just as I was about to tell the doctors something
needed to be done, I felt a faint easing of the
symptoms and was able to avoid the induced coma
situation. I did, however, spend four days in hospital
with partial paralysis.
The second Eastern Brown Snake which stands out
in my memory as extremely dangerous to handle
was given to me years later (reluctantly) by my mate
and fellow exhibitor, Bob Withey. Bob had warned
me that this was the most dangerous brown to
handle that he had ever encountered. As he is
extremely experienced, such a statement was not to
be taken lightly. It said a lot that Bob claimed the
snake could not be tailed without the handler being
bitten, and should only be handled with a hook;
something Bob rarely does. This snake was
approximately 1.6 metres in length but with the bulk
of a two-metre specimen. The first time I tipped it
from a bag at a show it doubled back and nearly
‘When a lady reared back in
shock at the snake’s behaviour, it
STRUCK UP AT HER at a 45-
degree angle.’
struck my groin. There were yells and gasps from
the crowd as the snake followed one strike with
another, and when a lady reared back in shock at
the snake’s behaviour it struck up at her at a
45-degree angle. Another experienced handler who
was present said he had never seen anything like it.
Image by Michael Cermak.
It should be noted that given the chance to escape,
both of these snakes would have done just that, but
when under threat and actually handled, they were
exceptionally defensive. The reaction of snakes
handled within the confines of an enclosed space
where escape is not an option should not be taken
as typical when compared to a free-ranging animal
that can take advantage of natural cover.
Taken overall, Eastern Brown Snakes are possibly
the most commonly-encountered major venomous
snakes in New South Wales, and are common on
much of the east coast. They are efficient control-
lers of rodent populations, but this aspect of their
diet may see them approach human habitation more
than some other species. Are they as aggressive as
often claimed by members of the public? No!
Nervous and flighty? Sometimes. As I have earlier
stated, some herpetologists question the value of
the LD50 test when it is applied to venom effects on
humans, and even the manner of injection during
the test can cause variable results. If we were to
judge a snake’s level of danger by the number of
human deaths caused by its bites, our snakes
would fall well behind many overseas species which
account for thousands of human deaths every year.
Finally, as an indication of the reluctance to expend
valuable venom on a human, the largest Eastern
Brown Snake I ever captured (two metres) bit me on
the forearm when tailed. At the insistence of doctors
at Atherton Hospital I stayed for three days, but
there were no ill effects. Even under the stress of
tailing, this big snake had delivered a dry bite.