Spring has sprung and snakes are on the move. Now is the time to teach your child what to do if they encounter a snake. I had to do this myself this recently, as we had a snake in the back yard, and my son made the mistake of not
telling me about it until an hour later! He now knows better and won't make that mistake again.
In Australia there are over 80 species of venomous snake. Fortunately, only about 20 of them are considered dangerous to humans. Unfortunately, some of these dangerously venemous snakes are quite common and quite likely to be encountered by people, including children. Snakes tend to hybernate in winter and they become most mobile during spring and early summer, as they come out of hybernation in search of food and suitable mates. This is the time that they are most active and most dangerous. In the outback of Australia, we call this Snake Season.
I grew up around snakes. As a young child I - foolishly - used to chase Red-bellied Black snakes through long grass on a riverbank in Sydney. As an older child and from then on, I lived in the outback where Eastern Browns, Mulga snakes (formerly known as the King Brown), and Inland Taipans (formerly known as the Fierce snake) were more common. These snakes don't just rank in the top 20 of Australia's most dangerous snakes, but also in the top 20 of the world's most dangerous. So how on earth did I survive my childhood? My Dad taught me well what to wear in snake territory, and what to do when confronted by a snake.
A snake's fangs may be as sharp as needles, but their fangs aren't all that long. Some snakes may have fangs as long as 6mm, but most don't. Also, when a snake bites a human, they normally aren't doing it to eat the person, only to defend themselves from what they perceive as a threat. As a result, most are more likely to "strike" rather than "bite". These strikes are, in the simplest terms, the snake hitting with it's fangs. Consequently, these strikes are often shallow, and usually will not penetrate certain types of clothing. Also, the striking distance of a snake is only half it's body length. So a 3 metre snake will have a 1.5 metre strike range. You actually have to be pretty close for a snake to harm you. Snakes also can't strike particularly high up (with the exception of the Western Taipan, as it is such a huge snake it has a much greater strike distance, and thus can strike higher as well) and so most commonly strike below the knee on an adult.
The stories about people getting chased by snakes are just mistaken. A snake, when it feels threatened, with try to go to a safe place. If you happen to be between the snake and it's safe place, it will try to get past you to get there. If you happen to turn and run in the same direction, the snake will appear to chase you. Also, a snake's attention span is less than a minute long. If you disturb a snake and then let it be, a minute later it will forget about you and go about doing what snakes do - which is not a lot, other than look for food, shelter, and a suitable mate.
The first step to avoiding an encounter with a snake in your own yard is to read the section on snakes in this linked advice. Of course, depending on where you live, this isn't foolproof, and occasionally you may still find one in your yard, particularly during snake season. Of course, going anywhere away from urban areas, particularly if camping or bushwalking, significantly increases your risk of an encounter. Don't let this stop you from enjoying time out in the bush however. Appropriate clothing and footwear and a few simple rules will help avoid disaster.
The 6 simple rules to teach your children about snakes.
Rule 1: Tough clothing and boots when in snake territory.
Thick, tough, close-knit pants, thick socks, and good boots will provide a good defence against a snake when walking in the bush. It may not be totally bite proof from all snakes, but it's far more effective than shorts and thongs! My favourite attire is knee high leather boots and thick leather pants. I've encountered many snakes, some have struck at me, and none have ever succeeded in getting to my skin. Particularly little children could well do with the added protection of a decent jacket, because they are so short, more of their body may be within strike range of a snake.
Rule 2: Keep your hands to yourself.
Whether you are in the bush or your own back yard, putting your hands into any kind of hole or hollow can be disasterous if a snake happens to be inside. Many people have made the mistake of picking up what they thought was a stick or a length of rope to find they were suddenly holding a dangerous snake. Many people that have been bitten have been silly enough to try and antagonise or kill a snake. Watch where you put your hands and leave snakes alone, and they won't hurt you.
Rule 3: Stop. Don't move.
If you suddenly find yourself in a situation where you are confronted by a snake, simply stop and don't move. The snake will, after a minute, forget you are even there and will just go about doing it's own personal snake business. If it is moving towards you, it will not attack you if you stand still. It might slither over your feet, even curl around your leg, but so long as you remain motionless it will not strike. You can yell and scream for help as much as you like, just don't move! Even if the snake has bitten you, the best thing to do is remain perfectly still and let the snake leave. Two bites are worse than one, and when bitten by a snake, movement will actually speed up the venom travelling through your system. Staying perfectly still is the best thing.
Rule 4: Watch the snake.
Take a good look at what the snake is doing and where it is going. Is it slithering away and if so, in what direction? You want to make sure you leave the scene in the opposite direction to the snake if you can. Is it now far enough away that you are out of it's strike range and can safely move away, or has it decided to stay still as well? Most snakes when startled will move away (there is one exception) if you give them the chance to do so. If in your own yard, you want to get a good look where it is going so that you know where it is. A professional snake handler can't remove a snake from your property if they can't find it.
Rule 5: Move away very slowly.
In some situations, after you have stood still for that seeming endless minute, you may have to move away from the snake even if you are still in it's strike range. Rapid movements may startle the snake further, and there is one species that breaks the rules about leaving the scene. The Death Adder is an ambush snake that will sit perfectly still for days waiting for it's prey to wander past, so it will not move away from you, you have to move away from it. Snakes sense vibration, and they mostly feed on animals such as mice, rats, birds, and lizards. Their prey moves quickly, so they are very aware of the vibrations created by rapid movement. The creatures that kill and eat snakes, such as large birds of prey and cats, also move quickly, so the snake is also very aware of the type of vibrations created by such things. If you move very slowly, and place your feet on the ground with each step very gently, you will create less vibrations and thus won't attract the attention of the snake enough for it to want to bite or strike.
Rule 6: Tell an adult immediately.
There is no point telling someone that there is a snake around hours after seeing one, as it could be anywhere by then. If you have been struck or bitten, hours later you could be in very serious trouble, if indeed you are still alive. Children must be taught to tell an adult if they think they saw a snake as soon as possible so that the adult can take appropriate action.
Lastly, be aware that many cats and some dogs will often find the snake long before you or your children will. Some will even kill the snake and bring it to you as a rather uncharming gift. What makes this gift even more uncharming is that many snakes are very good at playing dead. Your pet may think it has a dead snake, you may think it has a dead snake, until your loving pet drops it at your feet - or worse yet, brings it inside the house! - only to have the snake suddenly come "back to life" and deliver a deadly strike. Snakes need sleep too, and a sleeping snake may also look dead, particularly if it is a little cold and the snake's reactions are a bit slowed. Never attempt to pick up a snake, even if you do think it is dead.
Dealing with snake bites is another issue that is covered in this linked advice.
(September 2007) (
