# Meanwhile in Australia..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 9, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779 "2013-02-09T10:58:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/1 "2013-02-09T10:58:18Z")
So my friend found this in her shed… (don’t click if you don’t like snakes or spiders) (I have warned you) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/8384/8457284627_9933bec1ca_w.jpg "487718\_459796864086663\_265773641\_n") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/madrabbitwoman/8457284627/in/photostream) Fukin oath ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/2 "2013-02-09T11:11:18Z")
Is that a redback? Yikes! ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/3 "2013-02-09T11:14:38Z")
yep. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/4 "2013-02-09T11:33:25Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > (don’t click if you don’t like snakes or spiders) … and that ain’t what it takes to love me, ya fool, ya fool. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/5 "2013-02-09T21:09:39Z")
I want to see the picture taken right after that one. The picture that shows the snake and spider stopped their death struggle and fixed their cold-blooded eyes on your friend. And then joined forces to feast upon lovely warm human flesh! It’s too late to run! Aaaaaeeeeiiii!!! Glurg, fabble, irk, aaaahhhgggg! ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/6 "2013-02-10T09:19:32Z")
I will just ring her to see if she is still alive… ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/7 "2013-02-10T15:27:47Z")
Is… is… is that a spider eating a snake??? ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/8 "2013-02-10T15:37:36Z")
Scratches Australia off travel bucket list… ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/9 "2013-02-10T20:00:46Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > Is.. is.. is that a spider eating a snake??? The photo right next to it is a rabbit eating a cat. I think. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/10 "2013-02-10T22:48:26Z")
Why the fuck is everything in Australia so terrifying? Even the octopuses and snails can kill you. The koala bears have the clap too. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/11 "2013-02-10T23:10:00Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > The koala bears have the clap too. That’s not usually a problem for most other tourists I’ve met. I mean, I know they’re described as ‘cuddly’ and all that, but really… Look, it’s not that bad down here, actually. Provided you don’t go into the back shed where the redbacks are, don’t go near the outback (king brown snakes), don’t go into the forest (tiger snakes), don’t swim in the ocean (great whites, stonefish, box jellyfish, sea snakes), don’t swim in the creeks (platypus), don’t go near the beach (blue-ringed occys and cone shells), and don’t go anywhere in the north (salties), you only have to worry about the funnelwebs, taipans, paralysis ticks, rove beetles, and jack-jumpers. And they’re happy with the occasional tourist;). Come on down! You’ll have a great time!. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/12 "2013-02-10T23:17:03Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > The photo right next to it is a rabbit eating a cat. I think. sounds about right. All my rabbits have had a taste for cat flesh. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/13 "2013-02-10T23:21:46Z")
Don’t forget the drop bears. Oh and the drop possums - to which I was a first hand witness and near victim on more than one occasion (100% true by the way). ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/14 "2013-02-10T23:26:08Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > The koala bears have the clap too. That is completely false. They aren’t bears. I don’t get the fuss. You’re all carrying on like you’ve never seen a spider eating a snake before. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/15 "2013-02-10T23:31:56Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > Why the fuck is everything in Australia so terrifying? Even the octopuses and snails can kill you. The koala bears have the clap too. [Here’s](http://youtu.be/9Fqgyjl0fKo) a cheery song for you. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/16 "2013-02-10T23:43:01Z")
I have lived in Australia for almost 15 years. I have never seen a snake, and never seen a redback spider, despite frequently being in their favourite kinds of locations. I have seen a few uniquely Australian beasties in the wild, but none of them have been dangerous or aggressive, let alone venomous. America has bears and coyotes and mountain lions, for pete’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/17 "2013-02-10T23:55:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I have lived in Australia for almost 15 years. I have never seen a snake, and never seen a redback spider, despite frequently being in their favourite kinds of locations. > > I have seen a few uniquely Australian beasties in the wild, but none of them have been dangerous or aggressive, let alone venomous. America has bears and coyotes and mountain lions, for pete’s sake. This is a good point. Sure we [used](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacoleo) to have large predators in Australia but not anymore. I used to do a lot of hiking with school groups and you just don’t have to worry about the kids getting eaten or mauled by a large predator or taking precautions about sealing food away in your camp site. Wearing bells & carrying pepper spray to deal with bears - screw that! So long as you’re not up north dodging croc’s, at the most you may run into a few feral pigs or dogs but they tend to either run away (pigs) or watch you from a distance (dogs). To get injured by the wildlife in Australia you generally have to be either very unlucky or really stupid (like [this guy.](http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/02/13/33051_ntnews.html) ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/18 "2013-02-11T00:00:08Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > America has bears and coyotes and mountain lions, for pete’s sake. Yeah but they’re all out in the wilderness, not hiding in your shoe. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/19 "2013-02-11T00:16:59Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > Why the fuck is everything in Australia so terrifying? Even the octopuses and snails can kill you. The koala bears have the clap too. And the trees. Don’t forget the trees: no, that’s not a tasty little orange, that’s [the Strychnine Tree](http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/view-image.htm?gid=11766&index=1) > [@](#): > > This tree bears small, orange-coloured fruits with highly poisonous seeds that are neurotoxic - they harm the body’s nervous system, causing convulsions, paralysis and even death. The tree’s blossoms and bark can also be poisonous, containing the alkaloids strychnine and brucine. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779/20 "2013-02-11T00:23:25Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > And the trees. Don’t forget the trees: no, that’s not a tasty little orange, that’s [the Strychnine Tree](http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/view-image.htm?gid=11766&index=1) Gum trees are not your [friend](http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus#Dangers) either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-in-australia/649779.md?page=2)