It is common place for an ecologist to encounter the most dangerous land snake in the world, known as the Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis). Here is one photographed today in a striking pose.

Enjoy

[Wild Mark]

It's up to you then to give them a good talking to

The only language they respond to is gunfire, sometimes there is very little talk.

[wizofoz]

Hmmm, I thought the most dangerous Australians were named 'Rupert'.

I live on 5 acres on the outskirts of Melbourne. We have native bush adjoining our block and the head of a creek emanates from our property. We have wombats, wallabies, the occasional grey 'roo. Many varieties of birds, I can hear frogs croak at night. But I have never seen a snake here.

The reputation of Australia as a dangerous place is exaggerated in my view. There are far more dangerous critters in the world than snakes. Usually they walk upright on two legs and carry firearms.

[Wild Mark]

Usually they walk upright on two legs and carry firearms

Agreed. I have been shot at while doing surveys at night for native critters. Not pleasant.

[sharik]

I live in a suburban street in Canberra (ie Australia's capital city). A brown snake killed one of my dogs three weeks ago in my back yard. Last summer I called the rangers a few times to try and get them to remove a couple of browns frequenting the weep holes in a rock wall next to my driveway, but they said browns are now considered urban species and so won't come and catch them unless they come into the house. I hope that doesn't happen. I used to be a keen gardener, but now I am very wary of going into the yard.

Am I ask you in what suburb of Canberra do you live? Is it a newly developed area? I'm in Canberra too (in McKellar) and haven't seen a snake in the city since moving here six years ago. I've heard that the distribution of snakes (and most other animals) through the city is rather uneven, and the snakes are less common in the older suburbs. But on the other hand, with the "garden city" structure any animals can move freely between the city parks and residential areas and the surrounding bush, so they can happen to be anywhere...

[old4570]

There are far more dangerous critters in the world than snakes. Usually they walk upright on two legs and carry firearms.

Actually they look like normal people , but drive cars ( homicidal maniacs ) .

They also smoke and drink alcohol ...

[snpsht]

Am I ask you in what suburb of Canberra do you live? Is it a newly developed area? I'm in Canberra too (in McKellar) and haven't seen a snake in the city since moving here six years ago. I've heard that the distribution of snakes (and most other animals) through the city is rather uneven, and the snakes are less common in the older suburbs. But on the other hand, with the "garden city" structure any animals can move freely between the city parks and residential areas and the surrounding bush, so they can happen to be anywhere...

I am in Curtin, not far from horse paddocks, but a reasonably inner suburb.

The difficulty arises when people keep chickens and aren't careful with the grain and food scraps they leave round. Grain and scraps bring rodents, and rodents bring snakes. Snakes also like eggs. Bonus!

I lived here for 12 years without seeing a snake. Then two lots of neighbours got chooks. Then came the rats, and next the brown snakes. Recently a fox killed the free range chooks (yes, one set was free ranging chooks in the yard), so hopefully between fewer chooks and concerted rat baiting, the snakes will move on. Before living here I backed onto Mt Taylor for 20 years and only ever saw one brown: in suburbia, they seem to be associated with chooks.

[sharik]

I am in Curtin, not far from horse paddocks, but a reasonably inner suburb.

The difficulty arises when people keep chickens and aren't careful with the grain and food scraps they leave round. Grain and scraps bring rodents, and rodents bring snakes. Snakes also like eggs. Bonus!

I lived here for 12 years without seeing a snake. Then two lots of neighbours got chooks. Then came the rats, and next the brown snakes. Recently a fox killed the free range chooks (yes, one set was free ranging chooks in the yard), so hopefully between fewer chooks and concerted rat baiting, the snakes will move on. Before living here I backed onto Mt Taylor for 20 years and only ever saw one brown: in suburbia, they seem to be associated with chooks.

Good point about the chickens. Makes perfect sense.

[Wild Mark]

Cover is another factor. If there are plenty of places for the snakes to hide then you have another problem.

[hks_kansei]

Used to see a lot of snakes, lizards and other assorted animals when I lived in the country and worked on farms.

Still remember my old weed control job, wading blindly through waist high grass, and blackberry brambles.

The only protection from being bitten was a pair of workboots, a pair of jeans, and some thick canvas chaps (also great to keep the bloody blackberry thorns out of your legs)

Snakes are pretty common here is Aust, but they tend to not really go near built up areas. I used to see them pretty often, but now that I live closer to Melb I've not seen any, even when roaming the forests up the mountain, or the creek near home.

[Arjay Bee]

Interesting thread.
In the tropics where we have wild mango trees and coconut palms dropping fruit all the time we get the same chain - the fruit and nuts bring rats and the rats bring snakes. Quite common to see snakes up here. And the situation aggravated when chooks are kept.



In this incursion on the local chook yard the rooster didn't survive but the scrub python was taken into the bush and released and did survive for a while longer at least.
Python managed to swallow the rooster whole as is its habit but the increased girth prevented it from escaping through the gap it had used to enter. It regurgitated the rooster when it was disturbed (pulled outside) by the chook house caretaker.

[Wild Mark]

If you have a problem with snakes you can just do this



---------- Post added 10-12-15 at 11:18 PM ----------

My grandpa always said one thing when it came to snakes.

"A good snake is a dead snake" (Pa Holmes - rest in peace)

[PJ1]

So That's how you use a 50mm lens to photograph an Eastern Brown!


Pa Holmes had a point - up to a point anyway.. I have nearly 6,000 acres for the snakes to roam in peace but the 1/4 acre house yard is out of bounds. The point about chooks is a good one. Dogs can also bring them because dry dog food brings mice and rats. We have neither chooks nor dogs and might only encounter two or three snakes in the yard in a year. Our neighbour (3 km away) has chooks and often has snakes around the house.But outside the house area I see them every other day at this time of year - mating season so they are on the move. By the end of November they seem to go quiet until they become more visible again about April/May.

[wizofoz]

Vegemite behind the ears only works for keeping away Drop Bears

This may be true, but then it attracts Yowies. Hobsons choice.

[rod_grant]

Thanks for the second (explanatory) photo Mark.
I was a little (OK a lot) concerned for your sanity taking the pic with a 50mm lens.




btw, I always query the sanity of people who grab them by the tail too!