I encountered some kookaburra vomit today down the yard. Recently I moved a woodpile and in the process dislodged a heap of lizards. One of the regular burras at out property would nab one whenever I wheeled the wood to its new location. Clearly an overabundance as the kookaburra overindulged. I can confirm the lizards are eaten whole. I will spare you the pic.
Back to the snake. They don’t have a threatening name like taipan or mamba but the prosaically named Brown snake is top 3 deadliest snakes. Conclusion – that guy is a fucking idiot.
I half expected part way through that the presenter was changed and a different presenter finished the presentation off, with no reference as to why the first had had to be replaced.
“Taipan” and “mamba” do indeed conjure up a vision of snakes who will come at you armed with flick knives and broken beer bottles. “Brown snake” conjures up only a child’s favourite toy, possibly covered in corduroy, who will indicate he is actually a snake only by lisping dramatically.
Pseudonaja nuchalis, the northern brown snake[2] or gwardar, is a species of very fast, highly venomous elapid snake native to Australia. Its colour and pattern are rather variable, depending largely on its location.[2]
I live in the south but they are eastern browns around here.
Also get copperheads and red bellied black snakes
That’s the thing about brown snakes from all points of the compass, the bastards insist on not always being brown. Their mean little heads are a better identifier than colour. There’s a harmless tree snake round here that’s often misidentified as a brown.
It’s not very far away really but NZ is the direct opposite of Australia in terms of bastad beasties. Nothing venomous really apart from a whitetail spider which is no bigger than a pea.
I would say that you can rest easy but the giant weta is the largest insect in the world and can be a bit confronting. They don’t bite or sting though, you just need to ask it politely to leave.
And me the sort of overnight watchman in festival portaloos, should you get up early, ahead the cleaners…………
Better than the explosion at the mudflats, mind, beetroot optional.
According to the original youtube posting the fangs are quite small as the venom is so potent that they don’t need to bite deep. Still wouldn’t want to tangle with one.
@kaisfatdad Well, she posts a pic on Facebook of every snake she catches, so we all know who to call…Here’s the rest of her – little slip of a thing – with a python that might be bigger than she is.
In Alice Springs the snake catcher is employed by the council so its free to call him out. Turned up to my step daughter’s place in thongs ( flip flops to you Brits)
But no-one discusses the bastard magpies. Those things can memorize up to about 20 faces*; once you’re on the shitlist, they will continue to attack you.
Mrs thep contends that you just have to be nice to them, so that when they recognise your face they think good guy, he gives us birdbaths and mince*. I’m not sure how far I’m prepared to go to prove/disprove this hypothesis.
*mince not actually recommended for magpies, despite the fact that a sizeable chunk of Oz’s mince mountain is fed to them.
One year, I didn’t have the chance to do anything good or bad, they just started attacking.
The local nature area, Desert Park, does a bird show every day, and very good it is too. The presenter tells a story that for a couple of years, her brother had to escalate the size and hardness of helmets – ooerr – he had to wear because of the nastiness of the attacks he got.
My son is on their shitlist, regularly attacked on his jog. Down here we have had up to 20 in the yard. No trouble. Mum used to feed them when down here. One got in the house the other day and when I shooed it out it walked. Out , literally, and at the most leisurely place looking over his shoulder err if he had shoulders. He was so cocky I expected him to have his wings on his hips as he strolled out err if his wings could bend and err if he had hips.
I had my own Oz wildlife experience this week, coming across this bad boy. According to my brother-in-law, it’s a black tiger snake and HIGHLY DANGEROUS, though not as HIGHLY DANGEROUS as an Eastern Brown. I doubt the difference would be obvious if it bit me though. Fortunately it continued snoozing as we tiptoed past. It’s a clumsy striker according to the snake page. Should play for Southend United.
The students I was with brought it to my attention so thinking it would be a grass snake I went to take a look. The adder was basking in some early February sunshine so I suggested it would be a good idea to step back so it could get some sun, and get them out of the way.
A few years before on another field trip another student had picked up an adder and got bitten and decided not to tell anyone as he didn’t want to get into trouble. Luckily when he started to look a little ill he was taken to hospital and was administered with anti-venom.
I’ve seen more than a few when I used to get out and about in Cymru. A friend of mine managed to get bitten by one. It hospitalised him for a few days.
mikethep says
Uncle Wheaty says
In the UK it is known as Nigel.
nigelthebald says
Oi!
NigelT says
Oi again!
Junior Wells says
I encountered some kookaburra vomit today down the yard. Recently I moved a woodpile and in the process dislodged a heap of lizards. One of the regular burras at out property would nab one whenever I wheeled the wood to its new location. Clearly an overabundance as the kookaburra overindulged. I can confirm the lizards are eaten whole. I will spare you the pic.
mikethep says
Kookaburra Vomit – weren’t they big in the 70s?
At least it was only lizards in the woodpile…
Junior Wells says
Back to the snake. They don’t have a threatening name like taipan or mamba but the prosaically named Brown snake is top 3 deadliest snakes. Conclusion – that guy is a fucking idiot.
pawsforthought says
Watching that video made me feel uncomfortable in a “please put that thing down” sort of way. It was akin to the beginning of an episode of Casualty.
hubert rawlinson says
I half expected part way through that the presenter was changed and a different presenter finished the presentation off, with no reference as to why the first had had to be replaced.
Slug says
“Taipan” and “mamba” do indeed conjure up a vision of snakes who will come at you armed with flick knives and broken beer bottles. “Brown snake” conjures up only a child’s favourite toy, possibly covered in corduroy, who will indicate he is actually a snake only by lisping dramatically.
