I don't mind non-venomous but...

That one didn't get a change to rear up, Gail. Funny how the people writing about them can't seem to agree on the temperament of the creature. For instance ...
Is this true?
The Eastern Brown Snake is diurnal and is mostly found in drier areas. This snake is extremely nervous and highly intolerant of any interference. If disturbed, it will hold high it's forebody in an S-shape and strike repeatedly.

Or this?
If we take in to consideration how often we would be in the close proximity to a snake if you happen to live in the bush, we realise just how shy snakes are, they have no benefit in trying to bite us, it is only done as a last resort out of fear.

They have the whole world to escape to, yet they bite people? I wish the greenies and tree huggers would get real. A friend got bitten whilst sitting milking a cow for heaven's sake, he wasn't chasing the snake that bit him, and he didn't stand on it. Easier to think of them as totally unpredictable.

I think a lot depends on the time of year and weather... hot or cool, breeding season, etc. I do know that while browns will try to get away if possible, but if they even think they are being threatened will have no hesitation in biting unlike some other snakes that have to be provoked. As snakes have poor eyesight it is difficult for them to differentiate between a threat and non-threats so will lash out anyway.

In one of my snake books it compares browns to a paranoid schizophrenic... describes it perfectly.

Browns are diurnal (day time) but will venture out on warmer nights.

Sounds like a few rellies I have Gail..

Gail wrote
In one of my snake books it compares browns to a paranoid schizophrenic... describes it perfectly.

Isn't that what I said, Gail?

Easier to think of them as totally unpredictable.

LOL.

I've just gotta stop reading this thread!

Val wrote:

I've just gotta stop reading this thread!

Me too.....YIKES....

Gail I reckon its not the reptile you see you have to worry about, its the ones you can't see that can be far more dangerous.Ibelieve if you are in the garden let the snakes know you are there.[A LITTLE NOISE IS ALL THTS NEEDED]

Gwen, that's all we do... make noise when we walk... in summer we only wear bare feet or thongs unless we are going down the paddock where we wear boots but that is mainly because of the big scotch thistles that come up everywhere (never ending battle to get rid of as neighbours don't get rid of theirs so always seed blowing over.). We have seen more snakes close to the house than anywhere else on this place.

I think snakes are deaf, Pitta. They react to vibration more than sound, but don't quote me on that.

WIRES tell me that browns have not been sighted in this valley so maybe this is right or maybe not but the valley is one great rainforest and this might be why.

I hope and pray I never have to encounter one,.

I'm sure Gwen means that by being noisy she means not walking softly but stomping the feet a little so snakes feel the vibrations... that's what I mean.

The time I had one hanging from the spouting, swaying and looking in the kitchen window I got to do some stamping too, Gail. LOL. I knew how it got up there, up a pencil pine outside our bedroom window, looking for baby sparrows or eggs, so I went into the bedroom, and when it dropped to the ground I did quite a bit of bouncing on the floor, hoping the vibration via our floor stumps would make it decide not to go under the house. It didn't, it headed for the vegie garden instead. The pencil pine was cut down needless to say. Stupid place for the previous owners to have planted it. It dropped rubbish in the spoutings, plus let possums and snakes onto the roof. 5' 6" that snake was.

Yes Betty .I know thats its the vibrations they feel .Isould have explained more clearly.

I find this thread very interesting having come across a few snakes in my times the biggest apart from a Python was a red bellied black it was huge a thick long snake over two metres well I thought it was, almost taught me never to wear thongs in the great out doors, even it was the footpath at the front of our house north of Townsville.

Most of the snakes on our block up there were green tree snakes, or whip snakes though I did see a taipan once and of course I must not forget that resident python we used too see slithering its way to the chook house of a night when we were out toad bashing..