ONCE BITTEN, TWINCE SHY

S.S.S.. S.S.S.. Snake!

TRACY SWAN CAUTIONS THAT SHOULD YOU COME ACROSS
PSEUDONAJA NUCHALIS OR PSEUDECHIS AUSTRALIS,
DON'T TRY TO POKE 'EM WITH A BIT OF
STICKUS WOODIS

Snakes, I'm terrified of the creatures. In my years working out bush I've had to deal with a few. I only moved into town six months ago. Before that I was at Murray Downs School for three and a half years.
Within my first month at Murray Downs, I saw my first snake in the school grounds. The massive, slithering reptile lay basking under my classroom. It was rather a stupid snake, choosing to reside in the same place as 15 screaming children. The children of course were screaming, throwing sticks and stones, running around and generally exciting the poor creature. Having a metre long Mulga snake in a school yard is not exactly a good idea. After getting all the kids away from the snake I went to get the shovel (of course I had no idea how to use it as a weapon). I finally found the shovel and with all my courage returned to where the snake had been seen. It was gone. "Where's the snake?", I asked the kids. They shrugged. For the next fortnight as I walked around the school I searched the ground for snakes. Yes I'm paranoid.
My next encounter with a snake came sooner than later. The kids were coming to school and I could hear them laughing and screaming. Looking over the verandah rail I could see them standing in a circle. I headed out to see what was attracting their attention only to find, in the centre of their circle, another Mulga snake. This one had its head stuck in a soft drink can and was frantically wriggling trying to extract itself from the can. My assistant teacher Kevin (who is much braver than I) came along and calmly stepped on the can crushing the snake's head. He informed me that it was a really cheeky one. An hour later three of the women from the community came along and took the snake away. I asked, "Are you going to eat it?" I got told, "of course not, it's cheeky," and that it was going to be burnt.
My next encounter was while taking the rubbish out to the bin. I walked to the bin, put the rubbish in and turned to go back to my caravan. The dog was behaving strangely so I looked down and did I get a fright. This snake must have been at least a metre and a half long. It shimmered green in the sun and I had just stepped over it to put the rubbish in the bin. I screamed and the snake shot off. I never realised how quick a snake could be, it didn't even seem to touch the ground. I still think I was more scared than it though. It took me a whole day to calm down!
I had many sightings of snakes during my three years at Murray Downs. The saddest incident involved my beautiful Silky terrier puppy, Tuppence. She was only nine months old when she found the Mulga snake under the school. The kids had just arrived for school and were in the showers, when I heard all the commotion outside so I went out to growl at the kids.
There I was confronted with my puppy doing battle with a huge Mulga under the verandah of the school. The kids were screaming for Tuppence to come away but she wouldn't. She kept attacking the snake, until finally it got in a strike. Then my puppy came running up the stairs to me. I ran and got the shot-gun from the house and shot the snake. The kids cheered and did a Mexican wave (mind you it took me three goes with a shot-gun!!) I rang the vet in Tennant; only the answering machine was on, so I rang Alice Springs. "Bring the snake with you, it usually takes a while for the venom to kill, you should get into town in time," I was told. I was given instructions to keep the dog quiet. I went up to camp and picked up Linda and she came with me holding my dog in the front seat of the car. The kids were sent home and school was closed for the day. Linda, Tuppence and I started our mad dash to Alice.
Unfortunately Tuppence died at Barrow Creek. I sat at the petrol bowsers in Barrow Creek crying my heart out with a blanket-wrapped bundle in my arms; it was one of the saddest days of my life. At the same time I had a tourist bus of people curiously craning their necks to see what the bundle in my arms was. Some believed it to be a baby! I took Tuppence to Neutral School where we buried her near the front door to the school.
Linda told me that because I had taken the snake's spirit it took Tuppence's. Fiona, the teacher's wife at Neutral, just hugged me and let me cry. It was at this time that Linda told Fiona that I was too lonely and she would sing me a man! And two months later Peter came into my life and our beautiful daughter Fern was born almost a year to the day I lost Tuppence.
Another snake decided to take up residence in the Murray Downs School shed. I discovered it one day as I went to get the lawn mower out to do a very rare mowing of the weeds. As I moved the mower I heard a rustle and saw a curled up snake. I wasn't staying around. I quickly locked the shed.
Peter came out to the school a couple of weeks later and offered to whipper snip the weeds and I refused to give him the key to the shed because of the snake. He did try to convince me that by now the snake would have moved on, but I wasn't convinced. Rather than see his girlfriend who was four months pregnant have hysterics he gave up trying to get the keys.
With hind sight it was a good idea not to let Peter play with my snake. A couple of weeks after I had moved into town, Peter had his own incident with a snake. A yellow headed whip snake without much sense decided to visit the local high school. Kids being kids, they refused to follow teacher instructions and crowded around the creature putting themselves in danger and distressing the snake. Peter decided that as the students were not following directions to move away, and the Conservation Commission were going to be delayed in coming, to get the snake he would have to do something about moving it. As he'd handled snakes before and felt confident in capturing the creatures, he thought he'd catch the snake to get it and the kids out of danger.
While capturing the snake it scratched him with a fang as he was placing it in a container. Peter ended up spending the night in hospital under observation. They did offer me a bed next to him as I was overdue to deliver our daughter! I told Peter that next time he wouldn't have to worry about the snake biting him, because I'd kill him. After all Peter's efforts the snake had to be killed anyway to allow a positive identification to be made in case anti -venom was needed.
It seems everyone in Tennant has a snake story to share. A friend was telling me a story about a snake he had on his lawn. He used a shovel and killed the snake, then put the snake into the bin. Later that day one of the other blokes went to put some rubbish in the bin and out came this Mulga in a very aggressive mood. My friend was not the most popular person.
I thought moving into town would be the end of my snake encounters, but no! My rather huge cat, Hamlet (because he's a mental case!), brought me a present the other day. You guessed it, a snake! This was only a tiddley one, about 60cm long and a fingerwidth thick and thank goodness it was dead.
Even though I'm petrified of snakes they are fellow creatures who need to be respected. I've been assured by many that they are more scared of me than I am of them. If at all possible leave them alone and they'll leave you alone.

