# Pleystowe couple come face to face with Taipan



## Firepac (Nov 8, 2012)

Taipan? Really? hmmmm


Pleystowe couple come face-to-face with taipan | Mackay Daily Mercury


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## jairusthevirus21 (Nov 8, 2012)

So does this guy have any fines to pay for killing native wildlife that was perfectly healthy???


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## Sezzzzzzzzz (Nov 8, 2012)

why did he have to get out of the car to look at it?


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## Elapidae1 (Nov 8, 2012)

Ahhhh man and some of the comments. Makes you wanna hit people with shovels.

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jairusthevirus21 said:


> So does this guy have any fines to pay for killing native wildlife that was perfectly healthy???




It was perfectly legal as he acted in self defence.


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## longqi (Nov 8, 2012)

Elapidae1 said:


> It was perfectly legal as he acted in self defence.



If he hadnt interfered by going to look at it there would have been no defence display and he wouldnt have felt threatened or thought he had to act in self defence???


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## Albino93 (Nov 8, 2012)

I wouldn't call, deliberatly getting out of the car to "look" at a potentially deadly snake thats going to obviously get defensive if they stood too close, as killing it in self defence. The snake was only doing what they were evolved to do and the idiot person prevoked the snake to get defensive by getting too close. He imo should be fined.


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## GeckoJosh (Nov 8, 2012)

Can anyone confirm that is was a Taipan?


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## Gruni (Nov 8, 2012)

My thoughts too Longqi, even after the snake reared he could have backed away and driven off.


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## RedFox (Nov 8, 2012)

Why was he holding a fence wire if he only "went for a look"? Some people are so stupid, what ever happened to if you leave it alone it will leave you alone. In those comments underneath only one person has any sense.


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## -Peter (Nov 8, 2012)

Lets face it, if it was going to bite him it have done it half a dozen times by the time he found something to hit it with. He's seen the snake gone in armed and added to the story to make himself look the big man.


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## moosenoose (Nov 8, 2012)

Is it even a taipan? :lol: 

Another reason I refuse to stuff around and dig through my wallet to fork out for a relocators permit :lol: They can kill them without fear of persecution, I can relocate them saying I was "relocating it in fear of my life"...sue me! :lol:


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## jase75 (Nov 8, 2012)

The whole story is a load of crap. Like Peter said he killed the snake and made up the whole story to sound like a hero. He should be fined and made an example off. Makes me so angry. It's such a joke, someone can get fined for moving a snake off the road yet idiots like this guy can kill anything they want and get away with it.


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## Firepac (Nov 8, 2012)

GeckoJosh said:


> Can anyone confirm that is was a Taipan?



I don't believe it is, maybe it would have been more fun to have posted just the photo in the ID thread :lol:

I have my suspicions to its ID but curious to see what others think.


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## jase75 (Nov 8, 2012)

Just looked at the pic, it's a bit blurry on my iPhone but I'm sure it's a Brown Tree Snake.


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## moosenoose (Nov 8, 2012)

Well I can't see it properly, but I'll come out and say it looks like a large brown tree snake.

Seriously, what would a snake be doing trying to balance on a 1/3rd of its body? That makes no sense.


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## snakerelocation (Nov 8, 2012)

i would have thought it looks far to skiny and long to be a taipan imo, the last guys id under the article is a possibility (brown tree snake) but without a half decent high res. pic you wouldnt like to place your dollars on it. but then again they do have the tais there.
Graeme


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## Wrightpython (Nov 8, 2012)

Biogas irregularis, some I've caught are more Argo than the meanest tai I've ever owned. I always have heaps of wire lying around just in case I stumble across a cute little bunny rabbit that may get defensive and attack me, what a joke, how any people do you know that have seen a snake then gone and found a shovel then said it was self defence no need for self defence if you stayed over where the shovel was rather than come back to the snake and then if the snake did bite it would be that it chased you down and when you weren't looking jumped up and bit you .


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## dragonlover1 (Nov 8, 2012)

I thought all australian fauna was protected,fine the pants off this dimwit


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## GeckoJosh (Nov 8, 2012)

snakerelocation said:


> i would have thought it looks far to skiny and long to be a taipan imo, the last guys id under the article is a possibility (brown tree snake) but without a half decent high res. pic you wouldnt like to place your dollars on it. but then again they do have the tais there.
> Graeme



Yeah that was what I thought it may be as well, very hard to tell from that pic but the body and head shape seem to fit.


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## jairusthevirus21 (Nov 8, 2012)

Elapidae1 said:


> Ahhhh man and some of the comments. Makes you wanna hit people with shovels.
> 
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> 
> ...




