Brisbane’s suburbs no safe haven from deadly snakes as summer heats up

LIVING in suburbia does not mean you are safe from deadly snakes, as Keith Smith found out when he was attacked by one of the world’s most venomous reptiles.

A deadly eastern brown snake like this bit Keith Smith in his yard at Alderley.

LIVING in suburbia does not mean you are safe from deadly snakes, as Keith Smith found out when he was attacked by one of the world’s most venomous reptiles.

Mr Smith was bitten on the calf by an eastern brown while walking through his backyard in July.

But his case is not unusual in the Metro North Hospital and Health Service region, which extends north from the Brisbane River to Caboolture and Kilcoy.

More people are being treated for snake bites in the Metro North region than anywhere else in Queensland and paramedics warn this time of year is peak “snake bite season”.

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) figures show paramedics attended 85 cases there in the 2015-16 ­financial year — more than 10 per cent of the bites in Queensland — up 39 per cent from 2012-13.

Places people were bitten included Albany Creek, Alderley, Arana Hills, Bunya, Everton Park, Keperra and Mitchelton.

Mr Smith, 86, knew the snake was living in his yard at Alderley but was not worried — until it bit him as he walked past some grass.

Keith Smith was bitten on the calf by a brown snake in July. Luckily it did not inject venom. Picture: Renae Droop

He called Triple 000 and applied a compression bandage to slow the venom flow until an ambulance arrived.

After 12 hours under observation in hospital he had shown no ill effects, indicating the snake (with the second most toxic venom of any land snake) had not injected venom.

Living beside Kedron Brook, and having grown up on a farm, Mr Smith was used to snakes and had been content to leave the 1.2m specimen alone.

“(But) I’m not blasé about it. I don’t muck around with poisonous snakes,” he said.

QAS spokeswoman Michelle Baxter said Queensland was home to some of the most dangerous species of snakes, including the eastern brown and the red-bellied black snake, and all were capable of delivering a lethal bite.

Many occurred when people were working outdoors or were in a snake’s habitat doing things such as bushwalking, she said.

QAS Assistant Commissioner for Brisbane’s Metro South area Peter Warrener warned people to be cautious when working outdoors or when in likely snake habitat.

“If you’re cleaning up your property, be careful shifting timber, iron sheeting or similar materials as snakes can be lingering nearby,” he said.

What to do if bitten:

■ Phone Triple Zero (000) immediately.

■ Keep the patient as calm as possible to reduce the spread of venom around the body.

■ Do not wash the wound as the hospital may need to test the area to identify the snake.

■ Bandage over the bite firmly, then work up the limb starting at the extremities (fingers and toes) and splint the limb to keep it straight.