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    Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles
    Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles
    Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles
    Ebook265 pages2 hours

    Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles

    By Simon Watharow

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    About this ebook

    Can you tell if a snake is venomous by its colour?
    What is the real chance of being bitten by a snake?
    Can you really die in 30 seconds?

    Many of us have an instinctive fear of snakes and other reptiles. Over the last 200 years, we have built up a strong negative image of them, especially snakes. It is an image that has been reinforced by many fallacies and misconceptions.

    Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles provides a layperson’s account of why these creatures behave the way they do and what makes people get into trouble. The book sheds new light on snakes, lizards and crocodiles, helps you to identify them and dispels some common myths and fallacies. In revealing the fascinating world of reptiles, the book provides the reader with the knowledge to better cope with them at home and in the workplace.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCSIRO PUBLISHING
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9780643103818
    Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles

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      Book preview

      Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles - Simon Watharow

      1   Introduction

      Australia is home to a diverse and amazing range of reptiles – we have more than 1000 species that live in many different habitats across the continent. Most reptiles are adapted to live in a specific habitat, and some of these habitats can be quite threatened by environmental disturbances such as erosion, logging, salinity, introduced vegetation or animals, removal of rocks, and, of course, urban development. In a few cases reptiles have adapted to exist – but rarely thrive – in urban environments and it is here that contact between people and reptiles is more frequent.

      Over the last 200 years, Australians have built up a very strong negative image of reptiles, especially snakes, and this negative image has been reinforced by many fallacies and misconceptions. This book, therefore, aims to shed new light on these creatures and provide the reader with the knowledge to better cope with reptiles in backyards, the workplace and in their natural habitats.

      The Oenpelli Rock Python occurs in the rocky escarpments of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Image: John Weigel

      As its name suggests, the Water Python is often associated with bodies of water. Image: John Weigel

      A Lowland Copperhead basking in the sun. Image: John Weigel

      At one time or another, most Australians have had contact with a snake. Stories abound of near death experiences with a hissing snake that stares into the person’s eyes, or makes a mock strike or an attack. Often the size of the snake is exaggerated into an anaconda serpent that can leap buildings!

      In most encounters the threat from a snake is minimal and people need basic, common sense to manage the situation. A snake views a human as a predator yet, strangely, we imagine the snake to have a predatory role as an attacker. Fear can inadvertently be the cause of a bite because the person, concerned for their family, makes an attempt to kill the snake thus increasing their chance of being bitten.

      In all my time dealing with reptiles, I have never heard of a snake, left alone, that has bitten a person. Most snakebite occurs during confrontations, when people engage in risky behaviour such as trying to catch them or poking them, or when backyards are so snake friendly that they encourage frequent visits. There are certainly some cases of misadventure when a snake is accidentally trodden on.

      Some 3000–4000 snakebites occur each year in Australia. Most of these are bites from harmless snakes or bites where snake venom was not injected, often because the person’s clothing has defeated the bite. Of all these snake bites only around 200–300 will become envenomed and there may be one or two deaths during the year. Not bad odds!

      Serious snakebite usually happens when someone deliberately interferes with a snake or when they try to harm it. Snakes need to be left alone. They tend to have a beneficial impact on the environment, often helping to control pest species such as mice or starlings that are found around our properties.

      Most snakes have a nervous disposition and are quick to hide or flee when approached. Others rely heavily on camouflage to go unnoticed. Some have strong defence displays which are intended to send you, the predator, a strong message – keep away!

      Most bites from a Desert Death Adder occur when a person accidentally steps on a well camouflaged and immobile snake. Image: Greg Fyfe.

      Snakes and other reptiles need our protection, their habitats conserved and their biodiversity maintained for future generations. The misguided saying, ‘The only good snake is a dead snake’, needs to be removed from our vocabulary.

      Although they present a small risk, lizards, too, can frighten people. All Australian lizards are relatively harmless, although some of the larger monitor lizards are capable of inflicting a serious wound. Some lizards have been successful in surviving in urban regions. Bluetongue lizards, for example, tend to become established in suburban gardens where snails are abundant.