Why??? Whats wrong with my face??? plastic surgery usually fixes things... but a shovel is cheaper


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## Pseudo (Nov 8, 2012)

It's 110% a brown tree snake. Easy to tell from the patterning, head and body shape.


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## jairusthevirus21 (Nov 8, 2012)

When you think about it.... you cant be too harsh on the old guy... ask 80 percent of Australians and 'a good snake is a dead snake' attitude is a popular one. Really most people don't know any better. Throughout the ages Snakes or 'serpents' have been seen as a creature of evil since biblical times... and typical human nature is to kill 'things' that look fearsome or are not understood. 10 years ago before i was 'educated' id shovel any brown that was around the house too. I guess its the same as asking how many of you hate spiders and kill redbacks, funnelswebs and other creepy crawlies without a moments hesitation around the house. watcha gonna go?


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## Boidae (Nov 8, 2012)

jairusthevirus21 said:


> When you think about it.... you cant be too harsh on the old guy... ask 80 percent of Australians and 'a good snake is a dead snake' attitude is a popular one. Really most people don't know any better. Throughout the ages Snakes or 'serpents' have been seen as a creature of evil since biblical times... and typical human nature is to kill 'things' that look fearsome or are not understood. 10 years ago before i was 'educated' id shovel any brown that was around the house too. I guess its the same as asking how many of you hate spiders and kill redbacks, funnelswebs and other creepy crawlies without a moments hesitation around the house. watcha gonna go?



Make up your mind son, whose side are you on?

When you think about it... he is still responsible for his actions. 
From what I understand, he went out of his way to kill a native reptile that posed no danger to him whatsoever. 

As for spiders, I use the plastic container and paper method. 




jairusthevirus21 said:


> and typical human nature is to kill 'things' that look fearsome or are not understood.



There are some people I don't understand, maybe I should kill them.


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## jairusthevirus21 (Nov 8, 2012)

Boidae said:


> Make up your mind son, whose side are you on?
> 
> When you think about it... he is still responsible for his actions.
> From what I understand, he went out of his way to kill a native reptile that posed no danger to him whatsoever.
> ...





Woah wowh!!! Some people are so eager to lash at someones throat!!! relax! 
I keep reptiles and im a certified snake catcher in my area!...All im saying is im not surprised and education is the key. And its all relative! yeh? 
Yes!!! what he did would be considered illegal and was wrong. Now before anyone gets on the moral band wagon. Im sure We hav all broken the law at some stage of our lives. regardless whether it was intentional or unknowingly. Look Most people are horrified when i mention to them that it is against the law to kill snakes. Yeh go figure!* Im not defending his actions, they were wrong.* All im saying is he may have not known better. Not everyone can be a herp nut. I think thats reasonable. 
And yes maybe you should kill people that you don't understand!? You wouldn't be anything special. Just human history repeating itself...
can you see what im getting at or have i just 'angered' more people????  cuddles people, cuddles!!! 

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AND!!! you dont kill spiders!!! thats excellent! most people on this forum probably would!


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## $NaKe PiMp (Nov 8, 2012)

the snake in the picture is confirmed as a Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis,there are other pictures of it in another report and it is quite clearly a Brown Tree Snake and not in any way anything like a Taipan

so everyone email the crap out of this REDNECK Newspaper and get them to run a story correcting there huge error


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## Elapidae1 (Nov 9, 2012)

longqi said:


> If he hadnt interfered by going to look at it there would have been no defence display and he wouldnt have felt threatened or thought he had to act in self defence???



Not condoning it just pointing out the way it would be seen by the general population and most likely the law. 
We all know it was unnecessary but what do you do? it's almost impossible to talk these people around to the truth about snakes. I've almost given up trying to make people see sense.


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## GeckoJosh (Nov 9, 2012)

I kill deadly spiders if they are in my house, the main reason I do is I have a massive phobia of them which makes its extremely hard for to get near them without having a heart attack, so the only way I can get them out of my house and away from my kids is to kill them first.
*puts on flame proof clothing*

I also would kill a snake if it was in striking range of my kids and I could not safely remove it.

I would not get out of my car and approach a snake them kill it when it became defensive, there is no logic in that at all!


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## Elapidae1 (Nov 9, 2012)

why not remove your kids?


