Sep/090
Dangerous Animals Of Australia
Thinking about visiting Australia. Have you heard all those horror stories about dangerous Australian animals? This article intends to introduce some of those nasty creatures to you but also reassure you that the likelihood of you meeting one is extremely unlikely.
Australia probably does have more than its fair share of horrible creatures. There is one that can in fact kill you in less than 3 minutes. There are at least 10 that could kill you and they range greatly in size. The Great White Shark is probably the biggest and the Funnel Web Spider is one of the smallest. These two are often talked about by travellers.
Examining the facts clearly shows that you have nothing to worry about in terms of meeting a dangerous Australian animal. Did you know that there have only been 11 shark deaths over the last 50 years? Media hype would make you expect more. In the same time period, there have been NO deaths caused by the Funnel Web Spider due to the availability of anti-venom
Lets have a look at some of the dangerous Australian Animals.
The Great White Shark
The White Shark can be as long as 6m and weighs over 2,200kg(!!) All sharks have an extra sense which allows them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. It's certainly not something you would want to meet whilst out swimming!
Swimming in the Australian ocean is fantastic and should be done as part of your Australian holiday. There are sharks in Australian waters but its rare that they come up to the shore line. You should avoid swimming at dusk and dawn when sharks are more active. Don't go too far from the shore and stay away from schools of fish as a shark could mistake you for food! Also don't go into the water if you have an open cut which is bleeding.
Shark attacks have risen slightly in the last couple of years and experts are unsure why. It is thought that it may have something to do with our waters getting cleaner and the fact that there is an algae in our waters which is bringing the sharks further into the bays.
The funnel web spider
This spider looks like something you might find in a joke shop as it's very black and can be glossy. You are unlikely to see one on the grass as they prefer to create little burrows in places like garden rockeries or garages. They are fond of water so are sometimes find floating in swimming pools when they have accidentally fallen in. The Sydney funnel web is so called because it lives in and around Sydney.
The safest thing to do is to keep away from any spider you see in Australia. The reality is most of them are totally harmless. They may however be a bit bigger than what you are used to. The funnel web spider will rise up onto its back legs and show you his fangs if he is about to bite you. That's when you should run!
Even if the funnel web spider does bite you, there is a 1 in 4 chance that it will inject any venom. If there is venom in the bite, you are likely to feel pain instantly and you should get yourself to hospital for anti venom as soon as you can. You need to stop the venom from spreading around your body. (For more details go to the website. Details are below)
Saltwater Crocodile
There are in fact 2 reported deaths from crocodiles every year. That makes them the most dangerous animal in Australia from a statistics point of view. They are found in the very north of Australia but can be seen as far down as Broome to the west and Tropical Queensland in the East. It's easy to avoid an encounter with a croc by following some simple rules.
These crocodiles don't actually live in salt water and prefer to cruise around in freshwater lakes and rivers. They are very large and can be very ferocious. They are extremely territorial.
If you see any NO SWIMMING signs in the top end of the country, usually with a picture of a crocodile on them, then don't even think about going for a dip. Remember that if you go off the beaten track, the government may not have put signs up here so think twice about swimming there.
Don't camp too near the waters edge and vary your washing habits. That means, don't go to the same spot every day, otherwise a crocodile could be waiting for you one morning!
There are 7 other dangerous Australian animals to find out about. Which one could kill you in less than 3 minutes? What would you do if you got bitten by a snake? For more information go to the Real Australia Travel Website.
Jennifer Schellington has nearly 5 years of experience in travelling Australia and has recently had a baby. Her website, www.realaustraliatravel.com offers practical information for planning your trip to Australia as well as where to go and what to do. Click here for more information on the 10 most dangerous Australian animals