In my first post about snakes I explained that the Brisbane area has eight snakes that can kill. Nationwide though, Australia has around 140 different species of snake of which 12 can kill. We have another 30 or so sea snakes. So, it’s worse than you thought right?
Wrong!
According to my research, there have been 41 snakebite deaths since 1980 in Australia. The King Brown or brown snake is believed to have been involved in 24 of those deaths.
King Brown Snake
The Tiger Snake is responsible for 8 and the Death Adder, Rough Scaled Snake and Taipan are responsible for the rest.
Some facts:
- Australian snakes are very shy and timid. They would rather move away from a human, not towards one.
- Australia’s snakes rarely envenom when biting defensively. Envenomation occurs in less than 1 in 10 bites. They prefer to hit you with a warning.
- There are no documented fatalities in Australia from sea snake bite.
More scary than snakes.
- More than 20 people die each year in Australia from horse riding related accidents. Less than 2 a year die from a snakebite.
- The deadliest of all Australian creatures, responsible for an average of 10 deaths per year, is the European Honey Bee, which can induce anaphylactic shock in some people.
- The same happens in the UK, where there are an estimated 10 deaths a year attributed to wasp or bee stings.
- About 30-60 people are struck by lightning each year in Britain and, on average, 3 of those may die.
- Scuba diving causes 8 deaths a year here in Australia.
- Don’t even get me started on road traffic deaths!
So, you are statistically more likely to die going horse riding or scuba-diving, by being struck by lightning or stung by a bee or wasp or by simply getting about in a car.
Prevention
Of those 41 deaths, it is estimated that over half of them occurred because the victim accidentally trod on the snake. Ways to prevent that from happening include wearing proper footwear when walking in the grass, using a torch at night, being a noisy walker and of course, watching where you tread.
About another eight of those deaths occurred because the victim was handling the snake. They either picked it up thinking it was harmless, or they work with snakes. Prevention: Don’t pick up snakes, but I’m sure you didn’t need me to work that out for you.
Probably another five deaths were due to the victims attempt to kill the snake. Prevention: Running away is always the better option. If it’s in the house, which would be rare, simply close the door to the room it is in or close all the doors and leave the house. Then phone a snake catcher.
That only leaves about five or six deaths which were probably unavoidable. And unpreventable.
It is also worth mentioning that alcohol consumption plays a big part in your chances of being killed by a snake. A high percentage of those killed had been drinking. Prevention: I can’t think of one.
Yes, Australia is home to some of the world’s most deadly snakes. But they are also some of the world’s most timid snakes. The worst countries in the world for snake deaths are Sri Lanka and India, followed by South Africa, Africa and then the USA. Yes, the USA has a higher death rate from snake bites per year than Australia. If you have ever travelled to America, has anyone ever said to you “oh my God! What about the snakes?”
I don’t think so.
I think we have been born to be scared of snakes. It has somehow been built into our collective conscious. But the facts don’t back it up. I have been watching an interesting programme called “The Snake Crusader with Bruce George”. He rides around on his Harley Davidson catching snakes and returning them to their natural environment. He loves them, and I’m beginning to like them too. They are beautiful creatures.
The thing is, he can go and capture a snake, pick it up (skilfully of course), place it in a cloth bag and eventually take it into the wild to be released. One would have thought the snake had been through a traumatic time and may well be feeling quite angry and aggressive.
But no!
When he takes them out off the cloth bag and places them on the ground, they just slowly glide away from him heading straight back into the bush. He swears some of them turn back to look at him as if to say “thanks mate” for being returned back home. They show no aggression at all.
There was an interesting quote on the show from Bruce himself. He said “Snakes don’t bite – people get bitten.”
By and large, he’s probably right.
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I have known Bruce George for many years and just to reinforce what you said about this bloke, he is very genuine in what he does with snake rescues. You only have to see how he goes about the ones he cares for at home to understand how much he really cares. The show was an opportuntiy to show people that snakes are not that scary.
I am not surprised by what you say, Bruce comes across as the real deal on TV too, a genuine bloke who really does care. And if what he wants to achieve is to show people that snakes are not scary, he’s doing a great job!
It is thanks to the work of people like Bruce that people like me become interested in snakes, want to know more about snakes and start to appreciate the beauty of snakes. When we know about snakes and understand them, we have no reason to fear them.
I have only seen one snake in the wild since I’ve been here in Australia, just one in two years, and that was in the botanical Gardens. It was only a little carpet snake and I was fortunate enough to be with my mate Ben who loves all wildlife including snakes. It was him who noticed it and called me over to take a closer look. We just looked and admired it.
