Come to Australia and Die....

[slim6y]

When I first moved to Australia I asked my year 9 science class to tell me all of the things that could harm or kill me so I could be on the look out.

They were really gutted that I was going to be ripped a new one by a cassowary, envenomated by a stinger or a taipan, perhaps smashed by a cone-shell while diving on the reef. Maybe I'll be lucky and a blue ringed octopus could strike... Maybe even the spur of a platypus... Perhaps I could get dengue... They gave me lots of possibilities for being injured, incapacitated or killed....

But just reading that sea snake thread and looking at my deadly australians poster behind my desk... You do realise how easy it is to become complacent on one of the most deadly continents on earth....

And with a strong La Nina pattern this year you can expect wet weather and a large amount of deadly wildlife on the move...

While searching for sea snake victims, I stumbled across this article in the New Zealand Herald Wet warmth stirs up Aussie stingers and biters - World - NZ Herald News

A thoroughly entertaining read

(looking forward to camping with some fire ants this summer!)

 

[redbellybite]

And this week a retired Toowoomba, Queensland, man became the first snake victim of the season.
Robin Sheehan, 61, died after being bitten several times by a brown snake, one of the most dangerous in the world and common across the eastern states...........erm I thought it was RETIRED VET WHOM HAPPENS TO BE FEMALE ......

the joys of living in our great country

 

[slim6y]

And this week a retired Toowoomba, Queensland, man became the first snake victim of the season.
Robin Sheehan, 61, died after being bitten several times by a brown snake, one of the most dangerous in the world and common across the eastern states...........erm I thought it was RETIRED VET WHOM HAPPENS TO BE FEMALE ......

the joys of living in our great country

The amazing reporting ability of kiwis:

Retired Darling Downs veterinarian Robin Sheehan dies after being bitten by brown snake | Courier Mail

(female, retired, vet)

 

[ezekiel86]

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE

Gotta love loving here

 

[D3pro]

I was 8 when they said that to me... "every thing here will kill you"... then I started searching for them cause I was fascinated by these animals that were so deadly.

 

[Jk888]

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE

Gotta love loving here

Oi Oi Oi =D

 

[slim6y]

I was 8 when they said that to me... "every thing here will kill you"... then I started searching for them cause I was fascinated by these animals that were so deadly.

What have you found so far?

I was with a surf life saver who pulled out a small irukandji - I couldn't believe something so small could cause that much pain - but i didn't try it to be honest....

I've been face to face with a cassowary - and a male with a chick as well (when they're at their most aggressive) yet... He just watched the chick lap up water from the tap that I had turned on for it...I tell you I was freaked out... but... I think this one (at Etty Bay) is very used to humans and didn't feel threatened.... But god knows - I did!!!

As far as snakes go... I've not seen a wild brown yet - but I did see a coastal taipan... it tried to get away from me and my mountain bike.... So I've only managed number 3 on the dangerous venom list...

I did get attacked by a triggerfish a month back

So maybe I've been lucky so far?

 

[slim6y]

Here's an interesting read about cone shells (the first few pages):

http://www.aristatek.com/Newsletter/MAY08/TechSpeak.pdf

 

[grannieannie]

Ok.....we've got lots of deadly creatures here....but if you're gonna die (and everyone will) ....why not die in the most magnificent country in the world, by one of our amazing creatues.......way to go I reckon. Seek and ye shall find... and maybe if you're real lucky...one of them will eventually get ya !!!

 

[slim6y]

If you didn't want to read that article - here's a small exert from it:

"There are severe logistics for a potential terrorist to grow and harvest cone snails for their toxins.

The potential threat of terrorist use is there because Conotoxins are being studied as a source of potential drugs for treating neurological diseases. In addition, the amino acid sequence forming the peptide chain of several conotoxins have been determined, and synthetic combinations of specific conotoxins have been artificially produced. Patents for producing selected conotoxins or using them for drugs are published in the open literature. The introduction of genes into bacteria, which can be grown to produce the toxins is feasible. The possibility of laboratory theft or someone with the necessary technology and equipment to manufacture the toxins is real."