Symptoms of Snakebite

The symptoms of snakebite vary greatly in every case. The initial sensation is similar to pricking yourself with a pin; in some cases it is completely painless and the bite may go unnoticed.
A bite may consist of two distinct fang punctures, but in some cases single or multiple punctures (up to six) may be present. The fine, sharp fangs and teeth of Australian snakes often result in numerous fine scratches at the site of the bite, sometimes making the exact location of the fang punctures difficult to locate.
Without first aid, if significant envenomation has occurred one would expect generalised symptoms (headache, vomiting, etc.) within 30 minutes. As the venom starts to take effect, headache, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and prominent sweating occur. Within one or two hours after the bite, the regional lymph nodes become markedly swollen, tender and painful - a definite indication of envenomation. Severe abdominal and chest pains may also be present and diarrhoea is common, occasionally with bright blood. As the patient's condition deteriorates the pupils dilate, double or blurred vision often occurs, speech becomes slurred, swallowing difficult and blood may be present in the urine.
Statistics show that the majority of victims reach hospital within two hours of the bite. However, even if the victim is bitten in a remote area, death is very unlikely in less than eight hours, even without treatment.

First Aid for Snakebite

The majority of bites occur on the lower limbs; fortunately, bites to the head and body are rare. Venom is usually deposited subcutaneously and spreads very rapidly. Incision or excision of the bitten area is no longer recommended, as experiments have shown that these methods remove very little venom, and often no venom has been injected. Cutting the bite can also be a traumatic experience for the victim, intensifying shock which then increases the spread of venom through the circulation. The application of a tourniquet, the first step recommended in the treatment of snakebite for many years, is no longer recommended. Ideally, a broad constrictive bandage (a crepe bandage is ideal) should be applied to firmly cover the bitten area and as much of the limb as possible. The limb should then be immobilised by being placed in a sling or splint. As the spread and absorption of venom partially occurs via the lymphatics, the pressure of a constrictive bandage and the immobilisation of the limb assists greatly by reducing lymph production. A constrictive bandage and splint can also be tolerated comfortably for some hours if necessary without having to be released, another definite advantage over the tourniquet.
(Extracted from Australian Snakes by Graeme Gow, a man who really loves his snakes.) Published by Angus & Robertson. © Graeme Gow 1989.

