My recent sojourn to Oz for a few months included tales from some of the locals about certain very poisonous snakes and spiders actually chasing people. A common tote for some of the "bushier" blokes I met was a 6-8 foot length of garden hose with a steel chain inserted down the length. If a snake was encountered, it made for an excellent snake whip, much better than a stick.

Truly amazing how lethal and quick Australian pests can be. Kinda made sleeping out in a bedroll under the stars a bit um, adventurous. I only got stung once out there while sleeping, by some little flying ant I think, but that bugger hurt for days.

We used to hunt Pacific Rattlers using just the soles of our heavy boots back home. You had to be careful, but if you could get them to strike at the sole of your boot you could step down on their heads and that'd be the end of it.

I don't mess around with snakes like that anymore. Getting too old, and here in Florida they got snakes with attitude and a lot more dangerous bite! I hear tell that the Pygmy rattlers are the worst, mainly because of their size and population, even though theirs isn't the most deadly of venom.

I see a coral snake out here, I will be inclined to leave it alone if it will do the same for me. Otherwise I might have to make me one of them snake-bashing hoses my mates told me about. There is so much debris and undergrowth here in the forests/swamps/hammocks that it'd be darn nigh impossible to step off the trail and not risk getting bit.