That time of year... the snakes are out!!
- Thread starter Moggio
- Start date
jrewing
Eats Squid
No possum is safe......
thecat
NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Ye olde Diamond python has to be my favorite snake and despite how common they are and how much time I've spent in the bush in their range I've never been lucky enough to see one in the wild
bents basin???? holy fuarrk, i'd love to find one down there love the diamond pythons
NickR
Likes Dirt
Thanks for the heads up; may have to let my mates go first next time there...
*
Ha har. This is a great thread.
My closest (and funniest) encounter was on the commute home on the bike path a couple of years ago. Was travelling with some speed and came around a corner to see a brown on the path. I hesitated for a moment as I tried to decide whether to bunny hop it or whether I had enough stopping distance to pull up before running it over. My brain whirred and ticked and something up there went clunk, much like a badly tuned RD being shifted under heavy load. My decision was to throw out the anchors and go into full-blown, getta-way-back-behind-the-saddle emergency STOPPPPP! I pulled up maybe 1m from it. Stoopid brain.
So now I suddenly found myself in another pickle. I was off balance and clipped in and without the right sort of adjustment I was about to fall right on top of the snake. I didn't want to pull my foot off that pedal and put it down anywhere near the snake either. More brain whirring and gear clunking. I threw my weight to the other side of the bike, away from the snake and, of course, fell over with my feet still clipped in.
By this time, Brownie was pretty cranky and was thrashing around, still only a metre or two away. It's brain was clearly whirring away too: "Do I juice this bastard full of venom, or get the hell outta here??" If you've seen snakes trying to move fast on a smooth, paved surface you would have noticed that they can't get much 'grip'. I was just writhing around, trying to go this way and that way and not getting very far. Meanwhile, I was also trying my best to wriggle away, feet still clipped in, pitifully trying to put some distance between me and the enraged serpent. I was very pleased to have my bike between me and it.
Thankfully, the snake's 'flight' response won out over the 'fight' and it eventually made it to the grass on the side of the path and took off at full speed. I was none the worse for wear except that I grazed my knee and needed a beer and a change of shorts.
My closest (and funniest) encounter was on the commute home on the bike path a couple of years ago. Was travelling with some speed and came around a corner to see a brown on the path. I hesitated for a moment as I tried to decide whether to bunny hop it or whether I had enough stopping distance to pull up before running it over. My brain whirred and ticked and something up there went clunk, much like a badly tuned RD being shifted under heavy load. My decision was to throw out the anchors and go into full-blown, getta-way-back-behind-the-saddle emergency STOPPPPP! I pulled up maybe 1m from it. Stoopid brain.
So now I suddenly found myself in another pickle. I was off balance and clipped in and without the right sort of adjustment I was about to fall right on top of the snake. I didn't want to pull my foot off that pedal and put it down anywhere near the snake either. More brain whirring and gear clunking. I threw my weight to the other side of the bike, away from the snake and, of course, fell over with my feet still clipped in.
By this time, Brownie was pretty cranky and was thrashing around, still only a metre or two away. It's brain was clearly whirring away too: "Do I juice this bastard full of venom, or get the hell outta here??" If you've seen snakes trying to move fast on a smooth, paved surface you would have noticed that they can't get much 'grip'. I was just writhing around, trying to go this way and that way and not getting very far. Meanwhile, I was also trying my best to wriggle away, feet still clipped in, pitifully trying to put some distance between me and the enraged serpent. I was very pleased to have my bike between me and it.
Thankfully, the snake's 'flight' response won out over the 'fight' and it eventually made it to the grass on the side of the path and took off at full speed. I was none the worse for wear except that I grazed my knee and needed a beer and a change of shorts.
Wiffle
Likes Dirt
Very funny story! I was pissing myself laughing when I read this (just before going riding today). Thanks for the chuckle.:clap2:
Arran
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I've got 2 half-decent snake stories & a mistaken identity chaser...
Tale (pun intended) 1:
About 2005 I was doing some DH shuttles out past the Black Spur with the VIC MTB crew. Set off for a run about 20 seconds after the crew because I was dicking around with my helmet or something. The start of the track was a bit of 4WD double track with long-ish grass in the middle. As I started to gather speed I saw a 'stick' on the trail (what else could it be? 6 DHrigs had just rolled down the same piece of trail 20 seconds before!) but as I approached it moved & it quickly became apparent to me that it was a stick with fangs! Turned out to be a ~1.5m Tiger or Brown making it's way from one side of the trail to the other. The best I could achieve at such short notice was to get the front wheel off the ground which meant that the full force of me & my 20kg DH rig (a 95kg mass) were point-loaded directly on it's back! I skidded to a stop to see it slowly make it's way, bent, twisted & broken into the undergrowth. Still remember it like it was yesterday.
