1. SNEAKY SNAKES

Snakes are one of the most common animals you can encounter riding your bike through the bushland, but can also be the most deadly. Some of the most deadly include Taipans, Brown Snakes, Tiger Snakes, Death Adders, Black Snakes, and Copperhead Snakes. Snake venom can cause a whole host of effects in human victims, but neurotoxic muscle paralysis leads o respiratory failure and death, failure of coagulation (clotting) leading to bleeding, and kidney failure from muscular damage in the most severe cases.

Snakes become active in spring and remain active through the warmer months. If you see a snake, stop and never attempt to handle the snake. Remember, we are in their backyard and retreat slowly away from the snake. In the case that the snake is immediately in you proximity, standing still allows the snake to remove themselves from the situation.

Should you get bitten by a snake, remember that fang marks don’t always present, sometimes a bite can just be a scratch mark, and can be painless. Signs and symptoms to look for include: • fang marks/scratches • headache • nausea and vomiting • visual disturbances or drooping eyelids • limb weakness, paralysis or difficulty

speaking, swallowing or breathing • tender or swollen glads in the axilla of the

bitten limb Even lethal snake bites vary in time of presentation of life-threatening injuries, so there are no hard and fast rules about when these sings and symptoms may occur. What to do: • Stop the victim from moving to decrease the mobilisation of venom • Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage • Call an ambulance (000) • Remember not to wash the bite, attempt to suck venom out of the bite, or use a tourniquet.