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SNAKES
Adelaide Plains Snake Removals. David. W. Pick. Ph: 85243921 Mobile: 0418849776.	Australian elapids (front fanged venomous land snakes) are shy & generally avoid contact with people. However, most snakes will adopt a fearsome stance if attacked or surprised & can strike repeatedly. Although many have deadly venom they are responsible for very few deaths in this country.	The following venomous snakes may be found in South Australia
	Eastern (or common) Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis) This is by far the most common snake dealt with in call outs. It can grow to a length of about 2 metres & when defensive it can be truly terrifying. It is a fast moving snake. Its fangs are very fine & less than 3 mm long, so a potentially lethal bite may not appear any more dramatic than a minor scratch. Its venom is extremely potent, but it often inflicts only a “dry bite” without envenomating. However, ALL BITES MUST BE TREATED AS POTENTIALLY LETHAL. Its diet is reptiles, but it has developed a taste for the introduced mouse. This & the shelter we provide make it common around human settlement. Although called the Brown snake, these snakes can range from a very pale blond or sandy colour through to black. It is always a mistake to identify a snake from body colour alone. Their highly toxic venom, like that of most Australian elapids, is pre-synaptic; meaning that whatever nerve damage occurs is irreversible. This is why immediate first aid is essential. The eastern Brown Snake uses both envenomation & constriction in subduing its prey. Whilst Australian venomous snakes can inflict a deadly bite few people die of snake bite in Australia. This is partly in comparison with the rest of the world the incidence of snake bite is very low but, more importantly, because the venom detection kits that are now available in the major Australian hospitals have made it possible to determine the right antivenom, to use. With prompt appropriate on site first aid & transfer to hospital the chances of recovery are almost assured. FIRST AID FOR SNAKE BITE Reassure the person, making them lie down. DO NOT attempt to catch or kill the snake. If you saw it, your description will be useful, but the hospital will still have to identify the venom. Do not wash the wound. The hospital will need to test traces from the wound site to determine the antivenom to use. Apply a firm pressure bandage (using whatever material is on hand) over the wound. This should be about as firm as you would bandage a sprained ankle. DO NOT APPLY A TOURNIQUET! It is essential to slow down the movement of venom through the lymphatic system & a tourniquet needlessly restricts the blood flow & may result in permanent injury. Apply firm pressure to the bite site. Bandage firmly all the way from the extremities (fingers or toes) up to the top of the limb. If possible mark the site of the bite on the outside of the bandage. A good way is to leave a flap of bandage out at the beginning of the procedure. However, if this would waste time mark it in some other way. Bandage over light clothing. Immobilise the limb with a splint – use a rolled up or folded newspaper if nothing else is available. If the bite is on the leg, bind the legs together making the person more comfortable & the binding more secure by placing soft material such as a towel, sweater or newspapers between the legs before binding. If the bite is on the arm or hand & you have nothing suitable for a splint, you can fold the person’s top clothing (shirt, sweater etc.) up over the bent arm & pin the hem to the rest of the garment, or you can strap the person’s arm to their body. ALWAYS REMEMBER: · Keep the whole person still not just the affected limb. · Call an ambulance or bring transport to the person, rather than taking them to the transport. If you are out of range of ambulance services you should ring ahead to the hospital as soon as possible PRESSURE & IMMOBILISATION ARE ESSENTIAL!!!! · Keep reassuring the person. This is important in keeping them calm and still. Let them know that this method is the most known to be highly effective in preventing the rapid spread of venom. · Do not give alcohol – it makes the effects of the snake bite much worse. A very small amount of water is okay. *TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN SNAKE SAFE:* Keep your garden clean. Throw away all rubbish eg: old tin, timber etc. •Maintain your lawn, keep it short. •Fill any holes in your retaining walls, dry stone walling & rockeries. • Place a draught excluder strip on the bottom of any outside door & Attach fly wire to all ground level air vents. • Trim back any plants & creepers, especially those hanging over or against walls. • Keep your aviaries clean to reduce the number of mice. • Turn over and dig through your compost patch regularly to avoid Snakes laying their eggs underneath. • Keep your garages & sheds clean. Do not collect rubbish • Keep all BBQ and entertainment area clear. Remember, if you see a snake assume it is venomous & DO NOT TOUCH IT!! Call Adelaide Plains Snake Removals, as soon as possible. 