It’s far more enjoyable than freaking out!
I hope Bruce does some more shows, I want to learn more, like how do you pick them up like that?
Cheers
Bob
I’ve just stumbled across your blog, particularly your posts on snakes…I’m a 16 year old girl who is fascinated by these creatures (I actually keep reptiles – currently have 2 central bearded dragons and 2 Centralian Pythons) It’s refreshing to find someone who’s take on snakes isn’t “KILL KILL KILL”. I often get people purposefully trying to stir me up with “the only good snake is a dead snake”. I’ve had the opportunity to get up close and photograph some of our most venomous snakes, and they are breath taking! If people stopped, and took a step back, they might be able to see them from or point of view…Reading your posts I agree whole-heartedly, and am happy to find someone willing to do research on what’s around them. You’ve given me a little more hope in the human race
Hey Emily
Glad you found my site, it’s always nice to hear from someone who has something good to say about snakes, they get too much of a bad press. They are scarier in people’s heads than they are in real life. It’s the people who try to kill snakes that often come off worse. I say just let them be.
Most of the people I meet have the “KILL KILL KILL” attitude too, but fortunately I have also met one or two who have helped me to see their beauty and have shown me there is a different, better reaction and that is to let the snakes just get on with their own lives.
I’d love to hear some of your snakes stories and see some of those pictures and feature them here on this blog. If you’re interested, just send me an email via the contact form.
Cheers
Rob
I am an Aussie from New South Wales, used to have a reptile keeper’s licence and have had a few non venomous snakes, including a very large carpet python. They are truly the most interesting things. You never really get over the inbuilt fear, I always broke out in a sweat when I handled my snakes even after several years. Got rid of the snakes when my girl got pregnant (sorry preggers) for obvious reasons. It is interesting to note that most snakebite statistics only talk about “unprovoked attacks”. It seems that in Oz if you are an idiot and you get killed we don’t bother counting you….
Hi Shayne
It’s interesting that you, as an experienced snake handler, still understand and respect that a snake can be dangerous even when you know how to handle it. I’m not quite sure what you mean by the “unprovoked attacks” statistics but from what I understand, some people have been killed by snakes because they didn’t follow some basic rules. Like don’t try and pick one up if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t try to kill one just because it is there.
Example: if a snake enters the house I would suggest it would be foolish for an untrained person to try and catch or kill that snake. More sensible to just isolate the snake in the room and call a snake catcher.
All snake deaths count in Australia, as far as I’m aware, it’s just some could have been avoided if people had observed some basic rules.
I saw a TV programme about an American guy who got bitten by a rattlesnake and nearly died. He and his pal had driven up into the mountains with a few cans of beer and were on their way back home in the car when he spotted the rattlesnake by the side of the road. They stopped the car, he got out and tried to catch it so he could keep it as a pet.
I don’t know the bloke personally, but for me, he is an idiot!
Cheers
Bob
People should not be less afraid of snakes than bees because bees kill more people than snakes.
A snake bite is far more likely to have unpleasant consequences that a bee sting, and close proximity to a snake is riskier than close proximity to a bee.
Your logic would suggest motor bikes are safer than cars because fewer motorcyclists are killed than car drivers. Actually they are 50 times more likely to die on a per trip basis.
I sort of take your point. But what I am trying to say is people usually have an unreasonable fear of snakes. They are not that big a problem. You’ve got to be really unlucky to get nailed by a snake.
Yes, I’d rather be stuck in a room with a bee in it than in a room with a snake in it. I’m just trying to put people’s minds at rest by explaining how unlikely it is that you’d meet your maker following an encounter with a snake.
Hey, My name is Danya. I’m 13 and I live across the ditch in New Zealand. Snakes do really fascinates me, and i hate it when all people want to do when they see them, is kill them. I have only been to Oz 7 times as one of my best friend lives there. I have held a small snake at Australia zoo and was lucky enough to go see Steve Irwins show, a few months before his death. I’ve only seen a snake once, never in the wild only at Australia Zoo, which makes them even more fascinating to me. I’m doing a school project on poisonous animals in Australia so you helped me quite a lot.
Thanks for the information!,
Danya
Hi Danya
It’s good to hear from you and I’m really pleased that you like snakes. That must have been really great to hold a snake over at the Australia zoo, I’ve never actually picked one up myself. I haven’t checked it out, but I imagine you don’t get too many snakes in New Zealand, or am I wrong?
I’ve only seen three snakes since I’ve been here in Australia, but only one of those was genuinely seen in the wild and it happened to be a poisonous eastern brown. You can see my post about my first real snake encounter here.
