Australia's Deadliest. Thanks for the Fosters beer and the Body Bag., page 1

First thing I get asked about when people discover I am a Aussie is about our wild beasties and how they kill you.
I rarely think about them, and nobody I know bar one person has ever been bit, stung eaten etc by our widlife. But we do have guests come here and get them selves either killed or minus a apenage or two for their trouble.

They breed us hard and tough here in OZ, same goes for our critters. Mess with any of us, and you'll more than you bargained for back. GGGRRR
Ok enough silly postulating.
Please enjoy our creapy crawlies and beasts. Any Aussies with 'treatment advice' for anyone of welcoming creatures, pls post

I'll add some sweet ones to help you feel more inclined to come and visit our stunning sunburnt country at a later time. As its just 3 years since we lost our Steve, I dedicate this thread to environmental warriors like Steve Irwin, that protect our wildlife regardless of whether they eat us or not. Steve didn't value a creature for its relationship to humans, but because of its relationship in the circle of life. You may tear up watching his passion here.


I'll start with Steve's great love. The great Aussie Salt Water Croc.
This prehistoric looking huge beast weighing up to 1000 kilograms (BOOM BUBBA) and up to 7 metres long, can sense the presence of prey through changes in water pressure. So go for a swim off Darwin and splash around the waves, and you'll get nipped most likely. Well a nip isn't really what you'll get, more likely the force of its jaws will crush your bones by clamping down just once. So besides eating tourists that think that a watering hole or river look stunning and inviting for a swim, they will also eat our other natural wildlife.


Look out, don't climb the rocks at the beach. If you step on a stone fish you will be dead within the hour. System failure within half and hour. This fish, actually looks like a rock, its brownish colour will fool you, and it lies in the shallows along shorelines.The best part?......

13 grooved hypodermic-like projections, each capable of piercing a sandshoe and each have extremely toxic venom.

I mean how is anyone meant to know this is a fish?


Another shore dweller is one I caught fishing with my dad when I was a kid. The Blue Ringed Octopus. Its rings are electric blue, really pretty actually,and very tiny, though this baby's venom if you so much as touch it will kill you very quickly.
You'll be paralyzed as the venom shuts down your nervous system, and conscious until you take your last breath.


I'd like to see a salt water smackdown between a croc and the Great White Shark. The latter is one of the worlds most feared creatures, but I think it would go down to a croc. I love sharks as they are so important to our oceans, and I abhor when they are hunted.
A boy taken last year by a Great White, his father insisted no hunt of the creature take place as he believed the same thing, and it would not bring back his boy.
Ive seen a caught great white, and technically its Grey, with a white belly. The teeth are awesome to view up close, like Friday the 13th in there.


So you want to swim off our beautiful coast off Queensland, some of the whitest and most beautiful beaches in the world....think again. In Stinger season, if you get the tentacles of a Box Jelly fish gently brush past you whilst you are in the water...Again, you'll be dead. If there's one nearby, not much hope of dodging one of its 60 tentacles fifteen feet long and 5000 stinging cells. If someone near you is stung they will go into unconsciousness pretty quickly, and CPR must be applied until they can be placed on a respirator at a hospital.



Aren't we lucky, we have the deadliest snake in the world too. Inland Taipan, Its small and kills quickly and is found in the desert where Oz Weatherman lives...
Out of the 10 deadliest snakes in the world I have seen (but was trained enough as a kid to stay away) A Red Belly black, Brown Snake, Coastal Taipan and Tiger Snake.
The red belly is a stunning looking snake.


Ok for now I'll end it at the Funnel Web. I'll copy and paste as I cant even write about them, they scare the beggeeebus outa me.

There are 37 species of funnel-web spider in Australia, found in most regions of the country. Both are shiny black in colour with a dark purple/brown abdomen. Females grow up to 40 millimetres in length while males are about 10 millimetres smaller, but there venom is six times more toxic. The Sydney funnel-web is the most renowned being able to inject 0.17mg of deadly venom into its prey, an amount of venom which can easily kill a human.

