A teenager was rushed to Caboolture Hospital after suffering multiple snake bites to her foot at a private residence in Dayboro, earlier this week.
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Emergency services were called to the rural town in the Moreton Bay region just before 11:30 p.m. on Monday, March 18.
Queensland Ambulance paramedics found the girl, in her mid-teens, had sustained multiple bites to her foot from an unknown snake species. She was transported to Caboolture Hospital in a stable condition.
In a separate incident this week, a man has tragically died after being bitten by a highly venomous snake near Townsville. Reports indicate the snake was likely an eastern brown snake, however the exact species has not been confirmed. The man was rushed to hospital in critical condition but did not survive the venomous bite.
Snake bite incidents, whilst relatively rare, can potentially be life-threatening if anti-venom is not administered promptly. Residents in rural and bushland areas are reminded to be cautious and seek immediate medical attention if bitten by a venomous snake.
Snake bites are always considered medical emergencies, prompting the Queensland Ambulance Service to urge calling Triple Zero (000) immediately if one occurs. The Ambulance Service stresses the importance of not delaying medical treatment when snake bite incidents happen.
Snakes in Queensland
According to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland is a veritable hotspot for snake species, with around 120 different kinds found across the state.
A staggering 65 percent of these snakes are venomous, including the extremely dangerous front-fanged elapids like brown snakes and taipans, as well as some rear-fanged colubrid varieties.
The department notes that snakes are frequently drawn into residential areas unintentionally when homeowners provide sources of food and shelter. Brown snakes and taipans, which feed on rodents, may be lured to garden sheds, barns, or other outbuildings inhabited by rats and mice.
Pythons routinely enter chicken coops and aviaries to hunt the birds housed within, and have also been known to take up residence in roof spaces whilst hunting small mammals like possums.
The brown tree snake specialises in raiding aviaries after making its way inside to consume caged birds. At night, these arboreal serpents also hunt geckos around windows and other entry points into homes. Even the generally innocuous common tree snake can find its way indoors whilst pursuing frog prey around garden areas.
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With such an abundance of venomous serpents found throughout Queensland’s urban and suburban environments, authorities urge residents to exercise extreme vigilance and immediately seek emergency medical treatment if bitten.
Featured image credit: Peter Baskerville/Google Maps
Published 21-March-2024
