Keeping Safe During Snake Season

Australia has its fair share of critters, and our international reputation is bolstered by terrifying stories of lethal creatures. It's important to take the right steps in the event of an emergency when bitten by a snake.

1. Wear appropriate clothing.

Because nearly all snake bites occur on the ankles, hands, and lower parts of the legs, covering these areas reduces the possibility of snake venom entering your bloodstream significantly.

Most venomous snakes in Australia have short fangs and prefer to wipe venom into wounds rather than inject it deeply into the skin. A good pair of jeans will also help to keep an Australian snake from biting you.

It should go without saying that you should wear closed shoes. This will not only protect your feet, but will also produce more vibrations than sandals or thongs. Snakes can be scared away by vibrations before you reach them.

2. Carry First-Aid

It's a good idea to be prepared in case of a snake bite. Compression immobilisation bandages should be included in your first-aid kit. Heavy crepe bandages, in fact, are ideal.

3. Carry Some Form of Communication.

If you are working on your own, make sure you let someone know where you are and how long you are expected to be there. If you're working with little-to-no reception, Apple's iPhone allows you to now use satellites for emergency calls if something goes wrong.

4. Check Your Equipment

Snakes can sometimes appear where you least expect them, so make sure you check your equipment, big and small, for snakes before you pick up, turn on and operate your equipment.

Encountering a Snake

1. Stay calm, back away, and wait for it to move. Snakes will only strike humans when they feel threatened.
2. Don’t provoke it or make any sudden movements they could perceive as a threat.
3. Never try to kill a snake. Like all native animals, they’re protected – but the majority of bites occur when people try to kill them.
4. If the snake doesn’t move, don’t poke it with a stick or shovel. Many snakes can strike quickly from a distance.
5. While foot-stamping might encourage a snake to move off a track, only do this if you are a far distance from it (i.e. at least several metres). It can still be seen as a threatening action, especially if the snake is cornered.

Treating a snake bite.

In the event of a snake bite, it's important to remain calm and act calmly and responsibly.

1. Treat all suspected snakebites as life-threatening.
2. In Australia, bites might just look like a superficial scratch and not the two puncture wounds you might expect.
3. Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage to the limb immediately, splint the limb, and call an ambulance.
4. Even in a remote location, you should keep the limb immobilised, and stay calm and still.
5. The bandage should be applied to the whole length of the limb, and be as tight as you would strap a sprained ankle.
6. Never wash or cut the wound, as the hospital uses any venom on the skin to identify the snake.
7. Don’t suck out the venom, and don’t apply a tourniquet instead of an immobilisation bandage.

Remembering all of this information could mean the difference between a bite and walking away from a snake unharmed.

Stay safe on your property or bushland this snake season.