Black Celebration says
Ramsbottom was an occasional brown snake character in The Sooty Show, He had an “ah-speak-as-ah-find” Yorkshire accent.
pencilsqueezer says
Is there a Western Brown Snake? Is it any less venomous?
hubert rawlinson says
There is and no it isn’t.
pencilsqueezer says
I guess that means there’s a Northern and Southern version too.
hubert rawlinson says
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudonaja
Interestingly part of their name is Naja which is the family of Indian cobras.
Junior Wells says
Pseudonaja nuchalis, the northern brown snake[2] or gwardar, is a species of very fast, highly venomous elapid snake native to Australia. Its colour and pattern are rather variable, depending largely on its location.[2]
I live in the south but they are eastern browns around here.
Also get copperheads and red bellied black snakes
mikethep says
That’s the thing about brown snakes from all points of the compass, the bastards insist on not always being brown. Their mean little heads are a better identifier than colour. There’s a harmless tree snake round here that’s often misidentified as a brown.
pencilsqueezer says
Is there a beige version that only bites pensioners?
Black Celebration says
It’s not very far away really but NZ is the direct opposite of Australia in terms of bastad beasties. Nothing venomous really apart from a whitetail spider which is no bigger than a pea.
I would say that you can rest easy but the giant weta is the largest insect in the world and can be a bit confronting. They don’t bite or sting though, you just need to ask it politely to leave.
Junior Wells says
Odd that isnt it?
Sewer Robot says
“Brownsnake” makes me think of David Coverdale’s shreddies at the end of a long tour..
retropath2 says
And me the sort of overnight watchman in festival portaloos, should you get up early, ahead the cleaners…………
Better than the explosion at the mudflats, mind, beetroot optional.
mikethep says
Here’s an Eastern Brown having a moment. The red boots belong to our fearless local lady snake catcher.
Kaisfatdad says
Terrifying photo @mikethep. Those fangs are not to messed with.
I’m fascinated that in a town in Oz the local snake catcher is as familiar to the locals as the butcher, baker or milkman is in a British village,
I do like her boots.
hubert rawlinson says
According to the original youtube posting the fangs are quite small as the venom is so potent that they don’t need to bite deep. Still wouldn’t want to tangle with one.
mikethep says
@kaisfatdad Well, she posts a pic on Facebook of every snake she catches, so we all know who to call…Here’s the rest of her – little slip of a thing – with a python that might be bigger than she is.
Kaisfatdad says
What a lady! I’m going to start following illlcatchitsnakecatcher on Instagram.
Who needs Crocodile Dundee?
Junior Wells says
In Alice Springs the snake catcher is employed by the council so its free to call him out. Turned up to my step daughter’s place in thongs ( flip flops to you Brits)
Sitheref2409 says
Half a mile from our house
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-02/snake-bite-10-year-old-girl-in-alice-springs-hospital/13113314
Sitheref2409 says
I get that the snakes can be bad.
But no-one discusses the bastard magpies. Those things can memorize up to about 20 faces*; once you’re on the shitlist, they will continue to attack you.
This includes dog faces as well.
mikethep says
Mrs thep contends that you just have to be nice to them, so that when they recognise your face they think good guy, he gives us birdbaths and mince*. I’m not sure how far I’m prepared to go to prove/disprove this hypothesis.
*mince not actually recommended for magpies, despite the fact that a sizeable chunk of Oz’s mince mountain is fed to them.
Sitheref2409 says
One year, I didn’t have the chance to do anything good or bad, they just started attacking.
The local nature area, Desert Park, does a bird show every day, and very good it is too. The presenter tells a story that for a couple of years, her brother had to escalate the size and hardness of helmets – ooerr – he had to wear because of the nastiness of the attacks he got.
mikethep says
The Mrs used to favour cable ties in her gardening hat, but she doesn’t bother any more.
Junior Wells says
My son is on their shitlist, regularly attacked on his jog. Down here we have had up to 20 in the yard. No trouble. Mum used to feed them when down here. One got in the house the other day and when I shooed it out it walked. Out , literally, and at the most leisurely place looking over his shoulder err if he had shoulders. He was so cocky I expected him to have his wings on his hips as he strolled out err if his wings could bend and err if he had hips.
SteveT says
I have never liked magpies since when I was around seven years old one stole the toffee bar out of my hand.
They are bastards.
mikethep says
Mrs thep rests her case.
mikethep says
I had my own Oz wildlife experience this week, coming across this bad boy. According to my brother-in-law, it’s a black tiger snake and HIGHLY DANGEROUS, though not as HIGHLY DANGEROUS as an Eastern Brown. I doubt the difference would be obvious if it bit me though. Fortunately it continued snoozing as we tiptoed past. It’s a clumsy striker according to the snake page. Should play for Southend United.
hubert rawlinson says
Not in the same league as yours @mikethep but this is the only venomous snake I’ve come across.
The students I was with brought it to my attention so thinking it would be a grass snake I went to take a look. The adder was basking in some early February sunshine so I suggested it would be a good idea to step back so it could get some sun, and get them out of the way.
A few years before on another field trip another student had picked up an adder and got bitten and decided not to tell anyone as he didn’t want to get into trouble. Luckily when he started to look a little ill he was taken to hospital and was administered with anti-venom.
mikethep says
I’ve never actually seen an adder in Blighty.
pencilsqueezer says
I’ve seen more than a few when I used to get out and about in Cymru. A friend of mine managed to get bitten by one. It hospitalised him for a few days.
hubert rawlinson says
I don’t think you’ve missed much compared to the venomous bastards you have @mikethep.
Junior Wells says
Maybe less venomous but the black tiger beats the eastern brown for intimidating names.
mikethep says
Indeed…
mikethep says
The gift that keeps on giving…😬
https://newsapp.abc.net.au/newsapp/104669444?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link
Junior Wells says
So, a trouser snake then.