S.S.S.. S.S.S.. Snake! TRACY SWAN CAUTIONS THAT SHOULD YOU COME ACROSS PSEUDONAJA NUCHALIS OR PSEUDECHIS AUSTRALIS, DON'T TRY TO POKE 'EM WITH A BIT OF STICKUS WOODIS Snakes, I'm terrified of the creatures. In my years working out bush I've had to deal with a few. I only moved into town six months ago. Before that I was at Murray Downs School for three and a half years. Within my first month at Murray Downs, I saw my first snake in the school grounds. The massive, slithering reptile lay basking under my classroom. It was rather a stupid snake, choosing to reside in the same place as 15 screaming children. The children of course were screaming, throwing sticks and stones, running around and generally exciting the poor creature. Having a metre long Mulga snake in a school yard is not exactly a good idea. After getting all the kids away from the snake I went to get the shovel (of course I had no idea how to use it as a weapon). I finally found the shovel and with all my courage returned to where the snake had been seen. It was gone. "Where's the snake?", I asked the kids. They shrugged. For the next fortnight as I walked around the school I searched the ground for snakes. Yes I'm paranoid. My next encounter with a snake came sooner than later. The kids were coming to school and I could hear them laughing and screaming. Looking over the verandah rail I could see them standing in a circle. I headed out to see what was attracting their attention only to find, in the centre of their circle, another Mulga snake. This one had its head stuck in a soft drink can and was frantically wriggling trying to extract itself from the can. My assistant teacher Kevin (who is much braver than I) came along and calmly stepped on the can crushing the snake's head. He informed me that it was a really cheeky one. An hour later three of the women from the community came along and took the snake away. I asked, "Are you going to eat it?" I got told, "of course not, it's cheeky," and that it was going to be burnt. My next encounter was while taking the rubbish out to the bin. I walked to the bin, put the rubbish in and turned to go back to my caravan. The dog was behaving strangely so I looked down and did I get a fright. This snake must have been at least a metre and a half long. It shimmered green in the sun and I had just stepped over it to put the rubbish in the bin. I screamed and the snake shot off. I never realised how quick a snake could be, it didn't even seem to touch the ground. I still think I was more scared than it though. It took me a whole day to calm down! I had many sightings of snakes during my three years at Murray Downs. The saddest incident involved my beautiful Silky terrier puppy, Tuppence. She was only nine months old when she found the Mulga snake under the school. The kids had just arrived for school and were in the showers, when I heard all the commotion outside so I went out to growl at the kids. There I was confronted with my puppy doing battle with a huge Mulga under the verandah of the school. The kids were screaming for Tuppence to come away but she wouldn't. She kept attacking the snake, until finally it got in a strike. Then my puppy came running up the stairs to me. I ran and got the shot-gun from the house and shot the snake. The kids cheered and did a Mexican wave (mind you it took me three goes with a shot-gun!!) I rang the vet in Tennant; only the answering machine was on, so I rang Alice Springs. "Bring the snake with you, it usually takes a while for the venom to kill, you should get into town in time," I was told. I was given instructions to keep the dog quiet. I went up to camp and picked up Linda and she came with me holding my dog in the front seat of the car. The kids were sent home and school was closed for the day. Linda, Tuppence and I started our mad dash to Alice. Unfortunately Tuppence died at Barrow Creek. I sat at the petrol bowsers in Barrow Creek crying my heart out with a blanket-wrapped bundle in my arms; it was one of the saddest days of my life. At the same time I had a tourist bus of people curiously craning their necks to see what the bundle in my arms was. Some believed it to be a baby! I took Tuppence to Neutral School where we buried her near the front door to the school. Linda told me that because I had taken the snake's spirit it took Tuppence's. Fiona, the teacher's wife at Neutral, just hugged me and let me cry. It was at this time that Linda told Fiona that I was too lonely and she would sing me a man! And two months later Peter came into my life and our beautiful daughter Fern was born almost a year to the day I lost Tuppence. Another snake decided to take up residence in the Murray Downs School shed. I discovered it one day as I went to get the lawn mower out to do a very rare mowing of the weeds. As I moved the mower I heard a rustle and saw a curled up snake. I wasn't staying around. I quickly locked the shed. Peter came out to the school a couple of weeks later and offered to whipper snip the weeds and I refused to give him the key to the shed because of the snake. He did try to convince me that by