Tale 2:
The week before Xmas the family & I were camping at Lakes Entrance. Early on the Thursday morning, a new aquaintance & I were exploring one of the MTB'ing venues within close proximity to Lakes. We found ourselves a bit 'geographically confused' at one point & were relieved to make our way to a well-groomed fire road. We gathered what we assumed were our barings & headed off at a good clip to try & get the ride back on schedule. As we crested a rise & rounded a right-hand corner (@ ~ 25km/h) I was confronted with a substantial Yellow-bellied Black Snake starting to make it's way from right to left across the track. As I was on the right the snake was directly in my path so I executed an emergency bunny hop & let out a conicidental, high-pitched 'Snake!'. The snake reared. As we'd just rounded a right-hander, my new aquaintance had fallen a step behind as we rode side-by-side which put her right in the striking zone for the pissed-off reptile! We assume, because of her speed, the spinning wheels etc the snake failed to strike. We skidded to a stop & looked back to see the angry bugger stay reared for a few seconds & eventually return to slithering position & make it's way into the undergrowth. Very scary stuff!
Epilogue:
This past New Year's Day holiday (Monday the 2nd) I was riding solo on n early morning mission at Lysterfield, starting the Comm Games track intro when I saw what looked to be a bloody large brown snake's head protruding from the grass at the side of the single-track. This may have been a case of shell-shock due to the fresh story above because as I skidded to a halt within a foot of the bloody thing it quickly became apparent that it was a Blue Tongue... :embarassed:
Tale (pun intended) 1:
About 2005 I was doing some DH shuttles out past the Black Spur with the VIC MTB crew. Set off for a run about 20 seconds after the crew because I was dicking around with my helmet or something. The start of the track was a bit of 4WD double track with long-ish grass in the middle. As I started to gather speed I saw a 'stick' on the trail (what else could it be? 6 DHrigs had just rolled down the same piece of trail 20 seconds before!) but as I approached it moved & it quickly became apparent to me that it was a stick with fangs! Turned out to be a ~1.5m Tiger or Brown making it's way from one side of the trail to the other. The best I could achieve at such short notice was to get the front wheel off the ground which meant that the full force of me & my 20kg DH rig (a 95kg mass) were point-loaded directly on it's back! I skidded to a stop to see it slowly make it's way, bent, twisted & broken into the undergrowth. Still remember it like it was yesterday.
Tale 2:
The week before Xmas the family & I were camping at Lakes Entrance. Early on the Thursday morning, a new aquaintance & I were exploring one of the MTB'ing venues within close proximity to Lakes. We found ourselves a bit 'geographically confused' at one point & were relieved to make our way to a well-groomed fire road. We gathered what we assumed were our barings & headed off at a good clip to try & get the ride back on schedule. As we crested a rise & rounded a right-hand corner (@ ~ 25km/h) I was confronted with a substantial Yellow-bellied Black Snake starting to make it's way from right to left across the track. As I was on the right the snake was directly in my path so I executed an emergency bunny hop & let out a conicidental, high-pitched 'Snake!'. The snake reared. As we'd just rounded a right-hander, my new aquaintance had fallen a step behind as we rode side-by-side which put her right in the striking zone for the pissed-off reptile! We assume, because of her speed, the spinning wheels etc the snake failed to strike. We skidded to a stop & looked back to see the angry bugger stay reared for a few seconds & eventually return to slithering position & make it's way into the undergrowth. Very scary stuff!
Epilogue:
This past New Year's Day holiday (Monday the 2nd) I was riding solo on n early morning mission at Lysterfield, starting the Comm Games track intro when I saw what looked to be a bloody large brown snake's head protruding from the grass at the side of the single-track. This may have been a case of shell-shock due to the fresh story above because as I skidded to a halt within a foot of the bloody thing it quickly became apparent that it was a Blue Tongue... :embarassed:
Saw a good sized brown (I think) up Mt Ev on Thursday avo. Was just chilling on a singletrack as I came round the corner and stopped about a metre from it, it was at this point I discovered my natural instinct when confronted by a snake is to scream in a muffled tone, panic and get the hell out of there! The next 400 sticks I saw all looked like snakes and I cried myself to sleep that night.
strika
Likes Bikes
Arran, I walk my dogs just across the road from Lysterfield. So far I have seen 6 or 7 Tiger snakes (olive in colour) and 6 or more red bellied blacks. The Red bellies don't worry me, as they are a pretty docile snake as snakes go. But, the Tigers frighten me. I have been chased by Tigers both here and more so in Perth when I was living there. they are aggressive buggers and boy can they move fast! The red belly is unlikely to bite unless you get unlucky.
