close calls with big snakes

[Jungle_Fever1]

Has any one had a close call with a big carpet or olive python. As in constricting a pet,child or even your self.coud an aussie python kill a human? Im in the usa atm and held a retic around the size of a adult olive.and that thing had some strength.and that made me wonder about the question above

 

[Hooglabah]

I imagine a large Aussie python would be capable of killing a human, as far as it ever happening, I don't know.

 

[abnrmal91]

I think if you annoyed a large angry scrubby I think you could possibly become a issue.

 

[saximus]

I heard a story of a guy in SA who died because he got complacent with a scrubby. Not sure how long ago that was

 

[85Hickey]

The way i see it - "Now with knowledge and anti venom, its not the venomous snakes that can kill you. Try getting a 12 foot scrub or olive off you that wrapped you and you have no one to help. Constriction is a deadly weapon

 

[saximus]

Yeah if they grab you right you're a goner in a few seconds. Definitely wouldn't like to experience it

 

[Nighthawk]

I think if you annoyed a large angry scrubby I think you could possibly become a issue.

I like the way that was put
@ saximus: I heard the same story, apparently that's why DEH put them on the class 3 license-holder list. The version I heard was he was drunk at the time and had no back-up which just goes to show, true or not there's a lesson there.
Had a bit of one myself with my in-laws big Olive girl, she wasn't even squeezing, just trying to hold on and I'm not large. She wrapped her coils around my chest and I started to see spots lol, wicked power in her! I had to get my mother-lin-law to unwrap me like some sort of macabre present.

 

[cadwallader]

wouldn't be a great way to die the strength of a large scrub olive or even a water would be absolutely insane :|

 

[Joemal]

Three of my 7 snakes weigh 10kgs and are getting bigger .Out of the 3 the Scrub is the one i have to watch as she changes from good to bad at the drop of a hat .I made the mistake of feeding the coastal wrapped around my arm one day by the time i got him off, my hand was blue plus pins and needles and the veins sticking up .Bigger snakes mean they bite harder and squeeze you alot harder so rule of thumb is if you are not confident handling the bigger breeds make sure you keep them away from neck and chest areas .

 

[pythons73]

I would suggest ANYONE with larger snakes to atleast have someone close by incase the unthinkable happens.As Joel said,scrubbies in particular can change from good to Satan in a blink of a eye.Pythons have extreme power and are more then capable of killing someone.It has happened many times in the US,a retic-burmese escapes and goes into a room,and unfortunately a young child-baby is sleeping..

 

[crikey]

well people in usa have been killed by there boas so dont see way a scrub or olive or any large carpet couldnt kill some one

 

[Ozzie Python]

i have been told the story of the guy in SA who was killed by a scrub, he was one of Jonno's mates (and a few others on here no doubt). Not sure on all the details and not my place to tell, but it does go to show the old rule of having a second person around when handling large snakes is for a good reason.

 

[scorps]

Yeah to the people saying he was careless and drunk, I am pretty sure they have the story wrong,

 

[-Katana-]

Perhaps I'm going to get flamed for this but wouldn't it help if you had a cattle prod with you in case the worse came to the worse and you couldn't get unwrapped?

Those things give a huge boot when discharged and are easier to get hold of (purchase) than a tazer.

 

[Joemal]

Yes agree with the 2 person thing when handling large snakes and in a nasty situation an extra pair of hands would help and it got me to thinking what would really happen if you did end up with the snake squeezing your neck .Most of us have had that love squeeze and yes i bet there was a tinge of panic there as snakey was happy to give a little more .The 1st thing is panic and try and get the snake off which in turn alarms the snake which in turn squeezes tighter .With the bigger pythons it takes a fair bit of effort uncoil them even with 2 people doing it .By the time the panic really sets in the person with the snake around the neck is on the way to passing out and is of no help so the 2 person rule has now gone back to one .You now have one person on the ground and one person now in total panic left with trying to remove a very aggitated snake .What do you do ....

 

[dale1988]

thats why i only have 2 darwins and a woma i feel i could comfortably handle either of those at full size alone as none of my house mates family or friends would come near me even if i where to be choked as they are petrified of them lol

 

[sarah_m]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't handle snakes over 8ft if there isn't someone within yelling distance, which I think sounds reasonable.

 

[ezekiel86]

I heard a story of a guy in SA who died because he got complacent with a scrubby. Not sure how long ago that was

Yeah thats spot on from what I have hurd from a person who new the guy....SCRUBBY + NO FOOD for months = DO NOT WALK INSIDE THE TANK TO FEED HIM ( thats what I Hurd happen..

My Big Darwin has MAD constricting power...once around your neck could stop blood / air flow but you could get him off easy but you would have to really hurt him ...so I dont hang the big boys around my neck anymore coz all it takes is them trying to get some heat around neck and you dont think twice about it ( being complacent ) then b4 you know it your in the poss of pulling the Python off and hurting him or blacking out ....
BEING COMPLACENT with anything is how you will get your self into trouble..
Pets/job sites / power tools and the list goes on ...
Cheers
Zeke

 

[abnrmal91]

I was up at the Austrlian Reptile Park at Gosford just before christmas and they had a photo from the 70's of a scrubby attack. The photo was of a keeper who had been swimming with a scrubby to help it get some retained shed off, as you can imagine the snake had better plans so started to constrict the keeper.
You would have to be really careful with anything large.

 

[saximus]

I'd be interested to hear the true story Scorps. I understand that it was a tragedy and there were people on here who were close to him but after searching for the news articles I've found it happened five or six years ago and still the "true" story hasn't been told. If it wasn't plain complacency (or drunkenness as some news stories said) then there may be a chance to learn something so people don't get in the same situation. However if we are just told "that's not what happened" with no further explanation we are forced to believe the information we actually have.
I'd also like to point out that I see a difference between complacency and carelessness. Complacency comes from not having any issues over a period of time and slowly letting your guard down. This is easy for anyone to do in any situation like Zeke pointed out. Carelessness is a total lack of forethought about the possible consequences. Careless owners have no business owning big snakes but I'd say almost every keeper has become complacent to some extent at some point in time.
Just my two cents...