Snake Encounters whilst Caching..

swampgecko · Post by **swampgecko** » 03 March 06 6:03 am

I have posted this sory in a few different threads already, but just for the late comers....

I had a Death adder move between my feet whilst out finishing off i!6 Quay at West Head in Broken Bay.

My foot slipped on some built up leaf litter.. I looked down and froze as the snake slivered on his way... no more than 3inches at the most from either foot. I told my wife to freeze and we waited it out, needless to say Clare didn't follow in my footprints again that day...

I found out afterwards that death Adders need to be trodden on literally before they will attack....

I have spotted heaps of snakes since then But that adder has been my closest encounter so far.

unbreakables · Post by **unbreakables** » 03 March 06 10:56 pm

We have come up with a way to keep them away 'STOMP' lots or sing loud just to give them plenty of warning that you are coming!!
was there a thread on " huckle buckle some bull twang" or something maby saying that over and over would keep them away,sure would keep me away.

Biggles Bear · Post by **Biggles Bear** » 04 March 06 8:09 am

We've seen quite a few whilst out caching. In fact we even encountered one on our recent trip to Singapore

He look something like this.
 We encountered him whilst crossing what appeared to be a disussed playing field. He caused Biggles Bear #2 to say "Eeeeeeek", and Biggles Bear #1 to say something that sounded very much like "Fire Truck". Last reports had Biggles Bear travelling at top speed east and snake looking pissed off and then moving off west.

Team Red Devil · Post by **Team Red Devil** » 04 March 06 3:49 pm

Crikey Biggles!

Biggles Bear · Post by **Biggles Bear** » 04 March 06 6:32 pm

That's not my photo by the way. ItÃ‚â€™s what I came up with when I did a search on our returned to the hotel. I think he was an equatorial spitting cobra (thatÃ‚â€™s what the photo is at any rate), as the hooded head was quite distinct as we made our exit from his neighbourhood.

I didn't have the presence of mind to try photographing him at the time, and given what I now know about them I'm quite glad I didn't try.

juzmac · Post by **juzmac** » 04 March 06 7:04 pm

We met up Mr Coffee & The Coffee Clan on our way to last year's 21 Again trip and almost stood on a tiger snake (i think) on our way to finding BB's Duck and Cover cache... It was just basking happily in the middle of the sandy path just after the fork (if memory serves).
(GCF7AD - March 12, 2005)

Needless to say we all paid a little more attention to wood for the rest of the day!!!!!!

But don't tell Shelby because you might be the cause of Mr Coffee and the "You're not taking the kids out caching are you" Clan

Spruce Mooses · Post by **Spruce Mooses** » 07 March 06 8:27 pm

so my last post on this I said I'd never seen a snake while caching. All changed today. almost stepped on a nearly 2m Brown snake, and after reading a little about it, realised it was in strike pose when I saw it until I (stupidly) squealed and jumped back. So anyone caching in the area around Burnside, west of Melbourne please be careful. So lets hope I have very few more experiences like this in the future. Obviously not my photo but there to illustrate the snake. - Shelly

aloysius · Post by **aloysius** » 08 March 06 12:38 am

Team Tiges wrote:I'm so sick of seeing snakes out caching. Myself and <a href="http://geocaching.com.au/cacher/aloysius7">Aloysius</a> have seen them more times than we care to remember, and I know aloysius has seen at least one that he's been trying desperately to forget!

It certainly has been the year for them this year

this one was spotted just about wrapped around one of my caches when i called in to do a maintenance run:

Cheesy pigs · Post by **Cheesy pigs** » 08 March 06 10:21 am

Found this on the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife website - I thought it was rather funny.....

"Get Real!
If you are concerned about the danger that snakes pose to you or your family, there are many other things you can do to increase life expectancy far more realistically than not bushwalking for fear of snakes.

These include:
Stop smoking.
Install smoke alarms in your house and make sure they are working.
Do a first aid course and keep your certificate up to date.
Do a defensive driving course and apply what you learn.
Practice safe boating."

