Can eastern browns be aggressive?

[cris]

Since Odie's thread got locked when it drifted onto this subject i thought i would start new one to dicuss it.

It seems the majority of ppl consider eastern browns to be the most dangerous snakes in Austrailia and there are countless stories about them chasing and attacking ppl under various circumstances.

There is also a considerable number of experienced herpers who claim that they cannot be aggresive or chase ppl.

I know that with alot of stories you get the fisherman style exageration and generally a 1.5-2m easern brown is always a 10' king brown but i have heard true stories from ppl who dont BS about that sort of thing about being chased by eastern browns that have been stirred up by something or someone.

I personally believe they can aggresively defend themselves when they cannot easily escape a percieved threat. What are others thoughts on the aggresiveness or peacefulness of the eastern brown?

[dpeica]

They're easily irritated in a lot of cases, yes. It is always the humans fault though.
I don't consider it aggression.

but i have heard true stories from ppl who dont BS about that sort of thing about being chased by eastern browns that have been stirred up by something or someone.

And? How many of these 'ppl' have been caught by one?

I personally believe they can aggresively defend themselves when they cannot easily escape a percieved threat. What are others thoughts on the aggresiveness or peacefulness of the eastern brown?.

There's no denying they can defend themselves well. If I had you somewhere you couldn't escape and started belting you with a shovel what would you do?


I think we both have a different definition of 'aggressive' and 'defensive'.

They're *****cats and will always avoid confrontation if possible.

[nuthn2do]

They weren't chased, they ran from fright but are certainly not going to tell their mates that. Best one i had was a fellow in his 50's looked me straight in the eye and told me he once got into 3rd gear on his ag bike before he could get away from a brown.

[Bug collector]

Roflmao!

[Earthling]

i see them regularly going to the beach out at the spit on the Goldcoast. I usually get within a metre or two of them before we see each other...well before i see them anyways. No psycho behaviour yet from them, very calm.

[Wrasse]

Are we playing pedantics with words here as that seemed to be the case in Odie's thread. Aggessive, Defensive, who is the best wordsmith in the use of that word ?

No, in the pure sense, they are not aggressive. They don't sit there of an evening, feel a little bored and choose to go out and pick a fight.

They are defensive. They go about their business, seek their mice, ignore you if they don't see you as a threat and actively defend themselves if they do.


aggressive
1.characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing: aggressive acts against a neighboring country.




defensive
1.serving to defend; protective: defensive armament.

www.dictionary.com

[MoreliaMatt]

if they have a need to defend themselves then yes they become aggressive!
but if they dont have a need to defend they will not.

[moosenoose]

I'd say anything that is trying to bite me, especially if it's a snake, is trying to take the upper hand. To me that spells out that the animal is willing to take a preemptive strike to protect itself, to me that's an aggressive nature. Whether that's used to help it in defense I don't give a rats I agree with Wrasse, I think people are beating around the bush with words again.

Just like the Venomoid debate, this one's definitely going to go nowhere

[hugsta]

I think in the text of things they are more 'aggressive' than most other snakes you encounter as a whole. Ihave come across some pretty narky RBBs but I haven't had a happy brown snake yet. All of them seem to b aggressive or defensive, how ever you like to look at it. Either way they will not hesitate to bite if given half a chance.

[Earthling]

Originally Posted by moosenoose

To me that spells out that the animal is willing to take a preemptive strike to protect itself, to me that's an aggressive nature. Whether that's used to help it in defense I don't give a rats

So defensive is agresive? Im confused........these two words are totally different from each other. Yet you use them as if they mean the same thing.

The most docile nonagresive man on the planet who would not harm anybody sees his family being tortured.....he acts agresively to his familys attackers. Does this give him an aggresive nature? No, he was defending his family. He predominately has a nonagresive nature, however nature gives him the agresive side to utilise at times of extreme need.

Till we can speak snake the true answer can only be theorised, experimented and debated but not concluded.

[ssssnakeman]

Its not aggression when a snake strikes out, its just a basic instinct that the animal views us as big predators and all it wants you to do is go away.I have had brown snakes and tigersnakes come at me, especially at breeding time, but as far as chasing me, it was just a matter of stepping away from it (might have to do this a couple of times) to make it calm down.They just dont like people entering their space.
That being said you can walk very close to a brown snake if it thinks you havnt seen it,they go into freeze mode when they think they are hidden by foliage etc and are reluctant to strike unless you touch it...generally
imo
People are aggressive,snakes just have a basic instinct

[Earthling]

Originally Posted by ssssnakeman

People are aggressive,snakes just have a basic instinct

Very Good point...we continualy use human characteristics to try and understand animals which usually are nothing like humans.

Its a bit like the question what would a Lion say if it could talk English? Well if a Lion could talk and understand English it wouldnt be a Lion anymore.

[Hoppa1874]

yea i have to agree with the majority here.. saying they are defensive when threatened.. otherwise they mostly leave u alone, if u dont try to catch or kill them they will go about their business..

[choppy]

Originally Posted by nuthn2do

They weren't chased, they ran from fright but are certainly not going to tell their mates that. Best one i had was a fellow in his 50's looked me straight in the eye and told me he once got into 3rd gear on his ag bike before he could get away from a brown.

Yeah but what sort of bike was the brown riding?LOL

[NRE-808]

i'd be inclined to think that most every snake..... animal even can be aggressive