Fears and phobias can control or even ruin people’s lives. There are literally hundreds of different fears and phobias, but some are definitely more widespread than others. Personally, I don’t know anybody who suffers from selenophobia – fear of the moon, but I know plenty of people who suffer from ophidiophobia – fear of snakes.
More commonly known as snake phobia, this is one big and popular fear for many people.
In fact, in the phobias stakes, it ranks very high. Only fear of heights, enclosed spaces and the dark are more common; fear of snakes is fourth in the list, just ahead of the fear of spiders in fifth.
For some people, their fear of snakes is one great big downside to moving to Australia, for others this fear is enough to prevent them from moving to this country at all.
Living with snakes in Australia
And for those people, even the title of the book I’m introducing to you will send shivers down your spines. But, I can assure you, it’s not as bad as all that.
Geoff Coombe has been working with Australian wildlife for nearly 50 years with a particular focus on venomous snakes. You could say he is a snake expert. He and I got together around the end of 2012 with the sole purpose of creating an e-book for my readers so that they can have a better understanding of snakes in Australia and how to live with them.
It’s been hard work; I wrote around 500 words for the intro and then went to have a lie down. I left Geoff to write the other 60 plus pages and format the many photographs that are included in the book.
What’s inside?
Here’s the index…
And here’s a tiny glimpse of what you will discover:
- Exactly which snakes are dangerously venomous and the areas they live in.
- Which cities have the most and least dangerous snakes?
- What exactly are the chances of getting bitten?
- What exactly are the chances of that bite being fatal?
- How to best prepare your backyard to deter snakes.
- The dangers of snakes to your pets and how to best safeguard them.
- Best first aid practices in the event of an unlikely bite.
… and much more.
I, of course, have read this book and I highly recommend it.
Don’t let the fear of snakes ruin your dream move to Australia
Living with Snakes in Australia by Geoff Coombe has been written especially for those who are planning a new life down under and are a little wary of our snakes.
Geoff also has a website, Living with Wildlife, jampacked with information about Australian snakes. Well worth a look especially for the page that “lists the most common of the larger venomous snakes native to Australia – and where they live”.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Geoff’s book, it is available directly from his Shop as either an instantly downloadable PDF at just $7, or for a little more you can have a physically delivered book.
Go to Geoff’s Shop Now
Snakes are a part of life in Australia, but I don’t believe they should ever be a factor in anybody’s decision whether to move here or not. Don’t be scared of snakes, be aware of them instead. Geoff’s book will give you that awareness.
