Snake Catcher Provides Tips On Dos And Don'ts During Snake Encounters

As the heat increases and hails the beginning of summer in Australia, snakes are starting to come out of hibernation to hunt and breed. That has increased the instances of contact with humans meaning envenomation.

The situation is particularly precarious in Queensland and Victoria, where there are more than 100 species of venomous snakes, including 10 of the deadliest in the world.

Stuart McKenzie, a snake expert from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers, has revealed some of the best means of keeping safe from the slithery reptiles during the summer.

He has reiterated every snake needs to be treated as dangerous. They had one case of an individual who thought they had encountered a harmless snake and did not seek immediate medical attention after they were bitten. It was almost fatal.

McKenzie emphasized victims needed to place pressure on the bite as soon as possible. He added if one were bitten on the fingers, the best thing would be to wrap the entire arm and hand in a pressure bandage.

People are advised to remain still and wait for the arrival of an ambulance. Though it may be counterintuitive to stay still after such a traumatic event and the subsequent fear, running around makes the heart beat faster.

That allows the venom to circulate through the body faster and infect the organs, which would lead to severe problems.

When a Queensland resident Pat Ryan tried finding a brown-looking snake that disappeared under the fence, he failed to notice a bite at the bottom of his heel.

Had his wife failed to see the bite in time while washing his feet, and it was an eastern brown snake, he would have been dead in hours at the most.

It is advisable not to try and capture or kill the snake as there is a risk of a second bite.

Trying to suck the venom out is also ineffective and quite risky, considering it only gets more venom in the mouth.

McKenzie also advised everyone in snake territory to carry a form of first aid if they are going to be outdoors during the time of the summer months. Apparently, the bandage could mean the difference between life and death.

Most of the snake bite-related deaths can be attributed to the eastern brown and tiger snakes as they have some of the fastest-acting venoms, and they can be aggressive if they feel threatened.

If left untreated, the venom can kill in under an hour.