Moggio
Likes Bikes and Dirt
On Xmas day riding on the concrete driveway just outside my front door with my 9 year old, out pops a copper head. My daughter goes " Oh look a snakey" (she is a cool customer). Snake looks like "Oh shit, they have seen me!" (yes I know it doesn't actually think that) and slithers to try and get away, but gets cornered near a wall.
So we moved away so it wouldn't get uncomfortable and scared and do anything silly.
So I let it relax and I got what a snake handler advised me to do once, and misted it with the hose. It slithered off in the direction I wanted it too and everyone was happy. It hasn't been back yet.
So we moved away so it wouldn't get uncomfortable and scared and do anything silly.
So I let it relax and I got what a snake handler advised me to do once, and misted it with the hose. It slithered off in the direction I wanted it too and everyone was happy. It hasn't been back yet.
I came along a tight bit of singletrack and ran over a tiger snake today. I don't know who was more surprised, he was lying in the shade and blended in very well with the track and I was moving pretty fast on hard packed dirt so not making much noise.
All I could do was lift my foot on his head side and keep going. Scared the hell out of me and every stick after that was a snake. He slithered away and seemed unharmed apart from dignity.
All I could do was lift my foot on his head side and keep going. Scared the hell out of me and every stick after that was a snake. He slithered away and seemed unharmed apart from dignity.
I have a few snake tales - growing up in the Northern tablelands and trying to withold any rabblings by old farmers having a chinwag - this is my lot.
1. When i was only 3 years old i was allowed to go out and play as long as i stayed 'on the veranda. so as not to piss mum off, apparently i always just sat on the front mat and entertained myself. i jumped up and came inside for no reason, and mum reckons but i left the door open, mum did her screamer at me, and as she went to close the screen door, a tiger snake (size unknown) came up from the crack between the door sill and the first timber on the veranda and curled itself up on the mat in the sun where i was just sitting..it left after a while, but not without mum dialing everyone in her phone book to find out what to do..
2. when i was 9... a girl i went to primary school with (cant remember her but my parents knew her parents) was told to go to the garden and get the tomatoes. her mum watched her thru the window as the girl merrily went out but then tripped on the garden hose in the garden, landed face to face with a taipan - which struck her three times on her face - she screamed and that was all she did. her mum, thinking she was just hurt from tripping, ran out by the time she'd crossed the yard to the girl she was unconscious, and the snake was making its way past the girl to get out of the garden- the young girl died obviously, just a freak thing
3. when i was 15, dad rang to tell me his mate just drove his car into the back yard to wash it, as he got out he heard this knocking sound and thought his fan belt had picked up a stick, stuck his head under the car and came face to face with a eastern brown, which obviously was pretty upset - i believe it was shot , it would of been pretty crippled by the car being parked on it, and the obvious conclusion for a redneck was of course get your gun...
4. only last year, dad was in a pretty 'average' wine cellar on a hillside under a heritage building - a pub/roadhouse. they were starting a clear-out and dad was on one side of the cellar which was really just a length of hallway from the door outside to the downstairs kitchen, his mate, the restaurant owner, was on the other.
Dad pulled a few tins and bottles off the top shelf to see the tail end of what looked like could be a meter long tiger snake at the time. and my dad, being stupid and not thinking of anyone elses safety, grabbed the door chock (a 2ft long rake handle) and poked it (thinking it must of got trapped and died) - it dropped from the head height ledge to the floor, and fell facing the restaurant owner who immediately freaked out - the snake went in his direction (whether by attack or by just trying to escape) and met its demise with a wooden crate of wine bottles being flung on top of it.. needless to say, the article i just read about observing snake behavior really justifies the actions these snakes have been doing..
1. When i was only 3 years old i was allowed to go out and play as long as i stayed 'on the veranda. so as not to piss mum off, apparently i always just sat on the front mat and entertained myself. i jumped up and came inside for no reason, and mum reckons but i left the door open, mum did her screamer at me, and as she went to close the screen door, a tiger snake (size unknown) came up from the crack between the door sill and the first timber on the veranda and curled itself up on the mat in the sun where i was just sitting..it left after a while, but not without mum dialing everyone in her phone book to find out what to do..
2. when i was 9... a girl i went to primary school with (cant remember her but my parents knew her parents) was told to go to the garden and get the tomatoes. her mum watched her thru the window as the girl merrily went out but then tripped on the garden hose in the garden, landed face to face with a taipan - which struck her three times on her face - she screamed and that was all she did. her mum, thinking she was just hurt from tripping, ran out by the time she'd crossed the yard to the girl she was unconscious, and the snake was making its way past the girl to get out of the garden- the young girl died obviously, just a freak thing
3. when i was 15, dad rang to tell me his mate just drove his car into the back yard to wash it, as he got out he heard this knocking sound and thought his fan belt had picked up a stick, stuck his head under the car and came face to face with a eastern brown, which obviously was pretty upset - i believe it was shot , it would of been pretty crippled by the car being parked on it, and the obvious conclusion for a redneck was of course get your gun...
