AGGRESSIVE: Snakes are on the move in south-east Queensland. Picture: William West/AFP Source: AFP
A RASH of snakebites over the past two months has prompted warnings for Queenslanders to be on full alert, keep away from the animals and learn first aid.
An 80-year-old man died at Wilson Plains, near Ipswich, after tangling with an eastern brown snake last month.
The month before, Alesha Mills, 6, of Cairns, was bitten but survived after she went to investigate why her dogs were barking.
Ergon Energy worker Andrew Vaughan died in October after being bitten by a taipan, and this week a man on Moreton Island was bitten and taken to hospital as a precaution.
Snake catcher Paul Whipp, of Samford, northwest of Brisbane, said the incidence of eastern brown sightings had risen rapidly over past weeks.
In all of last season he said he handled about six.
"This season we're probably past that number already in the Samford-Cedar Creek area," Mr Whipp said.
RACQ CareFlight doctor Dan Weston said death from eastern brown snakes could occur in as little as 30 minutes.
The helicopter airlifts about five patients a year who have been bitten by venomous snakes, with the majority of missions taking place over the busy Christmas period.
Gold Coast snake catcher Tony Harrison said he was removing up to 10 snakes a day from Gold Coast homes.
"Most are carpet pythons or green tree snakes, but I get called to remove up to 20 eastern browns a week," he said.
But western suburbs snake catcher Bryan Robinson and Mr Whipp said there was no plague, and people often mistook other snakes for the deadly eastern brown.
"Ninety per cent of eastern brown calls are anything but that," Mr Whipp said.
"I've even answered brown snake calls to find they are carpet pythons."
Mr Whipp said a major worry was that most people did not know what to do about snake bite.
"There's no need for anyone to die from a snakebite these days," he said.
Queensland Museum curator of reptiles Patrick Couper said although increased eastern brown activity had been reported at Samford, there had been no rise in calls to the museum.
University of Queensland herpetologist Bryan Fry said snakes had become more active after a slow summer start due to dry conditions.
He said a factor in any perceived rise in snake numbers was the expansion of urban development.
"This doesn't necessarily mean there are more snakes. Animals get displaced and then you get a very confused snake taking up residence in a garage. This leads to someone saying there are lots around," Professor Fry said.
"Most people are not snake aware and often do the wrong thing, like trying to kill snakes."
People who were bitten when trying to kill an animal often said the snake had chased them.
Jonathan Knott, from Royal Melbourne Hospital, said research on 24 fatal brown snake bites from 1979 to 2003 found 70 per cent of people had tried to kill or handle the reptile.
This, and the fact that many people did not take urgent medical action, meant most brown snake deaths were needless, he said.
"Many people also are not aware they've been bitten, or even realise the skin has been punctured," he said.
"Often there is no immediate effect or symptoms, so we don't see people until the situation is critical.
"First aid should be put in place immediately and rapid transport sought to hospital. Staff would rather deal with a false alarm than with someone who turns up quite unwell."
Two to three Australians die annually from snake bites, with eastern browns accounting for about half those.
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