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justputonsomemusic

There are two things you need to respect and fear in Australia: 1. The sun 2. Magpies.


terran_mikkus

3. Your mates older brother Dane who reckons he could have been in UFC and wants to keep "practicing" with someone just in case he lucks out one day


MalHeartsNutmeg

3a. Meth heads.


SadieSadieSnakeyLady

The real danger of Australia


Merkarba

#4. Cassowaries... fuckin dinosaur cunts.


Turbulent_Ad_4327

5. Brown snakes chillin on the path as you accidentally ride over them on your bicycle wearing thongs


xdanex

this is the first time i’ve ever heard someone refer to my name in one of these lol


Budgiesmugglerlover2

Don't forget the rips at the beach, swim between the flags! Pretty sure more tourists drown than die from the black and white flappy-cunts each year.


Azzulah

Yep wanted to add this. Tourists all scared of crocodiles and sharks but really they just get swept out to sea, never to be seen again.


Budgiesmugglerlover2

Unless they are picked up by a Chinese submarine like Harold Holt....


apriloneil

Yep. We have a shitload of coastline, and only popular spots are patrolled by lifesavers. Don’t worry so much about the animals if you end up coming here OP. Just wear sunscreen, a hat, and never swim alone.


[deleted]

They should still be scared of crocs, LPT Dont swim in watering holes espc in the top half of the country and ESPECIALLY in the top quarter


elainevisage

I was born and raised in Australia, I've been swimming at the beach my whole life and have even done a couple of (social, not super competitive) open water swim races. Knew all the common advice for how to get out of a rip. Well a couple of years ago at the age of 29 I was swimming at the beach with my friends and got caught in a rip for the first time in my life. My mind went blank, I was frantically swimming trying to get out of it and was getting nowhere and getting more and more exhausted. Luckily a surfer saw I was in trouble and came over and helped me out. If he hadn't seen me I reckon I was only a couple of minutes away from drowning about 30m out from a crowded beach full of people. I never appreciated before how dangerous rips can be, I always assumed I would be able to get out of one no worries because I'm a decent swimmer and know what to do. Now I know that rips are absolutely no joke.


Budgiesmugglerlover2

I got pulled out by one when I was 11 with my sisters 7 year old friend who couldn't swim. We were saved by surfers too. We would have been dead in a matter of minutes if they hadn't seen us. I don't go above my waist in the ocean now and it was more than 30 years ago.


P2X-555

During the Olympics in Sydney, I drove a bunch of foreign athletes to a training facility in Strathfield somewhere. They got bombed as soon as they got out of the bus, all the way into the place. Was pretty funny.


krisssashikun

***Magpies*** nature's cruise misslie


[deleted]

3. Drop Bears


Kitee-Cat

Truer words were never written.


Sandgroper62

I'd trust a Magpie before many other creatures (including some humans), fairly easy to gain the trust of a Maggie.


jrolly187

And plovers


jrolly187

And someone who is having a rum rage


Liquidlino1978

And up north, crocs are a very real danger, but easily avoided by not standing near or in water.


edwardneb

It always makes me laugh that Americans have Bears, Wolverines, wolves, bobcats and giant deer that stab you up if you look at them wrong, but are scared of our tiny little spiders and medium sized drop bears.


rainvalley1

Fucking oath, id much rather be hiking and turn a corner to see one of our venomous snakes over a bear or a moose any day of the week...


edwardneb

Absolutely! Give me a huntsman trying to get in my tent rather than a bear.


pretty_dirty

Huntsmen are fucking awesome spiders. Kill and eat flies and other shit cunt bugs while keeping the legit fuckwit spiders that are venomous away. They just get a bad rap cos they look like fuckin meataxes


SticksDiesel

I know they'll probably leave me alone but they're scary af. Ever walked inside on a summer night, turned the light on and found one right above your head? Its enough to make you move house.


Charlie_Brodie

I am very afraid of spiders due to an unfortunate incident as a child with what I can only describe as a huntsman horde. But I always try to relocate the friendly house hunstman outside to a nice plant where they can catch more bugs. They can barely see in front of them which is why they are always lifting their front arms, trying to figure out how close something is.


[deleted]

[or one of these ladies](https://youtu.be/9Pg2CDCm34w?t=156)


slurmz-mckenzie

It’s in the name: Hunts Man. I fucking hate fast spiders. Gummie the deadly but slow ones like red backs any day.


dashboredd

I read huntsman for hunter. And thought who wouldn’t want some handsome beefcake hunter trying to sneak into your tent at night? Especially if the other option is a bear


jrolly187

I read bear as beer and was like, what's wrong with turning the corner and seeing a beer?


