Snakes & Prospecting Safety

[Twapster]

Just got back from my Windeyer gold scout, on my way in from Aarons Pass I stopped the car to make a phone call while in phone coverage, quickly stepped back in car after seeing a yellow belly black snake, never seen one that big before it was no joke as thick as my forearm just basking in the sun, had to look twice as it was more like a bloody anaconda. So when a skinny eastern brown sat in the middle of the road 5 mins later it was all over for me, my detecting trip was ruined...2 snakes in 5 minutes reduced my desire to go deep in the scrub this time. At camp I referred a few new prospectors to a good panning spot only to be told the next morning a guy had told them don't come down this way he'd seen several snakes and the last one was a 6-7 foot King Brown. I think it was at that point they understood why I was walking around in my army boots,neoprene's with snake gaiters. Might have seemed like overkill but stepping in the wrong spot is not the way I wish to go out of this world! Several dead snakes on the road so be careful they are bloody everywhere at the moment.

 

[HeadsUp]

Local vinnies has a pair of leg waders; the sort of thing that many trout fishing people might use.

Not sure of the size but would stop any snake bite, but could be a tad hot.

I want to find or make snake gaitors that come above my knees

If walking up steep terrain the snake could be at my thigh height so these knee high ones would be only 50 % reliable

I have snakeguardz already but might get some of these snakeprotex things to add above the knee if they wont sell me some of the fabric

has anyone seen gaitors that come higher than the average 40 - 45 cm ?

a big snake can rear up 2 - 3 feet :/

probability is that 4mm neoprene waders would stop ~ some snake bites

brown snakes however have fangs up to half an inch long.

i would prefer to bring the odds above 90 % or 100 %

50 % is not good enough for me

 

[WalnLiz]

Most venomous snakes do not inject their venom through hollow fangs, and in fact have groves beside their fangs, down which the venom flows upon striking.

A snake with half inch fangs may pierce the inside of the 4mm neoprene, but the majority of the venom would be absorbed by the outside of the neoprene and not reach the puncture wound.

I still say long loose clothing will be more protection than a standard snake gaiter 99% of the time.. coupled with keeping ones eyes on the ground in front of them. If the other 1% is a concern, then venturing out in the winter...or migrating to NZ where there is no snakes would be the only other option.

 

[slipped disc]

Most venomous snakes do not inject their venom through hollow fangs, and in fact have groves beside their fangs, down which the venom flows upon striking.

A snake with half inch fangs may pierce the inside of the 4mm neoprene, but the majority of the venom would be absorbed by the outside of the neoprene and not reach the puncture wound.

I still say long loose clothing will be more protection than a standard snake gaiter 99% of the time.. coupled with keeping ones eyes on the ground in front of them. If the other 1% is a concern, then venturing out in the winter...or migrating to NZ where there is no snakes would be the only other option.

12 GAUGE PUMP.

 

[slipped disc]

Watched the tv show Preppers tonite. they showed the 3 benefits of rattle snakes for survival.
first they cut the head off, that can still bite up to about an hour later. loverly !
1 - you can eat their meat
2. you can drink the blood, 80 % water, like ours. make it a double thanx.
3- you can make poison arrows, spears, coat the barb wire around your compound. very handy.

 

[Guest]

King brown in branxton, nsw near singleton army base

 

[slipped disc]

MMMMM, almost looks real. :lol: careful, you might get a splinter.

 

[stevo]

Crikey! never ever seen a king brown anywhere near that size, will have to warn my brother as he lives at branxton. (see below link)

http://snakecatchers.com/Huge_King_Brown_Snake_Hoax.html

 

[Heatho]

Just got back from my Windeyer gold scout, on my way in from Aarons Pass I stopped the car to make a phone call while in phone coverage, quickly stepped back in car after seeing a yellow belly black snake.

Was a Tiger Snake Twapster, no such thing as Yellow Belly Blacksnake. Tiger snake is the closest to that description.

 

[Heatho]

Most venomous snakes do not inject their venom through hollow fangs, and in fact have groves beside their fangs, down which the venom flows upon striking.

A snake with half inch fangs may pierce the inside of the 4mm neoprene, but the majority of the venom would be absorbed by the outside of the neoprene and not reach the puncture wound.

