Background:
Many tourists, and locals for that matter, are concerned about being bitten by a venomous snake while out caching in the bush in Australia.
For many years Brad was on call to answer a national snake bite hot line so he has some knowledge of the issue. Plus he still works for MedSTAR Emergency Medical Retrieval Service which is sometime called on to retrieve snake bite victims.
The posted coordinates are at the MedSTAR base. There is no need to go there
There are many myths.
1: Venomous Snakes are only found out in the bush.
In fact snakes are found pretty well anywhere. The Adelaide plains has examples of four of the five main Australian venomous snakes groups. Many are found near water courses, but they can be anywhere.
2: Snakes are aggressive and will attack.
With the exception perhaps of the Taipan nearly all Australian venomous snakes will try to get away from you. Walk loudly and carry a big GPSr.
3: You will die if you get bitten.
In fact not all Australia snakes are venomous.
Even with the venomous snakes, not all snake bites result in the snake injecting venom. Some bites are what are called "dry bites.
But if they do inject venom, immediate good basic first aid will prevent spread, and anti-venom treatment is nearly always effective. Deaths have occurred but they are infrequent. Most bites happen to people who either own a snake or who are trying to catch, kill, or chase a snake.
4: If a reptile doesn't have legs it's a snake.
Actually there are also legless lizards in South Australia. So it may not be a snake.
5: Brown snakes are brown, Black snakes are black, and Tiger snakes are striped.
There are exceptions to all of these. Brown snakes that are black, Black snakes that are brown, Tiger snakes without stripes, Brown snakes with stripes. The list goes on. Snakes can be differentiated by features such as scale size and location especially around the head, head shape, and other things. Often only an expert can tell what snake type it is. However see myth 6.
6: If you get bitten someone must catch the snake so a specific antivenom can be given.
The risk of trying to kill/catch a snake far outweighs any benefit. If venom has been injected a venom detection kit may help identify which snake class it is. The location may also help identify it. And even without knowing the type polyvalent anti-venom is effective against all 5 types. So don't try to catch/kill it.
Other useful things to know:
1: The first aid for Australian snake bite is simple to apply.
Lie the person down and reassure them. Ideally they should not exercise, and certainly not until effective first aid has been applied.
Call 000.
With a broad (minimum 7.5cm wide) (preferably elastic) bandage start at the toes (or hand if bitten on the arm) and wrap the bandage firmly up the entire limb. If the bandage does not cover the entire limb, start with a new bandage at the point the last bandaged finished until the entire limb is covered. The compression bandage should as firm as it would be if you were strapping a sprained ankle. If possible mark on the bandage the approximate location of the bite. Await the arrival of trained help.
It is worth noting that Australian Snake bite first aid bandaging may not be appropriate for all bites from overseas snakes. If travelling check the local situation and advice.
2: Boots and gaiters with jeans will protect from most bites and should be considered if you are going to be walking through long grass especially on hot days.
3: Make a noise when you walk. Stamp your feet as well. Snakes are sensitive to vibrations and may well get out of your way before you arrive.
The puzzle:
As mentioned, if you are bitten there is no need to be able to identify the reptile. But you have not been bitten. Instead, you have opened a geocache puzzle.
So to find the final coordinates you will need to identify the creature pictured below. Brad took this photograph yesterday while he was out caching in the Adelaide area. In case you are wondering, he has a very good zoom function on his camera, and was a lot further away than it may appear!
Just put the formal Latin name into the geochecker to be rewarded with the final location. If it is more than one word you will need to leave out any spaces between the words.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.