Cherokee snake is identified

Paula Maud - Sunbury Leader Newspaper

13Mar07

RUMOURS of a stow-away King Brown snake arriving from the north in a hay-bale had a snake handler on the hunt in Cherokee last week. 

After a recent attack on local woman Selena Farrow (Macedon Ranges Leader March 6) Snake Rescue's Per Thomsen  homed in on the location hoping to extract venom from the rare snake. Mr Thomsen was also hoping to put Ms Farrow's mind at rest by removing the rare snake from her property. But swab tests confirmed the identity of the offending reptile as an Eastern Brown  the most common in Australia but also considered most dangerous.  Ms Farrow spent four days in the Royal Melbourne Hospital in late February recovering from a bite she received while hanging out her washing.
 Australian Venom Research Unit director, Dr Ken Winkelsaid the Eastern Brown was rated second in toxicity to the Inland Taipan.  But he said it  registered more snake bites because it was so widely distributed.
 Dr Winkel said Ms Farrow's quick thinking and skill applying an ankle to thigh pressure bandage potentially saved her life.
 Ms Farrow has now become a part of the unit's national snake bite project, which tracks reactions to anti-venom.
 While brown snake bites could be fatal, Dr Winkel said they often failed to successfully inject their venom because they had relatively short fangs at 2-3mm.  ``Most people have a very good outcome when they present to hospital,'' he said. Meanwhile, Mr Thomsen warned Macedon residents to be watchful for snakes as the warm weather continues into autumn.
 For local snake problems call Per Thomsen on 0408 365 948.