Before coming here, I saw many pictures and heard many stories about deadly creatures in Oz. In fact, its one of the most venomous places, if not THE most venomous place in the world. I'm not just talking snakes here...there are all kinds of creatures here that could kill you with one drop of their toxic venom. These things terrify me so much that since I got here I have been saying stuff like: "Don't touch it...it will probably kill you" about everything from plants and flowers to bugs and reptiles of all kinds. I'm not the only one taking this lightly either! After a "Game of Thrones" exhibit came to Sydney I knew I had to see it...But upon getting into the massive line up this morning, I learned that the line was so long that the point where I was in line (only 10 minutes after the exhibit opened for the day) would not only be waiting upwards of 6 hours, but probably not make it in before the exhibit closed for the day. With a heavy heart I got out of line and after grabbing a coffee with Andrew decided to wander around the Australia Museum instead. One of the exhibits there was called "Surviving Australia" and featured all of the things that could maim, mutilate, and kill you, hence what inspired this blog and reminded me why some people will probably never journey to Oz...
First, let's start with the water. The beautiful white sand beaches, crystal waters, and colorful coral reefs are some of the most numerous and beautiful in the world. But, I know what you're thinking...the thing that Oz oceans are most famous for...Sharks. There are over 160 species of sharks in Oz and the greatest number of Great White sharks in the world! In fact, back in the olden days places like Coogee had "shark nets" included in the beaches where you would pay a fee to swim sure that no shark would take your leg. If that's not enough to scare you out of the oceans, if you're swimming in Northern Oz waters (especially between November and March) there is another ocean killer...Jellyfish. Oz is home to the Box Jellyfish, the most venomous in the world. A sting from this fella can kill a human in about 4 minutes! There is an antidote, however, it needs to be administered immediately.
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| Blue Ring Octopus |
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| Cone Shells |
If you make it past the sharks and jellyfish there are still more deadly things in the turquoise oceans...Pretty Cone Shells line the ocean floor around reefs with beautiful colors on glossy, perfectly shaped shells. If you're thinking about picking one of these up to take home, you'll probably not make it home because they shoot a "harpoon" of venom at their prey (or attacker) which is powerful enough to immobilize humans and cause excruciating pain to which there is no anti-venom. As if there wasn't enough to be scared about the oceans here, there is one more silent (and usually small) ocean killer which is found dominantly in New South Wales (i.e. Sydney!)...the Blue-Ringed Octopus. This little guy is the most venomous marine life out there, and each little guy (they rarely grow bigger than your hand) has enough venom to kill 26 humans in minutes. If you look at the average picture of this little guy you may wonder why they call the brown, grey, tan, and white guy "blue"...But if you find one that is agitated, you will see blue electric rings light up the little guy before he injects you with his toxin which is 1200 times more powerful than Cyanide! Immediately there is no effect and most people don't even realized they've been injected. But within minutes, paralysis begins which eventually reaches the heart and lungs. There is no anti-venom and the only way for someone to be kept alive is by CPR for 24 hours.
So, you decide you're going to stay out of the ocean and just stick to swimming in freshwater lakes and river here? Well, they are home to another one of Oz's finest killer, crocodiles. They didn't call Steve Irwin (an Aussie) the croc hunter for nothing! Oz is home to some of the biggest crocs in the world, some reaching up to 7 meters (22 feet) in length and weighing as much as a small car. You may be thinking, how do I avoid these? Well, the museum suggests you ask locals where the crocs are and do not swim there...quite reliable eh? Also, you know those cute little Duck-Billed Platypuses? The males have a talon on their back legs which inject venom. It doesn't kill you but it does cause a lot of pain.
Alright, so now that you're not going near the Oz waters, what about a nice hike in the Bushland? You may run into something even more unpleasant...Oz is home to 190 species of snake, 25 of which are toxic to humans. Of those 25, 20 are in the "Top 25 Most Deadly Snakes" in the world and wraps up the top 10.
There are a reported 1600-2000 snake bites per year in Oz, although not all are by deadly snakes. The most deadly is the Eastern Brown Snake, which is fast and aggressive. Others topping out the list include the Tiger Snake, which inhabits metropolitan areas around the coast, the Inland Taipan, the most venomous snake in the world with toxic venom that can kill a human in less than 45 minutes, and the Death Adder, and with a name that says "death" you can only imagine what this one's capable of!
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| Funnel Wed Spider |
Maybe you decide to just sit tight in your hotel and maybe wander around the city a bit instead of hiking or swimming...if this is the case, you may meet another one of Oz's infamous inhabitants...spiders. Before reading on, just take a glance at
this website...They're big. They're hairy. They're everywhere. Generally the spiders you see out and about (or in your house) aren't deadly. The Huntsman spider (which greeted me on my first night in Oz) is pretty big and common in houses, but not poisonous. They eat bugs and cockroaches so some households graciously accept them. There are also many big spiders out in big webs in bushes all over the city (and Botanic Gardens especially) that spin beautiful golden webs. Also, not poisonous and their webs are used to spin silk garments in places in Asia! However, there are (once again) some of the most venomous spiders in the world residing commonly in Oz. There is the Sydney Funnel-Web, guess where you find that one? They spin a web that looks like a funnel (commonly in trees) and catch prey with fangs that are longer than a Brown Snake's and strong enough to pierce fingernails. Their venom is strong enough to kill humans but there was an anti-venom developed in the 1980s. There are also Redbacks, which resemble Black Widows. They hide under toilet seats and in other dry, sheltered places. They also have toxic venom and there is a reported 250 bites per year. Finally, there are Trap-Door spiders that dig holes in the ground for prey to fall into leading them to an easy meal. Although not deadly for humans, their toxins cause nausea and pain. These ones are special because they can live to be up to 20 years old (Harry Potter stuff here!).
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| Magpie Danger sign from a zoo |
Also, remember those cute little Magpies I mentioned that I had been feeding on my balcony? The pretty black and white birds are very common throughout Oz and usually don't cause a nuisance to people. But, during nesting time, September-November, they are very protective of their nests and have been known to "swoop" people passing by. Although these airborne attacks rarely involve contact, emergency departments record that most attacks are aimed at the face and eyes.
Do these Oz inhabitants make you second-guess every notion you've ever had about travelling to Oz? Well...fear not loyal readers! There are on average about 120,000 deaths per year in Oz and you can count the number of deaths related to snakes, sharks, and crocs all on one hand. There haven't been deaths from spiders (even the most deadly!) since the 80s! Typically, only 2-4 snake bites are fatal, 1 person is killed by a croc, and 1 by sharks. Oz is home to such beautiful and exotic creatures, not to mention beautiful views, that it would be a shame to let a few venomous animals scare you away! And for the ladies, in a recent poll, Australian men were voted the most attractive men on the planet! Sorry guys, Aussie women came 7th, but still pretty dang good! So don't be afraid of the little things (or big things in the case of sharks/crocs), don't provoke them and they won't poke you (says the final sign in the museum exhibit!).
Until next time, unless a spider/snake/shark/croc/magpie/octopus/shell/jellyfish/platypus gets me!