I still say long loose clothing will be more protection than a standard snake gaiter 99% of the time.. coupled with keeping ones eyes on the ground in front of them. If the other 1% is a concern, then venturing out in the winter...or migrating to NZ where there is no snakes would be the only other option.

Sorry to disagree Wal about Venomous snake fangs in Australia, most are hollow like a hypodermic needle. Someone told me the same thing once also, I believed it until my mate who worked at Taronga Zoo's reptile house and The Australian Reptile Park convinced me otherwise. Loose clothing is good as Brown Snakes have tiny fangs, though they will chew on a limb if really agro to drive as much venom in as they can.....

Barney had a Brown have a go at him the other day at Black Springs, he upset it by trying to get into it's Blackberry bush, I totally avoid bushes, log piles, heavilly leaf littered areas and broken up rock pile type areas this time of year.

"Among Australian snakes, hollow fangs occur in all of our terrestrial venomous species and in the sea snakes. Grooved fangs occur only in the Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis and in a group of freshwater snakes in northern Australia. - See more at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Fangs-of-deadly-venomous-snakes/#sthash.Fv4Nx130.dpuf

 

[Guest]

Steve,
That was always one of my fav hoax's when snake season come about.

On a more 'real' note, I always enjoyed watching Steve Irwin play with snakes while he was still with us.

 

[MJB]

I thought a yellow belly black is just a red belly black with not as much colour...

On some of my many motorcycle rides through western vics less populated roads I have had tiger snakes actually strike at me as I ride past them at 90 km/h. I see them coming most times and always lift my leg over the handle bars

One stretch I went past 5 snakes no more than 200m distance. Mix of Tigers and browns and only one of them was dead.

Steer clear of them but don't be scared of the bush

Cheers

 

[k man]

That's crazy mjb

 

[Twapster]

Just got back from my Windeyer gold scout, on my way in from Aarons Pass I stopped the car to make a phone call while in phone coverage, quickly stepped back in car after seeing a yellow belly black snake.

Was a Tiger Snake Twapster, no such thing as Yellow Belly Blacksnake. Tiger snake is the closest to that description.

Hey Heatho, tks for that im no expert...it was big, black and had a white/mustard underbelly. Scary as it was thick too!!

 

[20x]

A few days ago on my way back from a spot i came across an average size red/black charging his batterys on the track. he bailed pretty quick before i could get the camera out.
Another couple of hundred meters and i came across this brown in full hunt mode around this log. He knew i was there but i just stayed still and he eventually kept hunting. He was fully S-bended to strike what ever was under that log. Awsome to watch!

Beware.....they are there!

 

[slipped disc]

Steve,
That was always one of my fav hoax's when snake season come about.

On a more 'real' note, I always enjoyed watching Steve Irwin play with snakes while he was still with us.

HAHAHA, seen that pic before. nice try.

 

[wooly]

Hey you guys need to settle down a bit!!!!!!!

My prospecting partner is my wife and she often reads these forums, if she sees pictures of snakes every time she comes in here you all know what will happen don't you?

 

[Heatho]

Just got back from my Windeyer gold scout, on my way in from Aarons Pass I stopped the car to make a phone call while in phone coverage, quickly stepped back in car after seeing a yellow belly black snake.

Was a Tiger Snake Twapster, no such thing as Yellow Belly Blacksnake. Tiger snake is the closest to that description.

Hey Heatho, tks for that im no expert...it was big, black and had a white/mustard underbelly. Scary as it was thick too!!

No worries mate, their colour can vary quite a bit, can be jet Black on top and Yellow underneath, they get quite chunky too. I'm no expert either, just info I've picked up and seen over the years.

 

[Panda]

Hey you guys need to settle down a bit!!!!!!!

My prospecting partner is my wife and she often reads these forums, if she sees pictures of snakes every time she comes in here you all know what will happen don't you?

Peace?

 

[Dogmatic]

Had a 5 and a half foot brown come and visit us on Saturday arvo. Came up onto the back patio with all the chooks following it.
I think I have seen more snakes and lizards already this year than the last 3 years combined. Everyone is talking about the amount
around at the moment. Could be a pretty bad season for them given how it has started.