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## $NaKe PiMp (Nov 9, 2012)

Letters to the Editor | Mackay Daily Mercury

click on link everyone and write a brief message to the editor demanding the error be corrected they have made in reporting a Brown Tree Snake as a "taipan" mention to ask them to show photo to the queensland museum for confirmation as a Brown Tree Snake


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## Fluffysnake (Nov 9, 2012)

Of course it was a taipan, and of course it stood up nearly it's whole length and was going to "have" him. that's journalism.
as jairusthevirus21 said, this attitude toward snakes is generally accepted. The old man is a hero. This is why nearly every fearsome predator on earth is close to extinction. The snake was surely minding it's own business looking for a frog, and the old fella harrassed it. He was 3 meters away, of course it was going to have him. All he had to do was walk away. 
The sad thing is the snake died as a martyr. If it had bit the old fart, it would give 100's of people an excuse to go on a snake hunt.


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## GeckoJosh (Nov 9, 2012)

Elapidae1 said:


> why not remove your kids?



I said if I could not safely remove the snake, if I could remove my kids without endangering them then sure that would be my first option, then I would remove the snake.
I would only kill a snake if I had no other safe option, like for example if it had my son cornered in a hallway, the chances of that ever happening are so remote though as 99.9% of snake encounters imo always have safe options for both human and snake.


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## Umbral (Nov 9, 2012)

Well I replied to the article but didn't realise they would have to approve it first lol. I guess my comment won't be posted as I was calling it irresponsible and harmful journalism lol.

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http://m.dailymercury.com.au/news/challenged-by-deadly-taipan/1613717/#comments

I can't belive they posted it lol


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## spotlight (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm from Mackay it's always been a struggle teaching the public in this area about snakes , every snake is a taipan


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## Gruni (Nov 9, 2012)

Umbral said:


> Well I replied to the article but didn't realise they would have to approve it first lol. I guess my comment won't be posted as I was calling it irresponsible and harmful journalism lol.
> 
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> 
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I hadn't replied yet but I was contemplating writing to the editor and the phrase I was going to use was regarding responsible journalism and verifying facts before publication.


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## Umbral (Nov 9, 2012)

Too late now, they shut down the comments section.
I think it would be good if every time an article like this is published someone links it and we all jump on board and comment to try and stop the media portraying reptiles as Darth Vader trying to kill us all.


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## slim6y (Nov 9, 2012)

This is the one thing that has upset me about Australia more than anything - a complete disregard to the native wildlife.

_"Strange that we protect our pests, snakes, flying foxes, crocodiles and cane toads, but so what if they kill us humans or our pets and other wildlife"_

And this is an all to common reaction from your average Aussie fella (and felleress). 

It's gutted me for so long... And I see no light at the end of the tunnel. 

The worst thing of it all is that the snake killed was a harmless BTS (was it not?). 

Why is the average Australian like this? If it was a minority reports like this wouldn't occur - and you can't tell me it's just media? It's bred into these people - no matter how you educate them, it appears genetically wired that native Australian animals deserve death!

I do notice that the Daily Mercury has this written as a footnote: "N.B. The Daily Mercury has sought comment from a registered snake handler in regards to these comments, response is available on the updated version of this article."

I have also written to the newspaper to help encourage them to remove the comments in the latest article - as these are the least helpful form of media out there.

I strongly suggest you ALL write to [email protected] and the general manager [email protected] and express your concern about the misinformation presented in these articles.

It is no good whining about it on here and doing nothing!!!


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## Renenet (Nov 9, 2012)

Has anyone sent it to Media Watch?


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## ubermensch (Nov 9, 2012)

Both articles on that website in regards to this story have now closed comments. Hmm. Wonder why...


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## Umbral (Nov 9, 2012)

I can't find the articles at all now lol


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## slim6y (Nov 9, 2012)

Can someone answer if this is true:
_
"...Another was a lady at Mirani who walked out of the old library and was chased and set upon by a taipan. Fortunately, she was a large woman wearing a dress. It struck the dress and saturated it with venom. I believe the snake was found and "dealt with". A word of warning to anyone who has an item of clothing tainted with venom. Throw it away. No matter how much you wash that garment, it will always be slimy and even just wearing it a number of times can make you very ill as the venom is absorbed by the body. This happened to a cousin of mine when his jeans were hit by a taipan. He wore them again and again noting that the slime wouldn't wash out and in the meantime, he got sicker and sicker and it was discovered that he was absorbing the venom through his pants."_

Firstly: A large woman would have no more 'fortunate' experience with a taipan than a smaller person - surely? Or are they implying because she was a larger woman wearing a dress? Not quite sure... But anyway... If you're a larger person you're no more likely to survive a venomous bite from a snake are you?

I assume the lethality of the venom on a larger person may be slightly longer in time, but surely not any more likely to survive (unless you take into consideration that a large person is lazy and doesn't move much).

Secondly... Venom on the clothes... Can someone clarify that one?


