As the weather heats up, grey nomads and other travellers are being urged to be especially wary of snakes.
The reptiles are on the move and are keen to bask in the spring sun, and experts say that can result in a higher risk of interaction with humans.
“This is nothing to be alarmed about, but it does give us an additional reason to pay attention to our surroundings because, as we all know, encounters with snakes don’t always end well,” University of Melbourne postdoctoral research fellow, Timothy Jackson, told 9News. “When they’re warm enough, they get hungry – they may not have eaten for months.”
He said snakes weren’t ‘out to get us’ and people should be ‘snake sensible’ by leaving the creatures alone, monitoring pets and children, and learning first-aid.
Australia is home to the highest proportion of snakes, lizards, crocodiles and turtles found in any country.
The Australian Venom Research Unit has a number of tips for people who are in positions where they may come across snakes. These include: wearing appropriate footwear and long pants in the bush; keeping aware of surroundings as snakes like to hide in long grass and piles of wood or rubbish; keeping up to date with first-aid procedures; and – importantly – if you do come across a snake, stay calm as snakes often want nothing to do with you and only bite when attacked.
Between 81,000 and 138,000 people around the world die each year from venomous snake bites while up to 400,000 are left with permanent disabilities, the World Health Organisation estimates.
