An unidentified hiker in Australia was “extremely lucky” after being bitten by what he thought was a innocent diamond python, which he had captured and took home to point out his children.
Unfortunately, it was a case of mistaken identification, because the reptile turned out to be a toxic broad-headed snake, which seems similar to a diamond python.
The incident occurred final Wednesday within the New South Wales Southern Highlands, as reported by Yahoo! Australia.
The man was mountain climbing with mates when he noticed the reptile and captured it. When he was bitten, he didn’t suppose something of it till returning home and changing into violently ailing.
“The hiker ended up in the hospital after violently vomiting for three hours and [experiencing] a large, swollen hand,” Ray McGibbon wrote on his Southern Highlands Snake Catcher Facebook web page.
A nurse from Bowral Hospital phoned McGibbon to get an identification of the reptile to find out the right therapy. A photograph of the snake was despatched to him and he recognized it as a broad-headed snake.
“They did find traces of venom in the hiker’s system,” McGibbon wrote. “After six hours, [he was] sent home to recover. During that time, I collected the snake from his residence, got the location to where they found the snake and returned it back to its habitat Saturday morning.
“After myself doing the trek and how long it took to walk in and back, the hiker was extremely lucky to make it out after being bitten [and injected with venom, and without receiving any first aid].
“The hiker is feeling extremely lucky. It could have ended up a lot worse than it did.”
McGibbon wrote that each one broad-headed snakes have the potential to trigger loss of life from a chunk, that its “venom is neurotoxic with powerful procoagulants and is weakly hemolytic.”
McGibbon shared the story to teach folks.
“So please, if you see a snake or any reptile in the wild, admire it in its own habitat,” he wrote. “Take photos or a video, and please DO NOT try to capture it or take it home.”
Story initially appeared on For The Win
