A very lucky Australian man lounging in his backyard in Queensland had a very close encounter with a potentially deadly Eastern brown snake, and he only noticed the beast slithering under his chair thanks to his dog. The snake raced across the patio at an alarming speed and appeared to be staging a sneak attack, but the dog noticed and walked over to investigate. The dog’s appearance caused the man to look up, and he quickly jumped out of his seat and hurried his dog inside once he noticed the snake.
The snake may be tiny, but eastern brown snakes are the second-most venomous terrestrial snake in the world, behind Australia’s Inland taipan.
“Fast-moving, aggressive and known for their bad temper, eastern brown snakes, together with other browns are responsible for more deaths every year in Australia than any other group of snakes. Not only is their venom ranked as the second most toxic of any land snake in the world (based on tests on mice), they thrive in populated areas, particularly on farms in rural areas with mice…. Its venom causes progressive paralysis and stops the blood from clotting, which may take many doses of antivenom to reverse. Victims may collapse within a few minutes.”
This dog is a hero.