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I'll probably get a visit from the Australian Secret Tourist Police for saying this to foreigners, but the danger is way overstated. The last person that died

I'll probably get a visit from the Australian Secret Tourist Police for saying this to foreigners, but the danger is way overstated. The last person that died from a spider bite was in 1979. Snakes and spiders mostly just want to left alone. Crocodiles and marine stingers only exist in the tropics, and Sharks only eat ocean swimmers. I grew up very close to native bush land on the outskirts of Sydney and have never been 'prey' to another creature while playing in the bush. Of course, I wouldn't have done that if drop-bears [1] were around though. [1] http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear

josephcooney 10y ago
> [I] have never been 'prey' to another creature while playing in the bus Survivor bias, mate.
danieltillett 10y ago
I grew up on the north coast of NSW in the bush and the big thing that used to scare me were death adders [1]. The bastards lie in wait in the leaf litter waiting for a bird to come down and grab their tail which they wave around like a worm. Unlike all the other snakes they don't run away when they hear you coming so they are easy to step on - the fact they are one of the most venomous snakes in the world is just the cherry on top. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthophis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthophis
will_hughes 10y ago
> The last person that died from a spider bite was in 1979. There was one this year, actually[1]. Non-fatal bites are more common, but there's no official statistics because it's not a reportable medical emergency. Folks that live near bushland of any variety know to do the basics like not sticking your fingers into areas you can't see, and not weeding/digging in the garden within the Sydney region with bare hands. [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/12/young-man-dies-after-spider-bite-during-australian-bushwalk/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/12/young-man-dies-af...

josephcooney 10y ago

> [I] have never been 'prey' to another creature while playing in the bus Survivor bias, mate.

danieltillett 10y ago

I grew up on the north coast of NSW in the bush and the big thing that used to scare me were death adders [1]. The bastards lie in wait in the leaf litter waiting for a bird to come down and grab their tail which they wave around like a worm. Unlike all the other snakes they don't run away when they hear you coming so they are easy to step on - the fact they are one of the most venomous snakes in the world is just the cherry on top. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthophis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthophis

will_hughes 10y ago

> The last person that died from a spider bite was in 1979. There was one this year, actually[1]. Non-fatal bites are more common, but there's no official statistics because it's not a reportable medical emergency. Folks that live near bushland of any variety know to do the basics like not sticking your fingers into areas you can't see, and not weeding/digging in the garden within the Sydney region with bare hands. [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/12/young-man-dies-after-spider-bite-during-australian-bushwalk/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/12/young-man-dies-af...