I cant link its picture as they are sucky scary to me sorry, google skills required.

There's plenty more critters to add....BBL
I sourced from here.
www.list-directory.info...
Feel free to add more peeps. And ask any questions, our cuddly and sweet creatures can be asked about too.




[edit on 5-10-2009 by zazzafrazz]

reply to post by OzWeatherman

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Ahh yes, we've all had the Red Back on the toilet seat.
Yikes.
Im slightly aracnaphobic.....Im going to surface spray the house, Ive given myself nightmares now.

reply to post by zazzafrazz

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Dear Zazzafrazz,

I don't care how hard you try to scare me, i am gonna visit this great continent one day and i might even stay!!!! Going by the people i've met on this site i would say Australia is probably one of the coolest places.....

Thanks for the warning about your more than interesting wildlife and if i visit i'll make sure to stay out of any water except maybe the hotel pool.

Star and flag for this wonderful thread.

Peace

reply to post by JackWestJr

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GGaaaah white tail spiders, I am petrified of them more than funnel webs.
I had them all over our house growing up. Especially in the summer, and they look like little scorpians. My friend got bitten on her face and has a hole there to this day. They got in quick with steriod creams but not fast enough.
But I believe there is no cure for the White Tail other than amputation unlike the Funnel Web. Though I think if you get bitten twice by a Funnnel the antivenim wont work second time round? Anyone able to clarify?


[edit on 4-10-2009 by zazzafrazz]

reply to post by operation mindcrime

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LOL then I shall add a section on Koalas that Kill tomorrow just for you

reply to post by zazzafrazz

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Those are some very beautiful but very dangerous creatures. That Red Belly Snake looks pretty cool, I don't think I have heard of that one before. Also, are the "Red Back Spiders" what you guys call Black Widows, or are they different?

Thanks for the thread zazz.....S/F...

reply to post by OzWeatherman

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Yes it can, but it depends on individual reaction. and I dont wanna risk it...yuk I dont want no Necrotic lesions forming whilst they debate if its the spider or not.

Conflicting theories on necrotising arachnidism There is no confirmed cause of necrotising arachnidism. It is unclear why most people who are bitten have only mild reactions, while a very tiny minority suffers from skin ulceration. Researchers are divided, but current theories on the causes of necrotising arachnidism include: * Mistaken identity – some researchers believe that white tailed spider bites aren't capable of causing skin ulceration and suggest that other spiders or other factors are to blame. * Misdiagnosis – in rare cases, a diagnosis of necrotising arachnidism has later been found to be another condition. * Pre-existing medical conditions – various immune system disorders or problems with the circulatory system may predispose a person to necrotising arachnidism. Necrotic lesions Localised skin breakdown, loss and death (necrotic lesions) can be caused by a range of other factors, including: * Poor blood circulation (one of the most common causes of leg ulcers) * Unmanaged diabetes * Some fungal infections * Some bacterial infections * Burns, such as chemical burns. Treatment for necrotising arachnidism There is no cure for necrotising arachnidism. Treatment options include: * Medications - including antibiotics and cortisone medication (corticosteroids). * Hyperbaric oxygen therapy - oxygen delivered at higher than usual intensity and pressure. * Surgery - the dead skin is removed and a skin graft applied.

www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au...



[edit on 5-10-2009 by zazzafrazz]

reply to post by zazzafrazz

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S & F!

Hi to my Oz neighbour and thank you for your marvellous beasts.

Also, thank you for sending the redback to breed with our katipo to produce the whitebum, which has bitten me twice, once right above the heart and once in the ear. Both times I had unpleasant symptoms, but have lived to tell the tale.

I salute the great beasts of Oz, and I salute the memory of that great Oz, Steve Irwin.

reply to post by OzWeatherman

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Thats comforting. 20 outa 25 you say?
I might carry a drop bear around with me for protection from now on.

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