has anyone else been bitten by a tiger snake

[whyme]

is there some type of indeminity/disclosure form to stipulate that you are handling vens and are doing so at your own free will? and that you understand the dangers associated etc, etc. things like that. just curious

 

[peterjohnson64]

Sydney Wildlife dont get you to sign anything and we have insurance to cover these things.

Also, a small comment on people suggesting that whoever did this course should have certain procedures in place. I am certain that they do. But please remember that people are putting themsleves out to play with venemous animals. If yo do a car racing course with Ian Luff at Oran Park chances are you will get hurt or smash your car. The SAS lose many many more soldiers in training than they do in war. This is a dangerous passtime that people volunteer for. The people in charge do their best to minimise damange and you will find that the accident rate is very very minimal and the actual death rate probably zero. Better than the SAS, car or motorbike racing, bungy jumping, parachuting, rock climbing, rock fishing, surfing with sharks.

 

[snakehandler]

In Victoria you need to sign an indemnity form, this is not only for the course provider, but also the DSE. This is a standard form that you should sign and is provided by insurance companies. With our extensive private sector work we have taken a $20m public liability cover and $10m professional indemnity cover.

However if negligence can be proven and a person is seriously injured that indemnity form is worthless. However a person must be able to prove negligence first, this is difficult if there is a set of standard operating procedures, ongoing assessment and if the instructors are not only experienced but also have certification that they are capable of teaching and assessing (Certificate IV in workplace assessment and training).

 

[Frozenmouse]

tiger snake bite will be nothing compared to the tidal wave of hatecoming regarding freehandling lol

bah ha ha

 

[Frozenmouse]

I like to see idiots filling already crowded emergency rooms while sick people wait their turn.

 

[whyme]

In Victoria you need to sign an indemnity form, this is not only for the course provider, but also the DSE. This is a standard form that you should sign and is provided by insurance companies. With our extensive private sector work we have taken a $20m public liability cover and $10m professional indemnity cover.

However if negligence can be proven and a person is seriously injured that indemnity form is worthless. However a person must be able to prove negligence first, this is difficult if there is a set of standard operating procedures, ongoing assessment and if the instructors are not only experienced but also have certification that they are capable of teaching and assessing (Certificate IV in workplace assessment and training).

thanks for that.

 

[redbellybite]

I like to see idiots filling already crowded emergency rooms while sick people wait their turn.

If everyone thought like you ,the world would come to a stand still ...you have to take risks in life ..just depends on what type of persons are prepared to go that one step further..people that milk venom from snake ,spider and what ever else ..we need these as much as you think we dont ,they put themselves on the line everyday so that the likes of YOU if ever needed to be treated you can be ...so get back in your box ,you are just talking through your hat now ...

 

[emerald_taipan]

I thought the eastern tiger (notechis scutatus) was number 4 on the list of the worlds most venemous snakes. Has it changed?

 

[funcouple]

Duke, I can't see people taking it seriously when using pythons as demonstration tools. In victoria for a while the only course you could do and actually handle elapids was Hosers and his venomoids. I think it's great that now people can actually handle hot elapids. I was so dissapointed that all I got to handle was voids or childrens pythons.
There is no way to handle elapids and guarantee safety. Around more experienced keepers that can read snakes better makes it more safe but doesn't guarantee anything because accidents happen.
Tiger snakes, in my experience, are usually a very forgiving snake for newbis, I have heard of many people being headbutted by tiger snakes or they will just bluff hooding their necks and hissing. Also Tiger Snake Antivenom is very easy to get around most parts of Australia so Death from a Tiger Snake bite, you'd have to be pretty unlucky. Especially if you are in a room filled with other herpers and experienced people in Elapids and first Aid.
I don't think people would take courses as seriously or be more inclind to teach themselves with wild Elapids if all you could handle was pythons or colourbrids. Plus it'd be a stupid idea that people can get their license to catch and relocate after only practicing on pythons, that in no way would prepare you and you'd have no confidence at all.
At the end of the day, of all the courses out there being done and all the students handling elapids in these environments this is the first student bite I have heard of so I still concider courses to be pretty safe, and I am sure everyone knows before the pay that they will be asked to handle Elapids and then at the course if they are confident enough they'll be able to handle them. I highly doubt at no time anyone was forced to do these courses or forced to handle elapids if they were comfortable. So if you cope a bite it's more your fault then anyone elses because you put yourself in that situation knowing the risks involved.