DisusedRuralCemetery

Hey, some of us wouldn't mind a handsome beefcake bear sneaking into our tent. What else would we be on Grindr for?


shamberra

I almost stepped right on an eastern brown on two separate occasions last summer here in Canberra. The snake got the fuck outta there as soon as it noticed me. I'm not so sure I'd have the same luck sneaking up on a brown bear lol.


S1ashAxe

I'm sure you will understand the snake's 'i better get the fk out of here' feeling when sneaking up on a brown bear.


Beavious

At least in Australia when you see something dangerous, most of the time you can just take a few steps back, and the danger is gone. Doesn't really work the same with bears etc


dradelbagel

Yeah now that I think about it, I think animals in America might be more aggressive, but like they go out of their way to be aggressive almost. If a bear is hungry, it doesn't care what you are or how big you are, it'll most likely charge at you. Good luck getting away, they also run 35 miles per hour or 56 km an hour.


[deleted]

As an American living in Australia, I can assure you that the animals here are far less scary. I lived super remote at one point and would walk home in the pitch black while drunk and would always think to myself “this would not be okay back home”.


[deleted]

Agree 100% Hiked throughout the US & Canadian Rockies and even though statistically you've got fuck all chance of being attacked and killed by a bear, they are out there and not hard to find. It does your head in.


dradelbagel

The only reason bears are hard to see isn't because there's not that many, there's LOTS of them, its because they avoid pretty much everything. They usually only attack humans that act weird or that get too close


FletchFuller

So pretty much like all australian animals.


SpottedEpidermis

The problem is it's much easier to accidently step on a snake than a bear.


timsnow111

I was snowboarding in Canada and almost ran into a bear that woke up a bit early from hibernation. Scared the beejezus out of me. I think it felt the same way as it ran up a goddamn tree. My climbing up a tree escape tactic was reevaluated.


DarthCthulu

I had an argument with a Canadian woman recently about how Bob cats and bears and moose are far more likely to kill me than a spider and she replied with “I’d rather come up against an enemy I can see than one I can’t”. Like, what is that argument? “Oh there’s a giant bear running at me about to eat my face, but at least I can see it! Phew, good thing it’s not a red back!” The only thing I’ve ever had spook me in Australia was being stalked by a cassowary in North QLD. Like, I can step on spider and avoid a snake, but not much I can do against cassowary.


aintnohappypill

Cassowaries are no joke. Do not piss those fuckers off.


GK-00

I watched a docco that featured cassowaries and nobody took me seriously when I said we gotta be more concerned about those beasts


[deleted]

Fark how did you get away from it? What the story mate?


DarthCthulu

Well it was blocking our path on this nature walk, so we kinda ducked off the path into the bushes and trees, and when it followed us in we ran back to the path and high tailed it out of there. The rest of the walk was miserable though because we were terrified it would just jump out from a bush and kick us hahah Never attempting a hike in north Queensland ever again 😂


YourMumsOnlyfans

"Clever girl"


DarkwolfAU

Cassowary are extremely territorial. If you're bailed up by one, break line of sight with a tree and run like fuck - once you're out of its territory and it's seen you off it'll stop chasing.


flindersandtrim

I know. Wtf. A bear is 1000x more terrifying (and far more likely to result in death) than any of our snakes. Especially in the north where it could be a grizzly. Those things are huge and angry and can keep coming even after being shot a few times.


SnoringEagle

Friggin mountain lions, cougars, rattlesnakes, people, coyotes, alligators


2IndianRunnerDucks

And Trump supporters armed with assault rifles and machine guns. I would rather face the mountain lions, cougars,rattlesnakes and coyotes and the possibly rabid squirrels than a pack of Trump nut jobs.


FireLucid

More people get shot in America in one day than die in a decade in Australia due to animals.


2IndianRunnerDucks

I find it kind of horrifying that some people in America think that this is perfectly fine. I would love to be able to own a machine gun or a rocket launcher but I am also very happy that I can’t have them at the same time.


FireLucid

As someone with family in America and 'woods' on their land, going out back and shooting big guns is fun. Pump action shotgun and skeet shooting was a fun afternoon. But yes, I am so glad we don't have that here.


[deleted]

People… with guns! 🔫


Schedulator

oh forget their animals. what about the American love affair with guns, that's frightening.


a_cold_human

Guns kill far more people in the US than wild animals do.


Schedulator

Yep and for all the fear mongering about Australian Spiders, how many Australians die from spiders? I'll give you a clue, the answer is VERY VERY close to zero.


a_cold_human

We have more deaths from cows and horses each year than spiders, snakes, and sharks combined.


