Murf58

Another month and spring will be upon us here in Australia - saw my first snake of the ‘new season’ today while out gravel biking
A very healthy red belly black snake - beautiful and very relaxed. I much prefer these over eastern brown snakes!

big john

I sometime go to the bike path near here and I've been seeing these red snakes, I think they're Red Racers. They're about 4 feet long and they are fast. They move so quickly it's amazing.

OldRailfan

Not that I really miss them, but I have yet to see a rattler this summer. Not in the Park out the back or on the Rail Trail.
Other years they would get into our garden looking for moisture.

JohnDThompson 

I could use one of those in my garden, to deal with all the rodents enjoying my vegetables.

unterhausen

The danger noodles that hang out near our house are much less dangerous than a rattler, although there are rattlers nearby.

big john

Some years I see a lot more rattlers than other years. Last time I saw one he was sitting on the trail where I wanted to go on my mtb. I tossed a pebble his way to get him (her?) to move and he whipped around so angrily I was glad to be far enough away. He was pissed!
At my last house I lived in a canyon and rattlers were in the yard sometimes. My landlord lived next door and one day he was shooting at a snake under his van. It was just a 22 with snake loads but it sounded like a cannon in that canyon.

canklecat

I see danger noodles and nope-ropes often on bike rides, especially in spring and early summer. By mid-summer they're hiding out most of the time. I like to protect them whenever practical because they do a lot of good. Same with our native turkey buzzards and other scavengers. The world would be a stinky mess without them, so I try to give 'em plenty of room to do their disgusting but essential business.

Usually I'll stop and shoo them off the road or path, including rattlers and water moccasins. Rattlers dislike being squirted with water, so a squirt from my water bottle will do the trick. Cottonmouths can be more stubborn and ignore water splashes. Sometimes I'll use my air pump or find a stick to nudge them along. As long as they aren't coiled or in an "S" shape they have very limited strike range.

With non-venomous sneks I'll just use my foot or hand to shoo them off the road. Same with tarantulas. Bites can become infected but most critters avoid fighting anything obviously larger so it doesn't take much to get them moving toward safety.

OldRailfan

The one large rattler one summer was hiding out in a corner at the side of the house, so I moved him to a more suitable place and at intervals misted him with water, he stayed there quite a while and then moved on.

Snake transporter,



They slide on there and off we go, out into their natural habitat (Provincial Park).

Dudelsack 

I’ve read that all wildlife in Australia is out to kill you, no?

OldRailfan

Nah, it's just that they have an exotic variety of critters that we are not familiar with.

Murf58

There are certainly a few angry animals in Australia that can get you into trouble if you are not careful - can sometimes feels like they are trying to kill you, all part of the experience! Lots of eastern brown snakes where I ride - and compared to other snakes they just seem more likely to be aggressive if surprised or they feel threatened, I don’t like them and am always extra wary riding during summer, had a few close calls over the years.
Magpies are a real pain in the arse in spring, a bloke died coming off his bike a couple years ago after being distracted while riding. Mainly they just swoop but they will scratch your neck or rip an ear, and there are a few eye injuries reported every year. Plenty of dangerous spiders, venomous ants, wasps and don’t get me started on what’s in the ocean....😬 🦈

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Angry brown snake - these can kill a human within half an hour if proper first aid isn’t given (snake starts at 7:20)

Mountain Mitch

Big rattler on the trail

Just waiting him out.
Being from Canada I don’t have much experience with venomous snakes. So when we ran into this guy near St. George we just gave him plenty of time and space to clear the trail.

encode2

There are several different animal types here in Florida that can cause serious damage.(alligators, snakes, spiders)

Eric F 

Safety tip...

zjrog

On my few MTB rides this summer, I've seen lots of slither tracks in soft dirt. But haven't seen a snake yet. If I could get just the one second sound clip from my cheapo action camera, I HEARD a buzzworm just off the trail, but never saw it...

gthomson

sheesh, glad I live where I live, where the only snakes I see our little Gardner snakes. Almost cute compared to the ones in your pictures. I don't mind snakes as long as I don't have to worry about them.

freeranger

When I lived in the northeast, would often ride the many rail trails in PA, as well as other states. We were in PA, riding a rail trail (forget which) and came upon an area where there were several people with snake poles and bags. They were catching eastern rattlers so they could be milked and anti-venom prepared. We were told by one to move over to the left, as he spotted a rattler on the right side of the trail (we didn't see it, but he knew "how to look") Didn't go any further, back to our vehicles and onto another trail! Don't often see snakes, riding more road than off-road now. Miss the rail-trails and mtn.bike trails we used to ride. Don't miss the snakes.

ropetwitch

Oh! I hate snakes. Anyway, I've read an article which states that snakes bite cyclists because of fear. But, in reality, I think its the other way around