I’m glad you found some useful information here to do your school project. I hope you pass otherwise you might be able to blame me!
Cheers
Bob
Hey,
The only poisonous thing in New Zealand is the Katipo Spider, so no I don’t see snakes in my back yard which I am VERY happy of. I wouldn’t exactly hit it or anything like that, but I’d be VERY scared! haha.
When I first picked it up, it wasn’t at all what i thought it would feel like. I only remember it a little bit because it was when i was about 9 so it was a long time ago. I remember being surprised when it felt scaley, same as my parents and 5year old brother (at the time).
I really enjoy your work and it’s really cool.
Danya.
I didn’t know until I looked it up, but your Katipo Spider is the same as our red-back spiders. Very nasty bite that can kill, but hasn’t since the 70s, thanks to antivenom.
I’m going to pick up a snake one day myself so I can find out what it’s like too. I just need to find a snake…… and some courage!
Thanks for commenting Danya.
Bob
I tell myself “Why do I want to pick up a snake” when it’s not meant to be picked up anyway? I certainly would’nt like to be picked up as a fascination piece by an unpredictable King Kong! I’d probably do the momentary freak-out-and-shoot-him-in-the-head reaction if I had a gun on me!.
Here’s the deal: Abstain from picking a venomous snake up. It is’nt worth it even if you know what you’re doing.
Of the top ten deadliest snakes in the world, seven are located in Australia, with the other three being the KING COBRA of India at No.5; the DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE of America at No.8 and the BLACK MAMBA of AFRICA at No.10.
For five of the seven most dangerous species making up positions 3,4,6,7 and 9 are the VIPER, DEATH ADDER, EASTERN BROWN SNAKE (not King Brown), TIGER SNAKE and COPPERHEAD. A specie of Australian SEA SNAKE (I’ve forgotten the proper name to it) is just outside the top ten at No.11 but anyway let’s move on to the top 2.
At No.2 is the Majestic KING BROWN. And the world’s most venomous snake? The near unknown and rarely seen FIERCE SNAKE which is found only in a pocket where the corner of SA, NSW and QLD border meets, that’s near the end of the first leg as you go from the back o’ Bourke. This snake, about 5 ft in length when fully grown, is a relative of the KING BROWN and EASTERN BROWN.
So here we have it. The fangsosphere has done it sharp!.
Oh! by the way, the VIPER mentioned in my last top ten post deadliest snakes in the world is known as the TAIPAN.
I’m with you all the way on this one Colin, why indeed? It’s one of those little rules I have made for myself, never pick up a snake. And as a testament to my own personal willpower, I’ve never broken the rule.
Having said that, it is good that we have people like Bruce George and other snake handlers around to remove snakes when they end up where they shouldn’t be. Otherwise we have to wait until they leave. If they’ve got inside your house somehow, that can make home life a little tense.
But yes, 7/10 for Australia is pretty good isn’t it? But I’d still rather have our snakes than those in India or the Philippines. Ours have more room to keep themselves to themselves, I think, and Taipan aside, they’re not too aggressive.
No worries, Bob.
Yes, the Taipan is an aggressive snake unlike the other Snakes of Australia but l swear I read somewhere that the FIERCE SNAKE is an aggressive reptile as well.
Also, the non-venomous Carpet Snake will aggressively lash and bite at you during its breeding season (around the early part of the year) even if you are twenty feet away they’ll try to bite you (in thin air) if you walk toward them and you’re bitten when you get closer within striking distance of its fangs. The only other times in the warm months that they’re aggressive and/or in fear is when threatened or cornered.
Other than that, on every other day, are docile.
Carpet snake normally won’t bite you when they feel like it otherwise its an isolated or rare incidence.
Trust me, Bob, I had two Carpet Pythons living on the rafters inside my little cabin in the bush. I understand their nature.
Again, you got me having to Google to keep up. Seems the fierce snake is the inland taipan, he sounds nasty! Nastier than the other taipans.
I’ve also been told carpet python’s can give you a nasty bite if you catch them at the wrong time. Thank you for explaining the wrong times. But as you say, generally speaking they aren’t a problem. Like yourself, my friend has a carpet snake living in the rafters somewhere on his land. He saved me the snake skin when it shed it a while ago. You can see a picture of me holding it here…. carpet python snake skin.
I did see another quite large one I went camping in Mt Tambourine. You can see a picture of that snake here…. snake in rafters.
There’s a bit of a story to that one, he’s been living in the roof for years and never troubled anyone.
But as you say, don’t catch them on a bad day.
Thanks Colin.