85243921 or 0418849776... *WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A SNAKE* As silly as this may sound the first thing you should do is stand perfectly still. Eastern Brown Snakes and Snakes in general eyesight works entirely on movement, so if you stand perfectly still the Snake can no longer see you. In his mind you have just gone from being a threat to him and turned into a tree and he will move on his way. This is particulary important if the snake is cornered.. Brown Snakes by nature are timid and will take flight rather than fight if given the opportunity, but in saying that they are also the paranoid schizophrenic of the Snake world, if cornered and threatened they will not hesitate in protecting themselfs with outright aggression... On a warm day a Brown Snake is very capable of launching himself at chest hight, so whatever you do dont make him feel cornered or threatened, stand your ground dont move, not even the slightest as the Snake will pick up on the smallest of movements. Usually in less than a minute the Snake will feel the treat has passed, and go from his defensive head raised S shape stance to time to dissappear and go to ground mode. At this time when the Snake is not looking at you slowly back away from him.. Keep an eye on the Snake from a safe distance so you can show the catcher exactly where the Snake is, thus increasing the chances of finding and catching it.. If the Snake is in your home, if possible close off the room block off the doors with rolled up towels, this will make it far easier to locate the reptile.. Eastern Brown Snakes are lightning fast on a hot day. Many people are of the opinion that as they have no legs they are not capable of moving with any real speed. Dont be fooled by the no legs no speed senerio, this is by no means the case. 98% of Snake bites come from people trying to kill or scare the Snake off. Dont become another on of these statistics.. The Eastern Brown Snake is ranked as the second most toxic land Snake in the world, and without correct first aid treatment his bite is leathal ! So dont risk your own life trying to dispose of them. Contact a professional.	Eastern or common Brown Snake
FIRST AID SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE YOU GARDEN SNAKE SAFE *TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN SNAKE SAFE* *WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A SNAKE*		Common Tiger Snake
		Red Bellied Black
		Pygmy Copperhead
		Death Adder
		Mulga Snake
		Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake
		Peninsula Tiger Snake
		Peninsula Brown Snake
		Western Brown Snake
*black & brown snakes can and will climb to gain entry*		Simple ways to make your garden Snake Safe. When building anything around the home, for example retaining walls, rockeries or any dry stone walling, be aware that in doing so you can create numerous places for snakes & even mice to call home, or in the case of snakes, a place to eat. So when doing any of this type of work, be sure to pack all the areas with soil, dolomite. Or for larger problem areas, quarry rubble. This is because, unless the soil is very sandy, snakes will not dig their own burrows, they much prefer to use existing tunnels created by water, mice or your garden beautification. Where possible refrain from planting low ground cover plants, such as ivy & any plants that will grow over retaining walls, rockeries etc. & ultimately reach the ground. For existing plants you really only have two choices, the first being to just remove them, or, for a less dramatic solution, you can do some heavy trimming. Trim the lower branches as high as you fell comfortable but at least high enough so that you can readily see underneath for any lurking snakes. Remember, if the plant cover is still too heavy it will continue to offer cover for the snake, even in what may appear to us as a very minor spot. The choice is – trim or take out. In today’s enviromentally friendly back yard the compost bin or heap has become our friend, but unfortunately they can very easily become our enemy unless a couple of simple changes are made. The reasons for this that they attract mice & rats scavenging for food & also they tend not to be pleasant to either the eye or nose & so get tucked out of the way in a quiet area of the garden. Unfortunately, to a snake this is all very appealing as this mixture offers warmth, food and a nice dark, quiet, safe location to hang around in or, for a female to next & lay eggs. So, to prevent this, it is very advisable to regularly get the garden fork into the heap & turn it over, whereas for the bin you should attach close meshed netting (max lcm) to the bottom thereby preventing easy access for the mouse & snake but maintaining worm movement.
David Pick Adelaide Plains Snake Removals. Ph: 85243921 Mobile: 0418849776
Like us, when it gets either too hot or too cold, snakes will move indoors, so many call outs involve the removal of snakes from locations as diverse as factories, houses, schools, garden shed & garages to name a few. You can be assured that if a mouse can fit under a door or through a hole, its most natural enemy the snake will not be far behind, even to the extreme to gaining access to the property via air vents on exterior walls near the ground. Also, remember, black & brown snakes can and will climb to gain entry. So, if there are any plants or trellises near or against an exterior wall, look at their positioning. Fitting a draught excluder or rubber strip to the base of any external door is a very good prevention &, where air vents in the wall are a problem, you can simply attach fly wire etc. to cover them. Snakes will refrain from living in the area under your house or shed if the site is clear. So, try to limit storage there. Where possible, do not store junk, old furniture, timber, rubble even old tools etc. there as these are all inviting places of accommodation.