      In northern Australia, crocodiles can cause concern. These feared predators are a wonderful and exciting prehistoric relic – dinosaurs still alive today! It amazes me that we can, on the one hand, fuss over historic buildings only a few hundred years old, yet ruthlessly kill off an incredible living fossil that has managed to survive millions of years of evolutionary development. Little is known about these long-lived reptiles. Ironically most of what we know comes from the fact we farm them for food and fashion items.

      The Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard is the most common lizard seen in yards across eastern to northern Australia. In the southern states its banding may frighten some people due to the similarity to the dangerously venomous Eastern Tiger Snake, which often occurs in the same habitats as blue-tongue lizards.

      A Saltwater Crocodile displays its awesome teeth while basking.

      The dreaded invading Cane Toad is a common sight in backyards of northern Australia.

      Cane Toads now have a place in our landscape, too, having taken up permanent residency in Australia. The abundance of waterways in northern and eastern Australia sustains their growing spread. These animals have had a major impact on many native species and have become a nuisance in urban environments where outside lights attract their main prey – invertebrates. This book includes a short section for those faced with the task of living with Cane Toads.

      Each year there are more than 15 000 calls for help in relation to a snake around someone’s home or property, and a large percentage of these require a specialist snake catcher to attend. Often the snake catcher finds a snakefriendly yard which, ironically, usually remains unchanged even after his advice has been given and the snake has been removed. This book looks at the various means of snake prevention and tools to help minimise snakes around the house.

      The Eastern Brown Snake has adapted to human-made changes better than any other snake. It is now a common problem snake in most states except Tasmania and is responsible for most snake bites and the occasional death.

      Each capital city has a specific range of species that are commonly encountered in backyards (see Appendix, page 134). Brown snakes certainly are the most abundant snakes in rural and major cities (except Tasmania) and are the most likely cause of snakebite and, possibly, death. There is a strong tendency for there to be more harmless snakes the further north you go. Melbourne, Hobart, Perth and Adelaide metropolitan regions predominantly have only dangerously venomous snakes, while Brisbane, Darwin and Sydney (to a lesser extent) have a larger complement of harmless snakes.

      The way we present our gardens, with large ponds, rodent infestations and nestling birds in the roof eaves usually is the ‘welcome mat’ for passing snakes. ‘Have I come to Eden!’ says the snake.

      I hope this book will shed some light on ways best to reduce snake attracting gardens and yards. Like fire prevention techniques, snake prevention techniques will help reduce the threat considerably.

      2   Snakes in history

      Throughout human history our cultural beliefs and folklore have formed the basis for much of our understanding of snakes. Nearly all cultures in the world have snake legends. Many have worshipped serpents and in some cultures they are revered. The ability of snakes to shed their skin has, in folklore and legend, given them the supernatural ability to rejuvenate the spirit – or life itself. Palaeolithic people often had markings of snakes on their weapons. Religion, too, has played a significant role in shaping our attitude towards them. Perhaps the most famous Western belief is the snake in the Garden of Eden, and its trickery of Adam and Eve into original sin.

      Throughout human history the snake has played a sinister role. Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent in a 1504 woodcut by Alfred Dürer.

      The Indian Cobra is a leading cause of snakebite in Asian and the sub-continent countries. It is also heavily featured in the folklore and legends within these cultures. Its famous hooded stance is recognised worldwide. Image: Peter Mirtschin

      The snake is quite different from a mammal. For some it represents the ‘other side of humanity’ or the darker mysterious forces in nature. These frightening associations are sometimes represented physically in the form of a snake. Snakes also have the ability to suddenly appear and as quickly disappear; this – combined with the ability of venomous snakes to kill – has lent the snake an aura of godlike qualities.

      The famous Hopi Rain Dance, which is still part of the culture of Mexican people in Arizona, is used to send messages to their rain gods. It involves dancing with live

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