Tiger Snakes

[Ptolomy]

Trifecta - its very interesting what you say as the dog was screaming enroute to the vet

[Golden Rules]

Thanks everybody for your kind words - Zirius is a member of DOL - so I will direct her here in a few days.

I guess if we see a snake we can make an active choice to avoid it. In this case ithe dog was standing in shoulder height water and the only indication that there was a problem was that the dog wouldn't retrieve, wouldn't come and was snapping at the water.

Oh How dreadful. Swimming isn't even safe

Can I ask where the puppy was swimming? Just interested to know if it's a lake or a river and it's somewhere we need to avoid.

[Ptolomy]

In a dam at Midvale near the velladrome.

[Monah]

Is it true tiger snakes chase you if you make them angry? At a family BBQ yesterday this guy was saying they are the one snake that will go out of it's way to get you and will chase an animal, human or whatever for ages

Oh no i'm so terribly sorry about this poor dog. It's everyone's worse nightmare over the summer. Just terrifying. I hope we do not hear of this again :D Just awful. :D I'm desperately frightened of losing an animal to a snake.

Just remember, ALL snakes swim. We have had many in our pool (even when we were in it!) and also only just stopped our 3 dogs entering a creek when OH saw the biggest red belly we have ever seen, having a noon swim. Please never allow your dogs to swim without checking first. We used to have ferries in SA and have even seen land snakes swimming in the sea at the jetty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As far as tiger snakes go, yes if you corner them they will defend themselves, but will only bite as a last resort, ie. when trodden on, squished etc. First they rear up and hiss to scare you off and do give a warning.

Secondly, they will not go out of their way to chase you

We lived with many many of them on Kangaroo Island. Had nests under the house, met up with many on our walks crossing our path, and have never even had so much as a look from a snake.. Had them sunning on our front deck at the front door!! I've had one bad experience with them and lost a lovely cat (30 years ago so since then, no cats outdoors!!! ever) and she did have antivenom.

The first words my children learnt included SNAKE, and they would stamp their feet on the floor before going out the front door! The snakes would take off. We allowed the kids to collect tadples in a bucket and found a huge snake drinking the water, so, NO more water outside anywhere, also, no chooks, aviaries, etc etc. Common sense prevents snake bite unless you are extremely unlucky and I don't know anyone personally who was ever bitten, even though we were inundated with snakes.

Of course dogs do not have our benefit of knowing, RIP poor puppy.xxxxx

[BoStoNmAdNeSs]

I've worked in the bush in years gone by and definitely found Tigers to be much more aggressive than other snakes.

[whippets]

I wouldn't say they are aggressive. More defensive than anything else. Defensive and aggressive are 2 different things. I've never had a snake come out of the blue and chase me. Most snakes I've come across would rather escape than attack. Although I'd rather not come across any at all but being in a rural area it's going to happen.