Will Australian snakes kill me? The answer may surprise you! | Christina Zdenek | TEDxUQ

[@priyankakadam7309]

Great presentation. The general public needs such perspectives to understand snake-human interactions without dramatizing the situation.

[@DaveWhoa]

BRILLIANT talk Christina!!! ♥ 👍 according to official Australian NCIS govt website, between 2001-2017 (17 years) there were 37 snake fatalities, that's only 2 per year. For comparison, there were 1,123 road crash deaths in the year 2021 alone, yet you never hear about tourists being scared of the cars in Australia! (also 0 spider fatalities in those 17 years). I recently completed a 2-day St John Ambulance training course and they had a bandage specifically for snakebites which has rectangles printed on it - when you apply it correctly (ie not too weak or too tight) the rectangles turn into perfect squares, indicating correct pressure, very cool.

[@cnzdenek]

Thanks very much! yes, I point out that road-crash statistic in my other talks. This TEDx talk had to be quite short, so that line didn't make it. Similarly, I had it in my Conversation article, but the editors took it out to try and save length. But it's an eye-opening comparison, indeed. Re the first-aid, we do show a few bandage options in our venomous-snake handling course with the Australian Reptile Academy, including the rectangles-to-squares one.

[@RitchieEuan]

Brilliant presentation and communication, Christina! Your work is so important and inspiring and I feel lucky to call you a friend.

[@cnzdenek]

Thanks so much, Euan! I have even more reasons why Australia's lucky when it comes to snakes than what I had time to include in that already long TEDx speech! Thanks for all your inspiring work, and so glad I have a friend in you.

[@JulieLock]

Excellent talk Christina, we’ll done!

[@enrikorr7807]

Brilliant presentation!

[@zoesearle5310]

This is amazing! You are incredible Chris!!! Well done

[@SamanthaWillis-qo7il]

Fantastic information Christina.

[@Cuppa500]

Well done Christina, & thank you. I learned some useful stuff. Informative & well presented. Ian at Lockhart.

[@cnzdenek]

Pleased to hear it, Ian, and thanks! Hope the internet is holding up for you and Julie up there. haha

[@nafiarumman1330]

They are frightening

[@alicemilligan2699]

Very interesting! I feel better about snakes in Oz ty 🙂

[@jervisbay2540]

Rare death adder - not around here, seen 3 in the last month. And yes! they don't move and blend in extremely well making them very dangerous in my book.

[@cnzdenek]

2:12 in the speech: 'excluding the mostly uncommon death adder'

[@silverspaceflyer]

Death adders are one of the few Australian snakes that have not learned to distinguish between frogs and cane toads. Estimates are that the overall population has decreased by around 80%, so they are becoming increasingly rare. We had them on our property in northern NSW but I haven't seen one for years, and I can't say I miss them too much.

[@jervisbay2540]

@@cnzdenek Yes Doc, I should have referenced the word "uncommon" Not so much around here it seems, or I have just been lucky in more ways than one.

[@matthewcullen1298]

​@@jervisbay2540yeah we used to get them up on the old place. They scare me too

[@mattmc9812]

Shotgun are very good snake tool for venomous snakes

[@cnzdenek]

which is illegal, not to mention barbaric.

[@mattmc9812]

@@cnzdenek illegal yes barbaric no. Shovel is barbaric. Shotgun is usually instant