Snake Warning - Lerderderg National Park

[davids]

I tend to feel a bit 'naked' if not wearing gaiters.
I did a 'Oh sh##, F###, Jesus' high jump on the way up from Big River a few days ago when a big black snake surprised me. rather embarrassing, but no less so than the the same expletives in the movie theatre when the snake attacked Harry in the first part of 'Deathly Hallows'. In fact, I more recently embarrassed myself in a similar way when the tiger jumped at the boy in Life of Pi.
Quite visceral, not under my control, and certainly have been bitten on the farm when actually stood on a black. the venom was on the gumboot though, not in my leg, and both snake and human rapidly retreated from the confrontation.
Cheers
David

[magichat]

LOFL

Snakeexpert: No need to panic when you see a snake in the wild bec..

Forumexpert: WHAT DO YOU MEAN DONT PANIC DIDNT YOU HEAR THERES SNAKES IN THIS THREAD??????

Snakeexpert: Yes, but when you look at the statis..

Forumexpert: I SAW A SNAKE! IM TELLING YOU TO PANIC GODDAMMIT!

snakeexpert: Yeah whatever

Forumexpert; HELLZ YES I WIN!!!

Thanks for the input jackhinde, much appreciated.

[trickos]

Thanks for the input jackhinde, much appreciated.

I agree - without Jackhinde's imput this thread would not have had nearly the mileage (or laughs) it has.

I'd be interested to see other snake encounter photos, anyone? I've posted mine.

[jackhinde]

twas pleasure to provide some light relief folks, if you like i can kick it off again by detailing why slow growing territorial cannibalistic ectotherms such as black snakes do not undergo population booms noticable as an increase in mature specimens and therefore the adult numbers in a suitable habitat remain about the same year in year out...

here is a snake encounter photo as requested: despite the poor wild serpent being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting a sore bloodied head from human activity, you can see after realising that not all humans want to hurt it it became calm for its rescuer.

[jackhinde]

ps dont do this, i am obviously an idiot

[ryantmalone]

Is this where I'm supposed to panic and go on about snakes in a thread or something?

By the way, that's a damn nice looking snake you got there.

[dplanet]

please define nearly bitten?

anyone who goes bushwalking in anything other than long pants is inviting trauma if they leave clear paths or trails, more so from scleromorphs than wildlife though!

Here is my recent experience with the snake. Seven snakes have been seen this year so far and 6 of them were tiger snakes.
· One was swimming across a river.
· One fled under a rock covered with low scrub
· Three were on an old and quiet forest road on a sunny day in the same morning. Two of them held me off for about 10 minutes and i had to negotiate with them in a positive manner so that they could give way to me. I tried to make some noise with my feet and loudly asked to let me go.
· One was on the bank of a river hurrily running away when i came to collect my socks hung on a tree branch for drying. It was only about 5 metres from my tent and I camped there for 2 nights.
· One small green snake (about half of metre) was on a clear foot track.

[Pongo]

Off to 'The Derg' now, will keep the pooch on leash for the most part I think.

Seeing snakes out there seems to go with the territory. I've only seen red bellies out there, normally just chilling out and often a fair way from water on a spur. My wildlife book tells me they can wander quite a ways from a water source. I've found them typically docile, my dog barked at one last time I took her out, it opted for retreat instead of aggression, it helps that she came back when I called her I suppose - gave it somewhere to go.

Ryan your story reminds be of a Norwegian(?) backpacker I saw out there last year. He meanders out of the bush, having come down link track 2 (or upstream, but he looked dry) and comes across my mates and I having lunch. The usual 'have you seen any snakes?' banter starts. It ends up he went to perch himself on a big rock to take in the river views, threw his hands on the rock, began to hoist himself up and as he did, found him self eye to eye with a red belly. Suffice to say he was still rattled. I played the Mr Cool "welcome to Australia" line. He he.

I'm not fond of snakes but so long as we leave other alone I'm happy to coexist.

[cooee]

Amazing, have walked it pretty hard over the Christmas holidays. Even yesterday we did Nolan Track, then followed the river down to Spanish Onion Track return. And are yet to see one…. Have seen plenty of Black Snakes over the years, but nothing the whole of 2012 -2013. Mind you, saw more people yesterday than l ever have. Might have only been 4 but in all the years we have never seen anyone.

[ryantmalone]

Ryan your story reminds be of a Norwegian(?) backpacker I saw out there last year. He meanders out of the bush, having come down link track 2 (or upstream, but he looked dry) and comes across my mates and I having lunch. The usual 'have you seen any snakes?' banter starts. It ends up he went to perch himself on a big rock to take in the river views, threw his hands on the rock, began to hoist himself up and as he did, found him self eye to eye with a red belly. Suffice to say he was still rattled. I played the Mr Cool "welcome to Australia" line. He he.

I'm not fond of snakes but so long as we leave other alone I'm happy to coexist.

I've come across my fair share, had my fair share of close calls. Generally, they just more on before you have a chance to see them, let alone step on them. I suppose this was just one of a small handful of "soil myself" moments that we all have from time to time.

Nevertheless, the advisory that I was given is that snake activity is much higher than normal in Lerderderg.

Amazing, have walked it pretty hard over the Christmas holidays. Even yesterday we did Nolan Track, then followed the river down to Spanish Onion Track return. And are yet to see one…. Have seen plenty of Black Snakes over the years, but nothing the whole of 2012 -2013. Mind you, saw more people yesterday than l ever have. Might have only been 4 but in all the years we have never seen anyone.

It's funny that. I've done a fair few walks this Summer, in Lerderderg, Werribee Gorge, Feathertop, and have only seen three snakes. One at Freeburgh Bridge before I went across the Razorback, one in Lerderderg River, and one high up on Long Point Spur. Two were definitely red bellies, not sure of the one on Long Point though.

[Pongo]

I never made it into the guts of the gorge today, was pretty high so likely out of roaming range for snakes. Turned back as the dog was laboring under the sun... and being on the leash I think. I ended up dousing her in water and turning back.

That said I bumped into a gent who was finishing the scenic rim, he'd seen a couple by the river (I'm guessing the weir).