As I said, however, this myth is partly true. Some species of snakes will actively “chase” human beings, such as the Central American bushmaster (LachesisLachesis is a genus of pit vipers sometimes called bushmasters. It includes the largest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Lachesis
Myth: Snakes chase people. Truth: Many people who have spent time outdoors have a story about being chased by snakes. But herpetologists, people who study reptiles and amphibians, never seem to have this experience.
Will a snake follow you? The belief that the snake may chase the humans is not true since there is no way that the snakes may pursue the person actively in order to hurt them. The snakes normally bite because of two reasons, it can be to subdue the prey or for the self defense.
The Coastal Taipan is often regarded as the most dangerous snake in Australia. They are extremely nervous and alert snakes, and any movement near them is likely to trigger an attack.
Rule Number 1: Don't Try To Outrun A Snake
Not because your kid can't — they probably could! The very fastest snake, the Black Mamba, can slither at about 12 MPH, and a truly scared human (even one with short legs) could probably exceed that.
The snake doesn't care what kind of pattern you run in. You can run in a "S" pattern, you can zig-zag, or you can do "I'm up, he sees me, I'm down" all the way home and it won't make a bit of difference.
Leave it alone. Snakes are generally shy and will not attack unless provoked, so it's best to leave them be. If you see a snake inside your home, get all people and pets out of the room immediately.
"Including the brown, tiger, black, taipan, death adder and certain sea snakes and all these snakes are found in Queensland," Mr Farry said. "Most Australian snake bites are associated with minimal local pain and bite marks can be easily missed."
It's rare for Australian snakes to strike. It's even more uncommon for the fangs to penetrate clothing and the skin.
If you find a dry, scaly sheet of the skin or a crumpled heap somewhere close to an entrance into the walls of your home or small space areas. If you are inspecting a dusty area or crawl space, you might notice slither tracks that indicate where a snake has traveled. Snakes have a distinctive smell that is noticeable.
Back away to a safe distance and allow the snake to move away. Snakes often want to escape when disturbed. Remember, all native wildlife, including snakes, is protected.
Although most snakes are not aggressive and will slither away at the first hint of human presence, people should still take precautions to lessen the chance of being bitten – particularly in wooded areas around lakes or ponds. Here are some tips to help mitigate the hazard of incurring a venomous snake bite.
Snakes cannot jump, but instead lunge forward from a coiled position at an accelerated speed. As a snake launches itself, it may appear as though the snake is jumping.
It is a myth that snakes can sense fear in humans.
However, since snakes have an extraordinary sense of smell, they might be able to sense a difference between a relaxed human and a fearful human. Snakes do not respond to fear in humans unless they feel threatened by unpredictable human movements.
Snakes hold grudges:
Old Bollywood movies come to mind when we hear about snakes holding grudges. As cringing as those movies were, they were even more incorrect about their facts. Snakes do not have brains developed to the level where they can remember who wronged them, let alone hold a grudge!
Snakes can be found all over Australia, not only in the Outback. However, you will hardly see them. On all my trips I only saw a few snakes and I nearly stepped on one when I was walking along the Eyre Highway, see the picture above (at least I thought it was a snake at that time). But this won't happen every day.
In Australia, snakes sometimes slither into suburban backyards and homes. When the weather gets warm, they lounge in the sun.
The Eastern brown snake is responsible for around 60% of deaths caused by snakebite in Australia.
Snakes are most active at night and during early morning and late evening hours, the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension says. One of the most common species of snakes isn't venomous at all.
If the snake won't move off the trail, it's safest to wait it out or turn back. Don't try stepping over or around it, unless you can bypass it at a safe distance – and watch where you step. Keep an eye on the snake in case it decides to escape your way. When motivated, they can glide fairly quickly.
Snakes like to warm their bodies in the sunshine. Hiking in the evening or early in the morning helps you avoid their favorite part of the day.
Snakes can't hear very well, but can sense vibrations in the ground. When walking in the bush, make noise and stomp your feet to scare off any nearby snakes.
If you need to pick up a snake, you can use the tail to control the snake, but equal support should be at the front of the body through the use of a snake hook or your hand. You should generally avoid picking a snake up at all unless it is to safely transport it away from your property.
Fortunately, the venomous snake species in the United States very rarely pose fatal threats to humans, which means there is absolutely no need to harm a snake on the trail, venomous or not (according to the Center for Disease Control, of the 7-8,000 people in the US bitten by snakes, only 5 will die).