# Shame and probably easily avoidable



## longqi (Apr 26, 2013)

Hockey player dies after on-field snake bite - Yahoo!7


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## SteveNT (Apr 26, 2013)

Rule 1- Dont handle a snake if you dont know what it is.

Rule 2- If you ignore rule 1 and get bitten....dont go for a 2 km run around the oval to really get the venom moving through your system.

Rule 3- If you ignore rules 1 + 2.... dont forget to mention that a snake bit you when the paramedics attend to your collapse.

Completely avoidable and cost him his life.


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## longqi (Apr 26, 2013)

SteveNT said:


> Rule 1- Dont handle a snake if you dont know what it is.
> 
> Rule 2- If you ignore rule 1 and get bitten....dont go for a 2 km run around the oval to really get the venom moving through your system.
> 
> ...



So true and hopefully a warning call for some of the more enthusiastic herpers out there
Seems there was a chance he didnt even realise hed been bitten?


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## geckoman1985 (Apr 26, 2013)

Wow two deaths from snake bite in matter of mounths this one in Darwin and one on mid north coast of nsw has to be some sort of record as it had been quit a few years befor I can rember someone being killed buy one hmmm rules were pretty funny as well .


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## disintegratus (Apr 26, 2013)

Yes, he was being stupid in handling the snake in the first place, but it sounds like he was trying to do the right thing: getting it away from where it could potentially bite someone or get killed for being a snake. What a shame his actions bit him on the proverbial backside (well, finger...)


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## Jdawgg910 (Apr 26, 2013)

My friend who knew him and was there says it was a King Brown.

regardless RIP.

Also snakes are everywhere lately. I've found 2 dead Children's pythons on the road and a very fat Stimson's run over too. Only one was in a residential area since Sunday. (Anula.)


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## pseudechis4740 (Apr 26, 2013)

My eldest daughter helped avoid a similar situation with a teacher at her school. The teacher was prepared to pick up a snake thinking it was a tree snake but my daughter told the teacher she thought it was a brown. The response was a basically 'what would you know' to which she replied we keep venomous snakes in our shed'. A snake catcher was called who identified it as a brown rightly or wrongly possibly allowing the teacher to dodge a bullet.


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## Brodie (Apr 26, 2013)

Jdawgg910 said:


> My friend who knew him and was there says it was a King Brown.
> 
> regardless RIP.
> 
> Also snakes are everywhere lately. I've found 2 dead Children's pythons on the road and a very fat Stimson's run over too. Only one was in a residential area since Sunday. (Anula.)



I would have thought he would have felt it had it been a kingy. WB are VERY VERY common around Marrara/airport. Kingys are VERY rare, especially in town. I've seen several WB crossing the taxiways early morning /mid afternoon. Was always tempting to shutdown and get out hehehe. Rescued two from inside the Hardy Aviation complex. I worked there for 8 years, so did a lot of herping in the area. Few BHPs around as well.


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## SteveNT (Apr 26, 2013)

You'd notice a KB bite and I agree Brodie, far more likely to be a WB, they are common at present. 

It's a very sad story but common sense would have saved his life. Neglecting to mention to the Ambos that he had handled a snake until late in the piece cost him dearly.


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## Darlyn (Apr 26, 2013)

Hey Brodie, how long ago did you work for Hardy's?


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## Jdawgg910 (Apr 27, 2013)

I stand corrected. (If that's the right way to say it.) Maybe they're wrong, especially with the info provided about King Brown's being uncommon and western brown's being more common.


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2013)

IT is a shame , also in this day in age for stupidity.


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## Bluetongue1 (Apr 27, 2013)

Mulga (King Brown) bites cause moderate localised effects of swelling, bruising and pain at the bite site. The toxicity of their venom is relatively low but they make up for it by delivering it in huge quantity. A glancing puncture from such a snake is very unlikely to cause death. Browns on the other hand do not cause significant local effects at the bite site and the toxicity of their venom is a major factor why they are they are responsible the majority of deaths due to snakebite in Australia - one to two deaths per year, on average. Could have saved myself the effort of the foregoing as it actually states in the article: “Testing later revealed Karl had been bitten by a western brown.”

The guy’s Dad said he was surprised – I am uncertain as to whether that refers to his son picking it up or his son thinking it was a python. His Dad went on to say: "He's actually quite knowledgeable (about snakes)... "I've had it relayed to me ... one of the kids had, in fact, picked it up and he took it off him."

Having witnessed first hand the effects of a Brown envenomation, I think the ambos did well to get any coherent information out of the guy. It is a bit hard to know what happened. Small browns are more often confused with Common Tree Snakes than pythons. Whatever, it sounds like he has taken from a kid and been bitten without knowing. Irrespective, you would have to query just how truly knowledgeable he really was. Perhaps a very sad case of “a little knowledge is dangerous”.

Blue


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## Wama.CP (Apr 27, 2013)

Shame.....R.I.P


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## reptalica (Apr 27, 2013)

Very sad indeed. R.I.P to the victim and condolences to the family.

Again, there will be those out there who will condemn the snake at every opportunity without even considering the full facts of the story.

I remember recently near home when I saw 2 x Tiger's in as many days and being massively curious but maintaining absolute common sense, was able to get near enough without putting myself in a hazardous situation.

It also begs the question that whilst there are some fantastic herp keepers and handlers, trying to be a hero or to "save the day" can be fraught with danger.


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## mmafan555 (Apr 27, 2013)

"They're at least one to 1.5 times more toxic than the cobra."

Depends what Cobras we are talking about..


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