Since we started caching last winter our sighting of snakes has increased dramatically! Mrs CP came across a nest of little white lipped snakes, Mr CP saw a big one on Mt Wellington while doing New Town Falls, and Mrs CP and Piglet almost trod on a large sleepy copperhead at Freycinet Views.

The biggest snake Mrs CP has come across was an enormous black tiger snake lying across the path on the way back from Basic Brown. It has got to be the fattest and longest snake I've ever come across. Luckily it was also very shy and nervous!!

I think everyone who has done that cache has seen that snake!!

Snuva · Post by **Snuva** » 08 March 06 11:24 am

Cheesy pigs wrote:I think everyone who has done that cache has seen that snake!!

In colder months he's hiding. The only time I saw him was when I visited with Mrs CP - and I was surprised at how calm, cool, and collected she was! I'm accustomed to caching with someone who needs a change of trousers if he sees a long worm! And that snake was huge and DEFINATELY could have swallowed a pig - without dislocating his jaw!

Rabbitto · Post by **Rabbitto** » 08 March 06 1:13 pm

Biggles Bear wrote:We've seen quite a few whilst out caching. In fact we even encountered one on our recent trip to Singapore


He look something like this.
 We encountered him whilst crossing what appeared to be a disussed playing field. He caused Biggles Bear #2 to say "Eeeeeeek", and Biggles Bear #1 to say something that sounded very much like "Fire Truck". Last reports had Biggles Bear travelling at top speed east and snake looking pissed off and then moving off west.

The other half of the photo

Team Red Devil · Post by **Team Red Devil** » 08 March 06 7:44 pm

LOL Bunny!

Now thats funny!

I actually have a 'Bad Taste Bear' like that!

Marie.

Hounddog · Post by **Hounddog** » 10 March 06 11:22 pm

If you haven't had an encounter of the slithery kind before now you soon will. It seems an inevitable part of geocaching in Australia. I've seen so many I just sort of look at Joe Blakes as old friends to keep me company on lonely hikes. Just maybe keep in mind to brush up on your snake bite first aid. Especially during the summer months.

Hounddog

SNIFTER · Post by **SNIFTER** » 11 March 06 12:06 am

In all my scouting and caching days I have never seen a snake in the bush. I am sure it is because I am a noisey walker. On the other hand I have seen one in my backyard. It was a least 6 foot and so big it was making a noise in the dry undergrowth. Was I scared......Still trying to do the washing.

The Coffee's · Post by **The Coffee's** » 11 March 06 4:20 pm

juzmac wrote:We met up Mr Coffee & The Coffee Clan on our way to last year's 21 Again trip and almost stood on a tiger snake (i think) on our way to finding BB's Duck and Cover cache... It was just basking happily in the middle of the sandy path just after the fork (if memory serves).
(GCF7AD - March 12, 2005)

Needless to say we all paid a little more attention to wood for the rest of the day!!!!!!

But don't tell Shelby because you might be the cause of Mr Coffee and the "You're not taking the kids out caching are you" Clan

Damm Nearly stepped on the blighter!, if it was not for Luke who said "Dad Stop" It may have been a slight detour for the Weekend trip.

We got some great advice and hands on experience while visiting the Reptile Park in Alice Springs NT, hence we placed a cache there called Snakes Alive (GCRBBY). The Park welcomes visitors and offers sound advice to Geocachers. They think we are crazy to go and stick our hands into holes and tree stumps in search of containers, and suggested a pair of Riggers gloves would be mandatory. The other tip they offered is- with a genuine close encounter Freeze and dont move for at least 1 minute, apparently snakes have a 45 second memory and will usually resume what they were doing within a minute.
I have had tooooo many encounters with a variety and rate Copper Heads the worst followed by the Brown, Tiger then Black.
Copper Heads have a real social issue and tend to be agro for the sake of agro, they really need some time with a Psychologist, the Brown is just Mean and BIG. Tigers tend to be "Yeah im deadly and get out of my way", and Blacks are "Red Belly express coming through".
Regards Mr.Coffee and the "Some days Winchester is my friend" Clan.