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## moosenoose (Nov 9, 2012)

I would have thought the snake needed to chew through a few more layers to inject any venom...is that a possibility?


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## Gruni (Nov 9, 2012)

Probably just means the dress was wider around her lower leg area and so it foiled the snakes attempt to latch her. As for the venom not washing out but I personally don't believe that one for a second. If _you didn't wash it properly_ and had irritated or broken skin I could imagine it would still affect you.


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## $NaKe PiMp (Nov 9, 2012)

slim6y said:


> Can someone answer if this is true:
> _
> "...Another was a lady at Mirani who walked out of the old library and was chased and set upon by a taipan. Fortunately, she was a large woman wearing a dress. It struck the dress and saturated it with venom. I believe the snake was found and "dealt with". A word of warning to anyone who has an item of clothing tainted with venom. Throw it away. No matter how much you wash that garment, it will always be slimy and even just wearing it a number of times can make you very ill as the venom is absorbed by the body. This happened to a cousin of mine when his jeans were hit by a taipan. He wore them again and again noting that the slime wouldn't wash out and in the meantime, he got sicker and sicker and it was discovered that he was absorbing the venom through his pants."_
> 
> ...



i am astounded at the comments people leave with the most retarded stories,i would rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty eggbeater than read some more of this blatant crap

all those who care should contact the editor or send this misleading rubbish to a media watchdog


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## Chanzey (Nov 9, 2012)

Quick search of white pages online gives you the Phone number and address of the hero..


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## spotlight (Nov 10, 2012)

All taken care of guys! ,next week will have a story fixing the problem showing a real taipan


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## spotlight (Nov 10, 2012)

This is the second time the mercury has shown a brown tree as a taipan with out expert identification , the only expert they used last time was the manager of RSPCA (and we all know how many cases with mis treated taipans they see ) LOL


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## Umbral (Nov 11, 2012)

spotlight said:


> All taken care of guys! ,next week will have a story fixing the problem showing a real taipan


Good work


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## jinin (Nov 11, 2012)

"He was going to have me, and I thought I'm better off having you." - I beg to differ
The comments about snakes "chasing" after people, such a joke. Snakes chasing people is pretty much the same as falling over in the shower and landing on a 10" dildo, they obviously picked the god damn thing up, got bitten then were too embarrassed to state the truth.


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## Tobe404 (Nov 11, 2012)

End of the day - If he didn't get out to 'have a look' or whatever. The Snake wouldn't of had the chance 'have' him.
WHole thing is a load of ceap and the guy should be fined.

Almost as bad as that guy who removed venom glands from a Taipan and Death Adder (with a scalpel and no pain relief what so ever for the poor Snakes) - Then proceded to make them bite his daughter ..
Some people. *Rolls eyes*.


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## jairusthevirus21 (Nov 11, 2012)

jinin said:


> "He was going to have me, and I thought I'm better off having you." - I beg to differ
> The comments about snakes "chasing" after people, such a joke. Snakes chasing people is pretty much the same as falling over in the shower and landing on a 10" dildo, they obviously picked the god damn thing up, got bitten then were too embarrassed to state the truth.



God i hate that when that happens!!! lol. Lube in the shower is a dangerous mix ha ha ha


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## JosPythons (Nov 18, 2012)

*Some People !!!*



slim6y said:


> Can someone answer if this is true:
> _
> "...Another was a lady at Mirani who walked out of the old library and was chased and set upon by a taipan. Fortunately, she was a large woman wearing a dress. It struck the dress and saturated it with venom. I believe the snake was found and "dealt with". A word of warning to anyone who has an item of clothing tainted with venom. Throw it away. No matter how much you wash that garment, it will always be slimy and even just wearing it a number of times can make you very ill as the venom is absorbed by the body. This happened to a cousin of mine when his jeans were hit by a taipan. He wore them again and again noting that the slime wouldn't wash out and in the meantime, he got sicker and sicker and it was discovered that he was absorbing the venom through his pants."_
> 
> ...






Slim6y - to try and answer your question.....venom on the clothes, unless they are torn and venom gets through straight onto your skin I don't think it would have too much effect (i guess it's a question that's worth a bit of research). I know that if you come into direct contact (venom to skin.....without a bite), our skin does absorb venom so that is something to be aware of. Anyone can survive a bite from a venomous snake with the correct first aid.....the only variables to this are how quick you get the first aid and whether or not the person bitten has any underlying medical conditions. Hope this answered your question (even slightly) Oh....and the title to my reply doesn't refer to you.....it refers to the person that put the reply you were asking about in the comments section of the Mackay Mercury


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