So our deadly animals are so good they're even a terrorist threat

 

[dossy]

you gotta love australia...even our magpies can kill...seen one articl where a lady died after getting attacked.
i had to laugh the other day because we had a south african person over and i showed them some pictures of snakes and they told me they had the deadlyest(spelling?) snake in the world and it was more dangerous to live in africa then anywere in the world due to big cats and the like...i told him that anywere you go in australia you could be killed by something small such as red backs,snakes and crocs...he did not leave the house for the entire two weeks unless it was with one of us...

 

[Bradchip]

Our animals are what makes this country the most interesting, especially our potentially bitey and stingy ones

Speaking of which...does anybody have a captive funnel web spider that I can take pics of?

 

[Sel]

A little boy was killed not long ago, he was being attacked by a magpie and ran onto a road and got hit by a car

 

[D3pro]

What have you found so far?

Several browns, Taipans, sea snakes (fun to swim with), RBBs, death adder, red backs, tarantulas (funnel webs and mouse spider among them), Sharks (while swimming), sting rays, wild boars, crocks... etc.
Yay Death!!!

 

[Robo1]

I remember a Scared Weird Little Guys song along these lines (just be a little forgiving about the picture)
[video=youtube;eNEeq5qGh8I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I[/video]

 

[slim6y]

Several browns, Taipans, sea snakes (fun to swim with), RBBs, death adder, red backs, tarantulas (funnel webs and mouse spider among them), Sharks (while swimming), sting rays, wild boars, crocks... etc.
Yay Death!!!

Ok, so I can match a few of those - but my best is the Coastal Tai...

RBBs are common, but I was thinking not to deadly.... Unless you're unlucky!

never seen a wild death adder - in fact, I found it damn near impossible to see captive ones!!! There's a display at Hartley's Croc farm which is a 'spot the death adder' display... They're near on impossible to spot.

We had a decent sized tarantula come walking into our garage one year - unfortunately it didn't live. And a bunch of guys used to go out the back of my house to collect big tarantulas....

I saw a decent sized trapdoor spider at Carnarvon Gorge - not sure if they're dangerous or not...

Wild boars are for sure dangerous - I had one run along the side of my car while driving down the scenic route! Scary! But at least I was safe enough in the car

I forgot crocs... yeah... hehe... I got to approach a huge one on the Alice River a couple of years ago.... luckily on the other side of the river!!!

Still alive

 

[Mighty_Moose]

I love this country even more because of all the dangerous but oh so beautiful wildlife. I havn't seen many besides brown snakes, RBBS and accidently holding a blue ringed (scary after thought knowing you don't usually feel the bite ) and a few other captive tai's/adders/crocs etc I think it adds character haha
And slimy I love that spot the adder exhibit at Heartley's I was looking and they are not impossible but makes you think that you would be lucky to spot one before you accidently trod on it !

ps. I did not intentionally pic up the blue ringed octopus nor any octopus I see in Australia I know better, it came out of a nice shell that I found and flared up when I let it go back in the water did not disturb it afterwords.

 

[AllThingsReptile]

Several browns, Taipans, sea snakes (fun to swim with), RBBs, death adder, red backs, tarantulas (funnel webs and mouse spider among them), Sharks (while swimming), sting rays, wild boars, crocks... etc.
Yay Death!!!

ive seen most of the things you mentioned, minus the taipan, death adders, boar and crocs
but ive also seen blue ringed octopus and (i think) a box jellyfish, several scorpions(dunno if deadly), deadly frogs and some pretty scary, bright coloured centipede's

and guys...its not the things that kill that are bad, its the itchy, hurting, scratchy stuff that gets to me

 

[AllThingsReptile]

oh yeh and some more deadly stuff guys, although most people wouldnt think so.....ROO'S and WOMBATS, they are the tank of the bush

 

[Eddie2257]

the deadly animals of australia is what i like best. nothing better than catching a snake and knowing it can kill you lol.