I did. I didn’t realise the fangs on a brown snake are 3-4 mm and the fuckers can bite you and you may not know….. err until you start convulsing or whatever.
A snake handler I knew was envenomated by a discarded brown snake fang embedded in a hessian sack. He very slightly scratched himself while handling the sack but had to have antivenom and be hospitalised for several days.
The boring answer as to why Australian snakes are so nasty is that they have evolved with short fangs and venom that is distributed via the slow-moving lymphatic system rather than the blood stream. They need it to be powerful and act fast so the prey succumbs before it gets away. Contrast with most other venomous snakes that have long fangs and bite into well-vascularised skeletal muscle ensuring quick distribution. They can get away with far less-potent venom. This is also why the ubiquitous compression bandage treatment we are taught in Australia is useless in other places. It slows lymphatic distribution but not blood flow.
You can be bitten without being envenomated. They are called dry bites. Snake venom is a mixture of complex proteins that take significant physiological resources to manufacture, so snakes will often dry bite when they feel threatened and save the good stuff for their prey.
Just vestigial traces of my old veterinary career. I have treated many a dog for snake bite (almost always Eastern Brown). I also live in the jungle so have to be a bit snake savvy.
When you have bleeding in the stomach or high up in the bowel it manifests as black, tarry faeces. This is called ‘melena’ in medical parlance. I have worked with several women over the years named Melena. I presume all were born before Google was a thing.
Melina Mercouri for one. Not to be mistaken with Melaena (UK spelling) Potpourri, a short lived and experimental fragrance that never really took off, so vile and lingering is it.
Both the name and the altered blood in the shite derive from Ancient Greek, μέλαινα (mélaina,) meaning “black”.
See also melanoma, melancholy and melton mowbray.
Every time I read or hear Melania (Mrs. Trump), it always makes me think of some horrible disease. I know she’s Slovenian or something, but some names just don’t translate very well in English.
Milena is quite a common name in Poland. I used to know one who was very nice, but difficult to take seriously because she had tattooed eyebrows that looked like they’d been drawn on with a blue biro. This had nothing to do with her name. I don’t know why I’ve said this.
I am certainly much more wary of snakes these days. I guess as the years go by and with few direct encounters ,the probability increases. So I am more inclined to stick to open paths, be wary of good spots for sunning, I deliberately make a noise, shuffle while walking , and if particularly wary, throwing stones ahead of me on the track to give them a chance to scarper.
I am, however, interested in close encounters with creatures in other parts of the world. Quite a few years ago I posted “what’s the roadkill in your part of the world?” It was quite a diverse list from the animal kingdom splattered on our roads.
I took out a pheasant today. ‘Railkill’ in my case. Sadly signallers and public timetables are very fussy about me reversing back up the line to retrieve what could be my tea.
I’ve killed surprisingly few deer, considering the frequency of sightings, but gamebird carnage is common along the boundary of shooting estates. Pigeons make quite a thump too.
Confirmation again that the rest of the AW essentially live on the set of Midsomer Murders/Grantchester/Father Brown/Mrs Marple/Downton Abbey. I’m as likely to see a pheasant where I live as a fkin pterodactyl.
I live on (next to) the corner of the rec. Friday, when I went to bring the wheelie bin in, there was a grey squirrel sitting on a tree branch an arm’s length away, making an awful racket.
I think he was asking if anyone could remember where he’d buried his nuts, as it was lunchtime and he was bloody freezing.
Podicle says
I presume you saw this:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-12/woman-bitten-on-the-hand-by-snake-while-sleeping/103312380?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link
Junior Wells says
I did. I didn’t realise the fangs on a brown snake are 3-4 mm and the fuckers can bite you and you may not know….. err until you start convulsing or whatever.
Podicle says
A snake handler I knew was envenomated by a discarded brown snake fang embedded in a hessian sack. He very slightly scratched himself while handling the sack but had to have antivenom and be hospitalised for several days.
The boring answer as to why Australian snakes are so nasty is that they have evolved with short fangs and venom that is distributed via the slow-moving lymphatic system rather than the blood stream. They need it to be powerful and act fast so the prey succumbs before it gets away. Contrast with most other venomous snakes that have long fangs and bite into well-vascularised skeletal muscle ensuring quick distribution. They can get away with far less-potent venom. This is also why the ubiquitous compression bandage treatment we are taught in Australia is useless in other places. It slows lymphatic distribution but not blood flow.
Moose the Mooche says
Is “Envenomated” the name of a classic NWOBHM album? And if not, why not?