now the snake would have moved on, but I wasn't convinced. Rather than see his girlfriend who was four months pregnant have hysterics he gave up trying to get the keys. With hind sight it was a good idea not to let Peter play with my snake. A couple of weeks after I had moved into town, Peter had his own incident with a snake. A yellow headed whip snake without much sense decided to visit the local high school. Kids being kids, they refused to follow teacher instructions and crowded around the creature putting themselves in danger and distressing the snake. Peter decided that as the students were not following directions to move away, and the Conservation Commission were going to be delayed in coming, to get the snake he would have to do something about moving it. As he'd handled snakes before and felt confident in capturing the creatures, he thought he'd catch the snake to get it and the kids out of danger. While capturing the snake it scratched him with a fang as he was placing it in a container. Peter ended up spending the night in hospital under observation. They did offer me a bed next to him as I was overdue to deliver our daughter! I told Peter that next time he wouldn't have to worry about the snake biting him, because I'd kill him. After all Peter's efforts the snake had to be killed anyway to allow a positive identification to be made in case anti -venom was needed. It seems everyone in Tennant has a snake story to share. A friend was telling me a story about a snake he had on his lawn. He used a shovel and killed the snake, then put the snake into the bin. Later that day one of the other blokes went to put some rubbish in the bin and out came this Mulga in a very aggressive mood. My friend was not the most popular person. I thought moving into town would be the end of my snake encounters, but no! My rather huge cat, Hamlet (because he's a mental case!), brought me a present the other day. You guessed it, a snake! This was only a tiddley one, about 60cm long and a fingerwidth thick and thank goodness it was dead. Even though I'm petrified of snakes they are fellow creatures who need to be respected. I've been assured by many that they are more scared of me than I am of them. If at all possible leave them alone and they'll leave you alone. Symptoms of Snakebite The symptoms of snakebite vary greatly in every case. The initial sensation is similar to pricking yourself with a pin; in some cases it is completely painless and the bite may go unnoticed. A bite may consist of two distinct fang punctures, but in some cases single or multiple punctures (up to six) may be present. The fine, sharp fangs and teeth of Australian snakes often result in numerous fine scratches at the site of the bite, sometimes making the exact location of the fang punctures difficult to locate. Without first aid, if significant envenomation has occurred one would expect generalised symptoms (headache, vomiting, etc.) within 30 minutes. As the venom starts to take effect, headache, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and prominent sweating occur. Within one or two hours after the bite, the regional lymph nodes become markedly swollen, tender and painful - a definite indication of envenomation. Severe abdominal and chest pains may also be present and diarrhoea is common, occasionally with bright blood. As the patient's condition deteriorates the pupils dilate, double or blurred vision often occurs, speech becomes slurred, swallowing difficult and blood may be present in the urine. Statistics show that the majority of victims reach hospital within two hours of the bite. However, even if the victim is bitten in a remote area, death is very unlikely in less than eight hours, even without treatment. First Aid for Snakebite The majority of bites occur on the lower limbs; fortunately, bites to the head and body are rare. Venom is usually deposited subcutaneously and spreads very rapidly. Incision or excision of the bitten area is no longer recommended, as experiments have shown that these methods remove very little venom, and often no venom has been injected. Cutting the bite can also be a traumatic experience for the victim, intensifying shock which then increases the spread of venom through the circulation. The application of a tourniquet, the first step recommended in the treatment of snakebite for many years, is no longer recommended. Ideally, a broad constrictive bandage (a crepe bandage is ideal) should be applied to firmly cover the bitten area and as much of the limb as possible. The limb should then be immobilised by being placed in a sling or splint. As the spread and absorption of venom partially occurs via the lymphatics, the pressure of a constrictive bandage and the immobilisation of the limb assists greatly by reducing lymph production. A constrictive bandage and splint can also be tolerated comfortably for some hours if necessary without having to be released, another definite advantage over the tourniquet. (Extracted from Australian Snakes by Graeme Gow, a man who really loves his snakes.) Published by Angus & Robertson. © Graeme Gow 1989.