Spiders or snakes

floyd's picture
floyd started the topic in Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 6:45pm

So what causes you to jump and run in fright, scream like a girl on a rollercoaster or turn all your hair on end? Spiders or snakes?

I've always been petrified of snakes but the more you see them the more you realise they aren't wanting to bite you unless you are doing something stupid. Spiders don't worry me at all, I've had huntsmen wake me up in the middle of the night crawling over my face and live with red backs, white tails, scorpions and the longest centipedes in my garden, no problems.

Still worried about snakes especially after I had a brown snake looking up at me at my feet while taking a piss ....

floyd's picture
floyd's picture
floyd Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 6:48pm

Had a mate who lived in a house surrounded by low lying country with browns and tiger snakes, he had to routinely kill the ones wanting to move under or into the house. No problems but he would run a mile even for a daddy long legs spider!

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 8:26pm

Yabbies in dams! Cant see the little toe biting bastards

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 8:26pm

I've got a quite specific fear of being trapped on a ledge , at height, and not being able to get down...or go back up.

I've been stuck in some shit places.

Most regretfully I got stuck trying to climb down to visit the seals at Cape Labatte (?) at Streaky years ago.

I thought I was going to need the fucking Thunderbirds to come rescue me.

And sharks.

Not always, but I have experienced full blown panic attacks before when I thought I was being stalked whilst surfing solo.

But at those locations it was not entirely unlikely....

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 8:28pm

Spiders don't worry me, but i don't like snakes much wouldn't go as far as running or screaming though.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 8:39pm

no probs with snakes or spiders.
Crowded shopping malls freak me out way more. As I get older, that gets worse.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 9:00pm

Elderly Prius drivers scare the shit out of me.

And sock-puppets.

Roystein's picture
Roystein's picture
Roystein Monday, 1 Feb 2016 at 10:39pm

I am an extremely logical and rational person. Except when it comes to spiders. Literally make my skin crawl.

chook's picture
chook's picture
chook Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 9:47am

the eastern brown snake is an utter bastard. they'll rise a metre in the air on their tail and start chasing you. luckily the red belly, the lab dog of snakes, eat them. never kill a red belly.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 10:21am

I've been told that a large percentage of people who get bitten by a brown are holding a shovel. Sounds like a factoid but the take home lesson is don't try and kill a brown with a shovel. They're quick, much quicker than people realise, and aggressive when confronted. Let them pass.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 10:28am

Never had any probs with Eastern browns here. I know they have a rep for being aggro but like Stu I suspect that is because someone is trying to chop their head off with a shovel.
Lennox Point is crawling with them, as are all the sand dunes in the area. One of their favourite habitats.
Seen many large ones sunning themselves on tracks. Give em a wide berth.
There's a huge one that hangs on the rocks near the jumpoff at Lennox.....you see it quite regularly late winter/spring. Walk around him.....never seen him look twice at me.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 10:37am

Lennox isn't the only place the browns like the beach. This one enjoyed a nice swim beween the flags at Forster last year.

Brown snake swims between the flags at Forster

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 10:38am

Blowin, haha sorry mate but too funny.

Hmm, spiders don't really bother me, but just this weekend past, had a run in with our slippery friends.

I was down the coast and trying to get to this cliff top lookout through bushland and knee high-grass.

Before venturing, there was an old couple outside their house gardening and I asked them if the route I planned on taking was the right way. He said yep, gave me some tips but said watch out for snakes.

I was in thongs and shorts.

After walking down a grassy but not too dicey access road next to the railway, the tracks pulled away and I started heading along a thing single track with knee high grass either side.

I was walking slow and trying to make noise as to scare away any snakes, and only 50m or so in, there right in front of me, sitting on top the grass was a long long black snake. It looked like a diamond python but it was just sitting there looking at me, ready to seemingly bite if I kept walking the track past it.

This freaked me out and I headed back quickly, a little spooked.

Next time I'll wear jeans and shoes.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 10:53am

Or brown boardshorts;)

adam12's picture
adam12's picture
adam12 Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 11:45am

Not that scared of spiders or snakes, it's fucken leprechauns that freak me out. Those little fuckers are dangerous!!!

chook's picture
chook's picture
chook Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 12:26pm
stunet wrote:

I've been told that a large percentage of people who get bitten by a brown are holding a shovel. Sounds like a factoid but the take home lesson is don't try and kill a brown with a shovel. They're quick, much quicker than people realise, and aggressive when confronted. Let them pass.

that sounds right...a 410 shotgun is needed if you want to take them on.
i had no idea they were east of the great divide, freeride. damn, eaterns browns and sharks up that way.
i've stepped on a the odd tiger snake down bermagui eden way while walking to cuttagee.

mk1's picture
mk1's picture
mk1 Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 12:40pm

Remember the story of the drunk guy chasing a red belly black away from a riverside bbq, he kept chasing it into the river and got about 5 bites to the head for his efforts.

floyd's picture
floyd's picture
floyd Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 1:12pm
stunet wrote:

Lennox isn't the only place the browns like the beach. This one enjoyed a nice swim beween the flags at Forster last year.

Brown snake swims between the flags at Forster

Seen plenty of snakes on the beaches and in the dunes in Vicco, bloody everywhere. I agree with that shovel comment ..... not too bright to try that is my thinking

Average's picture
Average's picture
Average Wednesday, 3 Feb 2016 at 1:31pm

Spiders, snakes, sharks, no problem. But meth users scare the shit out of me. Unpredictable.

rule303's picture
rule303's picture
rule303 Friday, 12 Feb 2016 at 7:32pm
toneranger's picture
toneranger's picture
toneranger Saturday, 13 Feb 2016 at 8:47pm

i know it's totally irrational but i always fear being bitten by a blue ringed octopus when i'm navigating shallow reefs close to shore on my way out

wellymon's picture
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wellymon Saturday, 13 Feb 2016 at 9:01pm

All over Snakes and Ladders.