I like to see idiots filling already crowded emergency rooms while sick people wait their turn.

mark you have said it so well yet again.

i wonder if you would call one of these idiots if you had a venomous snake in your yard that needed relocating Dabool.

thanks for this thread Gex, and all the experienced handlers that have added to it. its interesting and helpfull reading for a keeper that has an interest in vens that has made his mine up if i wish to learn more and keep them. cant wait to read some more interesting posts.

 

[mysnakesau]

I thought the eastern tiger (notechis scutatus) was number 4 on the list of the worlds most venemous snakes. Has it changed?

He is still there. But what I don't understand is that the Inland Taipan is our Number One snake yet is not listed on the Top 10 Australia's most Dangerous Animals, while the Tiger receives 8th spot.

Obviously there is a difference between dangerous, deadly and venomous. I am trying to read up on what it is that can make our most venomous snake not even hit the top ten dangerous animal's list. I am thinking perhaps the tiger is considered more dangerous than inland taipan regarding temperament. Is he more more fiesty, more likely to bite than the taipan?

We only got to play with one tiger at the course I did. While doing the course though, you're so focused on the job in front of you, you don't think to stop and appreciate their beauty so I don't even remember what colour he was or anything about his behaviour except everytime I tried to straighten his tail out his head came back around to his tail

 

[snakehandler]

Our most venomous snake has not killed many people, is in remote areas therefore fewer people come in contact....that makes it less dangerous.....

Deadly refers to the number of actual deaths recorded.........dangerous relates to the venom toxicity, location, frequency of bite and likelihood of people coming in contact with it.

 

[crocdoc]

Our most venomous snake has not killed many people.

I think it's any rather than many. As far as I know there's never been a death by an inland taipan.

You guys are correct, dangerous is a combination of things - distribution (around cities vs remote), inclination to bite and toxicity, among others. The most dangerous snakes in the world are some of the Asian vipers (especially saw-scaled and Russell's vipers), simply because they're ambush predators (don't move out of the way when approached), are quick to bite, have bites which destroy tissue (leading to gangrene infections), are widespread in distribution and live almost entirely in areas where the populace is mostly poor and barefoot with little or no access to medicine.

By comparison, the inland taipan lives in remote areas, is more likely to flee when approached and is likely to only ever encounter people wearing suitable footware.

As a consequence, thousands of people die each year from bites by saw-scaled vipers whereas the annual death toll from the inland taipan is... zero.

 

[AUSGECKO]

Hi James,
I was wondering where you`ve been mate. Thats bad luck you got tagged, Im glad to hear your doing ok. If we go out herping, i`ll be sure to take you somewhere there are no tigers :lol:

 

[MrBredli]

But what I don't understand is that the Inland Taipan is our Number One snake yet is not listed on the Top 10 Australia's most Dangerous Animals, while the Tiger receives 8th spot.

Because 99.999% of Australians will never come into contact with an Inland Taipan, due to the fact they are found in very remote parts of Australia. Browns, Tigers and Coastal Taipans are much more 'dangerous' to us Aussies, as they live in close proximity to many people.

Edit: Should have read further down the page before replying, the question has already been answered (twice).

 

[emerald_taipan]

notoriety obviously plays a part aswell. How many people have even heard of or seen a picture of an inland taipan and recognised it? not many i imagine

 

[snakehandler]

Inland Taipans have killed two people that I know of!

 

[crocdoc]

Inland Taipans have killed two people that I know of!

Out in the wild or people playing with captives? The latter doesn't count - if it did, horses would be one of the most dangerous animals in Australia. They kill more people annually than venomous snakes, sharks and box jellyfish combined.

 

[Jonno from ERD]

Inland Taipans have killed two people that I know of!

G'day Sean,

Do you have any references for this? From what I can find out, there has been some very close calls but no recorded deaths?

 

[snakehandler]

I have only been told of these by the former owner of the business and in light of recent findings about his "factualy information" I should be more careful with what I state. He told me that one person ahd died very quickly as a reaction to the venom, he was based in Adelaide and the second he gave little information about it.

Since your posts I have done further digging.....I will stand corrected as I have NOT found any information about deaths from inland taipans.

One reference I have read though was stating that there is a high chance that people have died from it but it was mis-identified in the early days as browns....

However as it stands...I have found no evidence to back it up...only individual statements one from a guy who I can no longer trust and another from a person at CSL who also mentioned the person in Adelaide.

 

[-Peter]

I was recently told of one death from a captive animal but I cant find any data to back up the claim.
Horses? I was bitten by a horse, thankfully it must have been a dry bite.