite, this is where you have been bitten and may show puncture wounds from front teeth (or even the fangs) but the chomp so to speak was not enough to deliver any venom, although even if this were to happen I'd be taking myself to hospital for a professional opinion for safety's sake. I'm not having a stab at you but... I'm on the other side of the fence to the people with the "only good snakes a dead snake" attitude. I have pet snakes, and have from a young age caught and played with anything that I could get my hands on as a kid really, from scorpions to tiger snakes, and skinks to goannas and I'll tell you not one animal has ever tried to attack me before I had provoked it. If you back track and give a few meters wide berth to a snake and return in a couple minutes it'll be gone, leave sleeping dogs lie is a good cliche when it comes to snakes and your safety, the only exception may be the taipan of which I have no experience with but have been notoriously known to attack when disturbed. Long story short I think your information is misinformed and only provokes more fear into an animal that doesn't need it. Gators are definately a good precaution and something I've always considered, as is a stick or you're coil if detecting, a snakes going to strike at the nearest object 90% of the time if it comes to that so something that is held between you and a snake while you walk by is another very good idea.
Matt
On a more serious note joe, I believe what you just said is a myth. In Australia we don't have any snakes that I'm aware of that can spit venom, most (if not all) our snakes rely on glands to be compressed for the delivery of venom, imagine it as a wet sponge that sits above the fang if that is not squashed no moisture will come out. For this reason if a snake strikes and misses you have absolutely no fear at all of any symptoms arising. A good proportion of our snakes have quite small fangs that are set back quite far in the jaw so If you're unfortunate but lucky at the same time you can even get what they call a dry bite, this is where you have been bitten and may show puncture wounds from front teeth (or even the fangs) but the chomp so to speak was not enough to deliver any venom, although even if this were to happen I'd be taking myself to hospital for a professional opinion for safety's sake. I'm not having a stab at you but... I'm on the other side of the fence to the people with the "only good snakes a dead snake" attitude. I have pet snakes, and have from a young age caught and played with anything that I could get my hands on as a kid really, from scorpions to tiger snakes, and skinks to goannas and I'll tell you not one animal has ever tried to attack me before I had provoked it. If you back track and give a few meters wide berth to a snake and return in a couple minutes it'll be gone, leave sleeping dogs lie is a good cliche when it comes to snakes and your safety, the only exception may be the taipan of which I have no experience with but have been notoriously known to attack when disturbed. Long story short I think your information is misinformed and only provokes more fear into an animal that doesn't need it. Gators are definately a good precaution and something I've always considered, as is a stick or you're coil if detecting, a snakes going to strike at the nearest object 90% of the time if it comes to that so something that is held between you and a snake while you walk by is another very good idea.
Matt
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So matty84 for us alluvial gold chasers your saying chuck the highbanker chuck the sluice pump and hoses in front of us pick it all up and go again and hope the thing moves along I doubt it. They don't move unless they want to full stop!!!!! Had a black snake in the middle of the creek that I saw and no matter how much noise I made it wouldn't move even with the persuasion of the garrett pan causing tsunami sized waves ( in scale) like the pun? Still wouldn't move.
Daniel if that were the case I'd take a couple steps in the direction you came and give it a wide berth. I'm only an alluvial prospector, it's not that hard to give a few meters... Now if it were a cow in the creek , I'd do a 500m arc round it or prospect in the other direction!
G
Guest
This is is what I use.
The service provided is even better.
https://doubledleather.com.au/product/16oz-heavy-duty-canvas-gaiters/
The service provided is even better.
https://doubledleather.com.au/product/16oz-heavy-duty-canvas-gaiters/
trenchfighter
Matt
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- Dec 12, 2013
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bah, iv only just now started wearing em, not because of jo blakes but because of the bloody grass seeds that stab the living sh!t out of me.
TheDigger, that's seriously not a good thing to hear she was actually bitten and I hope all things ended well, but I do not believe it would have spat venom. I'm quite a factual person and if you cannot provide evidence otherwise I'll stand by the quote you highlighted. I'd go as far to say that beyond urban legends or stories you will not be able to find any documented evidence supporting that tiger snakes have the ability to spit venom and simply cannot believe it. I've got a fairly strong passion for nature, and australian wildlife in particular I believe I know a little more than the average joe. If I did not believe what I wrote was correct I'd have not wrote it. In saying that I have personally experienced a couple things that if it were someone telling me instead I would have not believed them, so I'm more than happy to be proven wrong, but instead if you try I think you'll learn they actually can't spit, but I would believe it hissed, they all have that ability.
Cheers,Matt
Cheers,Matt
headbut
Paul
GOAT shields for GAV , need to get thesmithy onto it LOL 
Matt I can provide you with their phone number,and perhaps you could ring them and tell them they were imagining it.they have lived on the land all their lives and I would say that they
seen more snakes than you have hot dinners.
This happened at this past Christmas at Toolern Valeuuuu
TheDigger
seen more snakes than you have hot dinners.
This happened at this past Christmas at Toolern Valeuuuu
TheDigger
headbut
Paul
From what I can find on the internet , only Cobra's spit & will aim at your eyes
thedigger said:
Come on dude, mores snakes than hot dinners... Now you're just sounding bogan. I too have lived "on the land" as you call it also so I'm no concrete cowboy, but I'm not here for a cock measuring contest, I was infact dispersing myth with fact both on your post and the other guys post. I suggest if you don't believe me, go read a book, find a fact to prove me otherwise. Along the way you might learn a thing or two. This was not my intention spear off topic, so perhaps you can agree to disagree with me.
Goldtarget
(AKA OldGT)
Goya watch those tigers, nasty aggressive fellas. Living next to the bush and a lake growing up we had a few, mostly browns and red bellies. Keeping an eye out for those two and respecting their space is the best method. But the tigers different story. Many a time fishing the channel banks I'd come across a tiger, and unlike the aforementioned species they can and will come after you particularly on a really hot day. Now I'm no expert but i read they have much poorer eyesight and tend to be more aggressive as a result up close. A for venom on clothing I'm not going to argue about what's in the books but my old man got tagged a couple of times by two little red bellies (babies under a foot) taking apart an old chook shed, ok so they didn't "spit" but this bite leaving venom on clothing can happen, which i think was what was being referred to in the original post about this. I don't hate snakes, we need to respect they are out there and for the most part we are entering their habitat and therefore should show them the due respect. If their not in your house, then your in theirs.
I've worked on cattle properties for years clearing regrowth with a bushcutter, chainsaw and axe and in all that time I've only see a dozen snakes a year. Greens, carpets and red bellies are the most common, browns and taipans next and death adders are rare. I put this down to the fact that I make a lot of noise in the bush.
A 10ft + carpet snake skin
A 10ft + carpet snake skin
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