4. only last year, dad was in a pretty 'average' wine cellar on a hillside under a heritage building - a pub/roadhouse. they were starting a clear-out and dad was on one side of the cellar which was really just a length of hallway from the door outside to the downstairs kitchen, his mate, the restaurant owner, was on the other.
Dad pulled a few tins and bottles off the top shelf to see the tail end of what looked like could be a meter long tiger snake at the time. and my dad, being stupid and not thinking of anyone elses safety, grabbed the door chock (a 2ft long rake handle) and poked it (thinking it must of got trapped and died) - it dropped from the head height ledge to the floor, and fell facing the restaurant owner who immediately freaked out - the snake went in his direction (whether by attack or by just trying to escape) and met its demise with a wooden crate of wine bottles being flung on top of it.. needless to say, the article i just read about observing snake behavior really justifies the actions these snakes have been doing..
BlakZ
Likes Dirt
1)
My story
I nearly ran over a snake when riding with GetMounted. It was on a dirt road at the top of olinda - it was laying parallel with the road direction in the crevice made by lots of car tyres over time.
Luckily I was riding on the top crown of the road.
I was about 30cm away with my front tyre before I saw was it was, and he stood up and was ready to have a go at me. I am lucky I didnt get bitten in all honesty!
2)
For those interested and have no other resource apart from some guy on the internet, I just completed a level 2 first aid course which went through snake bites. This may of been covered somewhere in this 50 page monstrousity already...
Now I take a long roller bandage out with me riding.
Start with pressure on the bite, then go down the limb wrapping with enough overlap such that you have enough to come back, then come back up the limb past the bite, all the way to the top of the limb or as high as you can get it. Don't elevate the limb. Please don't ask me why.
3)
My new strategy is if I am in a position where I am about to near miss the snake, or strike with one wheel only, then adjust course, aim for the head end rather than the tail end, and just run straight over it with as much speed as I can muster. In my mind - Speeding past the snake + keeping it's head end against the ground = better chance not gettign bitten. Anyone got any thoughts or would say this is a bad idea?
My story
I nearly ran over a snake when riding with GetMounted. It was on a dirt road at the top of olinda - it was laying parallel with the road direction in the crevice made by lots of car tyres over time.
Luckily I was riding on the top crown of the road.
I was about 30cm away with my front tyre before I saw was it was, and he stood up and was ready to have a go at me. I am lucky I didnt get bitten in all honesty!
2)
For those interested and have no other resource apart from some guy on the internet, I just completed a level 2 first aid course which went through snake bites. This may of been covered somewhere in this 50 page monstrousity already...
Now I take a long roller bandage out with me riding.
Start with pressure on the bite, then go down the limb wrapping with enough overlap such that you have enough to come back, then come back up the limb past the bite, all the way to the top of the limb or as high as you can get it. Don't elevate the limb. Please don't ask me why.
3)
My new strategy is if I am in a position where I am about to near miss the snake, or strike with one wheel only, then adjust course, aim for the head end rather than the tail end, and just run straight over it with as much speed as I can muster. In my mind - Speeding past the snake + keeping it's head end against the ground = better chance not gettign bitten. Anyone got any thoughts or would say this is a bad idea?
I think it's because Snake Venom works on the Lymphatic system, rather than the one with the arteries and veins (can't remember the name from my first aid course). From what I remember, the Lymphatic system is really very slow with carrying the toxins around the body (I think it works by squeezing muscles or something like that?) So if you have some bad bleeding, you raise the limb to slow the blood flow to the affected area. But moving the limb helps to speed up the Lymphatic system which is a bad idea. Compression bandages also slow down the lymphatic system, so that's a good idea. I hear you're also supposed to splint the limb to keep it immobile and as straight as possible - much like a broken bone.
Please correct me if I'm wrong though.
That seems like a pretty sensible idea. I'd want to stop a fair distance before the snake, to give it a chance to move away from me. But failing that, speeding up and jumping it or running over the head seems like the next best option, after giving it a wide berth. As much as I dislike snakes, I really hate killing/injuring them.
My story is when I was fencing on our property.
Me and my uncle were right up this massive hill in thick scrub fixing up a boundary fence after Cyclone Ului. There was heaps of lantana so I was out poisoning around the fence a good couple of hundred meters away from my uncle. I was walking downhill spraying and I came across this large 'stick'. Without thinking I kept spraying, giving everything a good dose, when this 'stick' jumped and started slithering around. I know you're supposed to stay still and let the snake go away but I was outta there!
I would probably have been ok if it did try to bite my leg, because I always wear large boots, leg guards (used for whipper snipping) and King Gee trousers when I'm out on the hills. Try and bite through that!