by It’s peak snake season in Australia – so how should you react when you see one
Australia is home to some of the world’s most ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs snakes, so it’s not uncommon for them to be found slithering around one’s home or even into a car. Snakes are a part of Australian life and they play an important role in ᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ rats, mice and other animals humans don’t particularly like. “There’s a lot of myths and stories that get people very ᴀꜰʀᴀɪᴅ, but they’re really not as sᴄᴀʀʏ as they’re made out to be, they’re actually quite amazing animals
Should I run if I see a snake?
If you come across a snake, your first instinct may be to run, which seems logical, but it’s actually not the best thing to do. What to do if you see a snake. Though it might seem difficult, one of the most important pieces of advice when spotting a snake is to remain calm. Stay still, don’t ᴘᴀɴɪᴄ and try to move slowly away. “And they will be less likely to ʙɪᴛᴇ, and you basically disappear to the snake.”
What to do if you are ʙɪᴛᴛᴇɴ?
While waiting for emergency services to arrive, stay as still as possible, as movement can shift ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ around the body. And despite the common myth, it’s wrong to attempt to suck the ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ out of the ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ. The identification of the ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ later can help to later identify the type of snake, which helps to prescribe an ᴀɴᴛɪ-ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ.
What happens when snakes ʙɪᴛᴇ?
While it is estimated hundreds of people are ʙɪᴛᴛᴇɴ each year by snakes, a recent study by the University of Melbourne’s Australian ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ Research Unit found only 35 people died from snake ʙɪᴛᴇs between 2000 and 2016 in Australia. Dr Jackson said the effect of every snake ʙɪᴛᴇ is different. “It depends on a lot of things, the combination of the amount of ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ delivered, the physiology of the person,” he says. “We sometimes see people ᴄᴏʟʟᴀᴘsɪɴɢ rapidly, sometimes people feel fairly well and then feel sɪᴄᴋ hours later. There is a huge variation in response.”
