THE NOTORIOUS DUGITE - Ask yourself how dangerous you think this snakes is and then read on. The Dugite (Paeudonaja a. affinis) is one of 9 brown snake species in Australia. On average snakes cause around two human fatalities per year in Aus. Brown snakes have a bad reputation as they are attributed to the majority of these deaths (52 in total from 1980-2016, 33 involving brown snakes).
In the Dugite's case a bad reputation is extremely undeserved! In my experience, and in the case of this individual, I find them to be very shy and inoffensive preferring to flee when encountered by anything larger than them - this includes livestock as well. That being said they will defend themselves if cornered, harassed, stepped on, or attacked.
The Dugite's are the most common snake removed from Perth backyards yet they have only been attributed to 2 deaths since 1980 (both elderly people over 70). If they have learnt how to coexist with humans so well shouldn't we offer them the same deal? The European honey bee and horses kill more Australian's each year than snakes, yet we don't go around shooting horses and hitting Bee's over the head with shovels. Next time you see a Dugite (or any other snake for that matter) don't treat it like a pest that must be killed in order for you to feel safe, but rather treat it as you would a honey bee - keep your distance and let it play its role in nature (vermin control). Alternatively call a snake catcher to have it safely relocated.
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