Hahaha I just killed a Brown Snake!

[Hickson]

This story isn't really in the same vein as the thread, but might be something worth thinking about.

Just last week I was in the Queensland Gemfields. One afternoon, I'd just finished fossicking around for sapphires in some dirt out the back of one of the stores and as I walked back into the shop sombody discharged a rifle in front of the shop. A few seconds later they fired again. I asked the shopowner what her husband was shooting (expecting her to say 'rabbits' or something similar) and she replied "A King Brown". Apparently it had just come in through the open front door of the shop, stopped less than 10 ft from a couple of six year old kids, then went outside and hid in some rocks.

They said they didn't want to kill it, as they hate killing things (and I believe them on that point), but when it comes to the safety of the children of visitors to their shop they feel they have little choice. They would prefer to relocate it but there is no-one in their little town that is capable of doing that. Another reason they would prefer to relocate is because they don't like discharging rifles around six yr old kids.

I went out and had a look at it's body a few minutes later. There was a hole in its middle, and most of it's head had been blown away by the second shot. Dorsal was a uniform pale sandy colour with some black edging to some of the scales. I flipped over it's ant-covered body and saw that each ventral had at least two large bright orange spots. My guess is that it wasn't a King Brown, but an Eastern Brown (or a Western). Bit hard to tell with the head blown away.

Eastern Brown + kids. Not a good equation.



Hix

 

[Kenshin]

i know someone who always does the rubber snake idea but he places them off the side so people have to swerve out of the way to hit them................. and i have gotten in brawls over people chopping snakes up..... its the whole outlook people have on snakes and they are to close minded to learn anything or even listen to reason about snakes

 

[JeffHardy]

All of those people that think "A good snake is a Dead snake" really poo me....

Can anyone tell me where you can find the law about killing a snake....And the apparent fine...
I might Print it up and post it around work....

Go to http://www.austlii.edu.au/ and you can search all Australian legislation

 

[steve6610]

hi all,
i've got to admit i was one of those "a good snake is a dead snake" person, thats how i was bought up, it wasn't from being afraid of them, just the way i was told to treat them, but after seeing the light i now know better, i now have learnt to just let them be, ( we keep 26 snakes now and have our first lot of eggs cooking ),
just a side note, the best way to change a person from feeling this way is to take the time to show them how good snakes can be, just having a go at somebody for feeling they have to kill all snakes will not change their mind, take the time and if possible invite them over to see your collection and show them how nice they can be, it may not work everytime, but it only has to work once to be good for our wild snakes, this is what happened with myself and some of my family, just take the time as it's worth it in the end,

cheers,
steve........
ps. i haven't hurt a snake for over 5 years now and have owned my snakes for almost 4 years, so it does work,

 

[peterjohnson64]

Hi Team,

I have had a couple of littel wins recently that wont help the local brown snake pupulation too much. I live in an area that has RBB's and Browns. Of course, people kill both. But because they kill the RBB's they increase the brown population because there are no red bellies to eat them. I am now convinving people not to kill the blacks because they eat the browns. A small win but I think a good one. If only we could get Don Burke or someone like that on side.

Of couse, I still dont condone killing browns but as a post above says "browns & 6yo kids dont mix".

 

[SLACkra]

just a thought with that rubber snake idea. they should totaly do something like a police type thing. stick the rubber snake on the side of the road. if they serve to run over it they get a fine.

if i remember correctly in the US to catch turkey poachers(people who shoot wild ones without licences or out of season) they setup a fake male turkey near a road. if a car stops and some one shoots at the fake turkey hes fined or something.

andrew

 

[Hickson]

If only we could get Don Burke or someone like that on side.

He is on side.

stick the rubber snake on the side of the road. if they serve to run over it they get a fine.

There's a word for that - Entrapment.



Hix

 

[indicus]

It has always amazed me;
that alot of people love to tell you stories of killing snakes;
once you've told them your passionate about reptiles....
Whats with that??? :? be like telling a Birdo;
you shoot cockatoos for the hell of it....ridiculous!!! :roll:
While i'm thinking about it;
some people often charge a wack to relocate snakes these days.
I can fully understand the cost involved; with fuel prices, running costs, time etc...
However, i feel it's similar to being a wildlife carer etc; you do it for the animals; for the love of it.
Unfortunately some people would rather kill a snake then pay :evil: ; IMO.