Junior Wells says
Envenomated aka bit
Podicle says
You can be bitten without being envenomated. They are called dry bites. Snake venom is a mixture of complex proteins that take significant physiological resources to manufacture, so snakes will often dry bite when they feel threatened and save the good stuff for their prey.
Moose the Mooche says
You ever got bit by a dead bee?
Junior Wells says
I am starting to get the impression that you might know what you are talking about Pods.
Podicle says
Just vestigial traces of my old veterinary career. I have treated many a dog for snake bite (almost always Eastern Brown). I also live in the jungle so have to be a bit snake savvy.
dwightstrut says
I think David Coverdale may have used it as a term for being impregnated by a Whitesnake.
Now where did I leave my coat…
Sitheref2409 says
A girl half a mile down the road from us got biutten when she got into bed. Blue lights, the whole deal.
She’s OK, but I understand another 10 minutes might have made it dicey
Moose the Mooche says
Reminds me I could do with some new speaker cables….
mikethep says
I could live with that. This, however…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-67879501
Podicle says
Black snake in toilet? I’m sure there is a euphemism there somewhere. Pity it wasn’t brown…
Moose the Mooche says
It’s that Guinness and licorice diet.
Podicle says
When you have bleeding in the stomach or high up in the bowel it manifests as black, tarry faeces. This is called ‘melena’ in medical parlance. I have worked with several women over the years named Melena. I presume all were born before Google was a thing.
retropath2 says
Melina Mercouri for one. Not to be mistaken with Melaena (UK spelling) Potpourri, a short lived and experimental fragrance that never really took off, so vile and lingering is it.
Both the name and the altered blood in the shite derive from Ancient Greek, μέλαινα (mélaina,) meaning “black”.
See also melanoma, melancholy and melton mowbray.
bigstevie says
Every time I read or hear Melania (Mrs. Trump), it always makes me think of some horrible disease. I know she’s Slovenian or something, but some names just don’t translate very well in English.
Moose the Mooche says
Milena is quite a common name in Poland. I used to know one who was very nice, but difficult to take seriously because she had tattooed eyebrows that looked like they’d been drawn on with a blue biro. This had nothing to do with her name. I don’t know why I’ve said this.
mikethep says
Well that comment took an unexpected turn…
Moose the Mooche says
Much like a snake in a water dispenser.
Moose the Mooche says
Bad Seth….
Black Celebration says
Looks a lot like Casper…
Moose the Mooche says
A shnake!
Kaisfatdad says
Hats off to you @Junior Wells.
Once again you have brought horror, humour and Melina Mercouri into our lives.
You constantly ensure that is a very unique music blog
Junior Wells says
I am certainly much more wary of snakes these days. I guess as the years go by and with few direct encounters ,the probability increases. So I am more inclined to stick to open paths, be wary of good spots for sunning, I deliberately make a noise, shuffle while walking , and if particularly wary, throwing stones ahead of me on the track to give them a chance to scarper.
I am, however, interested in close encounters with creatures in other parts of the world. Quite a few years ago I posted “what’s the roadkill in your part of the world?” It was quite a diverse list from the animal kingdom splattered on our roads.
mikethep says
Did this come up before?
thecheshirecat says
I took out a pheasant today. ‘Railkill’ in my case. Sadly signallers and public timetables are very fussy about me reversing back up the line to retrieve what could be my tea.
I’ve killed surprisingly few deer, considering the frequency of sightings, but gamebird carnage is common along the boundary of shooting estates. Pigeons make quite a thump too.
Moose the Mooche says
Confirmation again that the rest of the AW essentially live on the set of Midsomer Murders/Grantchester/Father Brown/Mrs Marple/Downton Abbey. I’m as likely to see a pheasant where I live as a fkin pterodactyl.
thecheshirecat says
Well I live on the set of Ivor the Engine.
fentonsteve says
I live on (next to) the corner of the rec. Friday, when I went to bring the wheelie bin in, there was a grey squirrel sitting on a tree branch an arm’s length away, making an awful racket.
I think he was asking if anyone could remember where he’d buried his nuts, as it was lunchtime and he was bloody freezing.
retropath2 says
You’d make a terrible racket if you couldn’t etc etc etc
Moose the Mooche says
Arf!
Chrisf says
He should have checked with Tony……
fentonsteve says
“I’ve got hot nuts, 10 cents a bag”.
Is that something to do with 10cc?
hubert rawlinson says
Or a first try out line for ‘Feed The Birds’ from Mary Poppins