Opinion

Killing snakes

I reckon a good snake is a dead snake. Sure, I accept that snakes are part of the natural order of things, that they have a role in the balance or harmony of nature, and I'm happy for all that so long as it's not anywhere near me. Campers, for example, who issue the myth "it's illegal to kill a snake you know" as they drive a black or brown into the undergrowth won't be so unquestioning if their child is bitten. The old lines about us being in the snake's environment won't go down so well when the child is on life support.

It's been obvious to me that the people who intone the "illegal to kill a snake you know" line are the sort of people who believe the last thing they were told, and so when I encountered that line for the umpteenth time yesterday I set out to find the law that says "thou shalt not kill snakes". Well, guess what? There is no such law.

National Parks and Wildlife told me that the prohibition on killing snakes is in section 98 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, and the relevant part of that says "A person shall not: (a) harm any protected fauna ...". Protected fauna is fauna not listed as unprotected, and so snakes don't even rate a specific mention here. In fact, on the face of it killing a snake is no more serious an issue than killing any reptile, be it a house lizard or a tortoise, not that anyone would want to harm either.

Indeed, the act makes provision for the killing of snakes while it makes no provision for the killing of lizards or tortoises. Section 112, under the heading "Harming snakes", says a person is not guilty of an offence if he kills a snake he believes was endangering or likely to endanger anyone or anything. Which is, of course, precisely why we kill snakes and should kill snakes.

Ahem, if you're not proficient at killing snakes safely I suggest you call someone who is. And if you can't find a snake killer call one of the snake rescue people. These people relocate snakes, they say, although I'm not convinced that they don't sometimes yield to the temptation to run the snake over as it's slithering away. Don't forget, fellas, to skid the wheel at the right moment.

So are you with me, that a good snake is a dead snake?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 5:00:00 AM | Comments (76)

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I was out on the Darlin River doin some fishin once and good bait to catch Cod with was hard to find. On about my third sip of Bundy and Coke I noticed a King Brown with a good sized frog in it's mouth so I poured some of the rum on his head and he promptly released the frog. I grabbed it baited my hook and was just dealing with a couple of good nibbles when I felt a bump on my leg. There was this bloody snake again with another Frog for me!! By the way it is Illegal to kill or harm frogs so I am told.

Posted by Bush Bunny, 1/09/2010 6:54:31 AM, on The Herald

It is even more illegal to harm frogs, BB, if there can be degrees of illegality. Frogs are protected in the same legislation by dint of the fact that they are not listed as unprotected. There is, though, no special provision for the killing of frogs, as there is for snakes!

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 10:05:25 AM

Yes , I'm definitely in the "fine as long as they don't come near me" philosophy - we had a black snake in our garage many years ago - hissing and carrying on underneath one of our cars - I called the parks and wildlife mob who basically told me to leave it alone as it was protected - well it wasn't that well protected when my dad , who was experienced at snake despatch in his younger days working with his father as a timber getter up around Clarencetown, whacked it with a rake and solved the issue - apart from pythons which are good at rodent control on farms I believe snakes are like funnel web spiders - no good to man nor beast and and we'd be better off without them.

Posted by smithy, 1/09/2010 7:30:23 AM, on The Herald

The law preventing the killing of snakes is the reason for the Newcastle ruins! Get rid of the snakes and the place would boom!

Posted by Bigfeller, 1/09/2010 8:02:33 AM, on The Herald

I have never heard of the "thou shalt not kill snakes" commandment. you have to just about step on a snake for it to bite you. leave them alone and they will leave you alone. i wouldn't chase a snake into the bush just to kill it. but if you are left with absolutely no other option, a spade across the snakes "neck" seems to work really well.

Posted by judgedredd, 1/09/2010 8:45:35 AM, on The Herald

There is no "Thous shalt not kill snakes" law, judge. Precisely my point.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 10:07:30 AM

I am with you having had too many encounters with venomous ones as I was growing up out bush.

Posted by Crazy dave, 1/09/2010 9:04:06 AM, on The Herald

I've read that snake bit was a common cause of death among Australia's early settlers. Of course early white Australians had no effective treatment for snake bite, and perhaps there were more snakes.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 10:09:18 AM

While it is not an offence to kill a snake as such, it would be an offence under the Cruelty to Animals Act to kill one in such a way as to cause pain or suffering. I would have to confess I am with you on this one Jeff. The old girl with the Club in the comic strip B.C.also has the right idea.

Posted by MizJasper, 1/09/2010 9:10:13 AM, on The Herald

What is the old girl's right idea, Miz?

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 10:10:19 AM

as with most animals it seems a snake will probably try to take a bite out of me...dogs, spiders, snakes whats the difference? When up in Nth Queensland I was always made aware of the area being dominated by the King Brown. Saw one come into the bar at Mount Coolum (west of Collinsville). It caused a fair bit of commotion, until finally bashed to death at first a broom and then a shovel, most of the patrons were tough "ringers" from the local stations, they were on top of the bar screaming like a bunch of scared teenagers at a horror film...amusing. I am not really one for killing anything but snakes are sort of different aren't they Jeff . Apparently they can be good "tucker" who knows?

Posted by sid, 1/09/2010 9:29:49 AM, on The Herald

Good tucker in China sid! You'd see plenty of snakes awaiting slaughter in the markets.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 10:12:37 AM

Get over it Jeff - you live in the suburbs. You have zero chance of encountering a snake, and if by some freak chance a snake finds it's way to your backyard, it'lll be more afraid of you, (with good reason by the sounds of it), check out the stats and stop the fear-mongering.

Posted by Jess, 1/09/2010 10:02:30 AM, on The Herald

Not so Jess. The snake rescuers I spoke to this week had just removed a black snake from a yard very close to my home. Buty I'm not so worried about snakes in suburbia. I am, though, very conscious of the threat when I'm camping.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 1/09/2010 10:14:16 AM

snakes....... sharks........ crocodiles. They kill humans! No decision. Human beings are most precious.

Posted by old boy, 1/09/2010 10:12:14 AM, on The Herald

Lots of people are bitten trying to kill snakes which would simply escape if left alone.We have copperheads which are a mild mannered and timid snake albeit pretty high up on the venomous list-but they do like to chase frogs under the house and garden so its unnerving when you nearly put your hand on one or see the dog playing with one.They have live young and breed pretty efficiently so the population seems stable around here. The locals say copperheads eat the young brown snakes-which are plentiful in the next valley over.Give me copperheads over browns any day!We only act on ones at the house (or at least I do). Most country people would go out of their way to kill any snake wherever they see them.

Posted by snooze, 1/09/2010 10:14:09 AM, on The Herald