January 10, 2025Summer is in full swing across Victoria, which also means the arrival of snake season.
Victoria’s snake season is typically between September and April, with sightings more common in the warmer summer months and in rural areas. Knowing what to do if you or someone has been bitten, is critical.
Associate Professor Joe Rotella, Emergency Physician and Clinical Toxicologist at Northern Health, knows a thing or two about snakes, and what to do when bitten by one.
“The first thing is not to panic and call for help. At the time the snakebite happens, remain still, lie down if you are standing up, don’t move and don’t run because that can circulate the venom if you been envenomed by the snake – stay calm and call Triple Zero (000),” he said.
“We have tubes that run alongside our veins and arteries, called lymphatics. The venom typically goes into your lymphatics and if you pump your muscles by running or walking, it can circulate the venom through your body and that’s what you want to avoid doing, so staying still will help slow the rate of spread.”
“Snakes will often bite to protect themselves as a warning sign, they don’t necessarily want to use their venom on you.”
As well as staying calm in the event of a snake bite, A/Prof Rotella says applying immediate first aid around the bite is the next step.
“If you have got a bandage available, and you know how to put one on, immobilising the limb and putting on a pressure bandage from above the closest joint down will help,” A/Prof Rotella explains.
“Our paramedics are very well versed in how to apply them, so if you don’t happen to have a bandage on you, just stay still, tie some newspapers to the area, anything to immobilise the limb.”
“It’s important to get yourself to a hospital. Once you get to the hospital, a doctor will examine you, and together with the nurses, will do some blood tests and make a determination if you have any clear signs of venom. Alot of people don’t, so we’ll then observe you for a period of time, take the bandage off, see if anything changes.”
As people spend more time outdoors during summer, A/Prof Rotella explains what to do in the event of a snake sighting, and how to help avoid them slithering into your homes.
“If you do find a snake, do not try and catch it, call a professional. Secondly, please don’t try and kill it – it’s illegal and people who I have seen be envenomed, have tried to harm the snake and have been bitten and envenomed, which makes sense because if the snake thinks it’s either that or death, they are going to pick using their venom.”
“It’s also about being mindful, as the weather warms up, looking for common places where snakes might like to set up homes – woodpiles outside, rubbish, places where snakes can hide under.”
“If you own a dog, it is worth looking into snake avoidance training. There are businesses who will train dogs to avoid snakes because another common situation is a dog goes after a snake, they get bitten and you get bitten trying to rescue your dog. The problem is, for dogs, snake bites can be a far bigger issue because they are relatively smaller, so the amount of venom they get may be fatal, whereas it may not be the case for a human.”
