Australians are facing an increasing snake menace as searing weather bites and the country’s worst drought in a generation rolls on.
A 16-year-old boy died in Sydney a week ago after being bitten by an Eastern Brown snake – one of the world’s deadliest – while in Darwin another brown snake killed a man in his suburban garden.
“Snakes do drink water and we are seeing a lot more brown snakes than we are other snakes, because they really like the open and cleared land in towns,” Rayner said.
“The problem is they are also more defensive, so they will actually stand their ground and do multiple bites rather than slither away, like Tiger Snakes and Red Belly Blacks.”
Australia has some of the world’s deadliest snakes, with at least 12 capable of killing humans among 100 venomous varieties. Several are more venomous than cobras, but unlike brown snakes are shy and will retreat if faced by humans.
Eeoouuw!
From the Serpentine Times: “Australia faces human menace as drought chews on the fixed-jaws”
There is some debate down under if this increasing snake menace is also due in part to the unintended consequences of enactment of
SNAKES ON THE PLAINS!
The driest and harshest climate on Earth, most venemous and aggressive snakes, horrendous venemous spiders, man eating crocodiles, predatory white sharks. And that accent!
And they are trying to attract tourists!
Actually, I think we should send a bipartisan committee of some of our more lethal politicians down there to show the snakes how to do it. The snakes wouldn’t stand a chance.
We just use the snakes for population control, same way China uses the one child policy.