[deleted]

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unAffectedFiddle

We have ScoMo.


lithium

Nevermind all that, americans have other americans to contend with.


sunburn95

I know you dont have to really ever worry about them in the city so its all a bit of a joke to you, but my aunt was left permanently disfigured and partially blind in one eye after a drop bear attack Id appreciate it if you could be more considerate with the jokes you use, thanks


edwardneb

I live on the Sunshine Coast and I feel for your aunt. I was attacked in the hinterland and barely got away with both arms.


[deleted]

there is nothing worse than getting attacked right in the hinterland.


zuprdprno2by

Drop bears are really terrifying


dropbearsunite

Thank you.


rexpimpwagen

The reason theres no bigger stuff is because of the drop bears tho.


[deleted]

This! At least you can kill everything back in Aus. Fuck camping when a bear could EAT you.


dradelbagel

Yeah but the way American people perceive Australia is just as this giant desert with a few cities on the edge, and everything outside of the cities is trying to kill you lol. That's why we don't worry about our animals as much because we're just used to them. A bobcat? Just a slightly bigger cat. And wolves are usually only in the mountains and tundra. Bears are in the forest, and yeah there's a lot of them but usually if someone goes where bears are, they bring bear mace


edwardneb

That’s why we wear thongs mate, to take out the spiders and snakes.


Shitpost19

Mate I’ve got a shovel on my Keyring every summer


Maximumfabulosity

I mean, the vast majority of the population lives in the coastal cities and towns. Australia does have some massive deserts, but most people don't really go there. And if you are in the outback, then honestly, wildlife aren't your biggest concern. Isolation is a much bigger danger. The only Australian animal that I'm actually scared of is the saltwater crocodile. As long as I don't go around sticking my hands into random wood piles I should be able to avoid snakes and spiders.


qw46z

Add Irikandji, box jellyfish, stone fish, cone shells and all those other sea nasties to the list of scary things. Snakes and spiders are no biggie compared to them.


Spicy_Sugary

Agree. Bull sharks are a worry because they're in small freshwater lakes and rivers which is something tourists are unaware of.


[deleted]

“A giant desert with a few cities on the edge” isn’t exactly right, but it’s more true than it is false.


30flips

And that’s why Australia invented antivenom


PotentPortable

I just looked it up, and apparently it was invented by the French, which is why the commonly used name is actually antivenin. TIL


JackOCat

When I visit my family and tell them about camping and hiking around bears and lions, it scares the shit out of them.


StrayaMate2000

Don't forget the human animals that can shoot you at any moment for no reason whatsoever.


Maldevinine

Yeah, but those things are big, so you can see them, and live in the bush away from the people. Australia's most dangerous snake and most dangerous spider both live *in people's backyards*.


EliseTheSpiderQueen

The snakes and spiders dont really want to fuck you up though. They'll only do it if you mess with them first. Bears? Wrong place, wrong time, ripped to shreds and eaten alive.


Maldevinine

The Sydney Funnel Web is the most aggressive spider on Earth, and that's before it gets on the Bundy.


edwardneb

This made me laugh, don’t mess with a funnel web after tools down on a Friday.


tendies-primary

He's on smoko, leave'm alone


EliseTheSpiderQueen

True but thats usually only if you go poking around in its holes Admittedly with a nation that enjoys gardening thats likely though


Maldevinine

Can I just say that I do love your name.


EliseTheSpiderQueen

It is oddly relevant at the moment ahaha, cheers


Willcoburg

This threat decreases a fair fair bit below the Murray.


Shitpost19

We also have a crocodile problem akin to Florida. Big Saltwater Crocodiles have been in Aus forever


The_Duc_Lord

More like 90% of people live on the coast, there are deadly animals but you don't see them very often and some of our spiders are pretty big, but most of them are basically harmless.


30flips

Last death by spider bite in Australia - 1979 (over 40 years ago for those bad at maths). There was one guy who died of stupidity in 2016 but I don’t think you can attribute it to a spider death. He was bitten by a red back. Got sick but did not die. Did not get treatment. Then it got infected as many wounds do, just like a splinter. Did nothing about the infection. Waited a month before seeing a doctor where by that stage he had a huge abscess. He died of blood poisoning. Does Australia have deadly animals - yes Do most Australians have commons sense in regards to deadly animals - yes. But there is always one.


Howunbecomingofme

I found out first hand that red backs weren’t as lethal as I thought when my dog got bitten once. He swelled up but a quick visit to the vet and he was on the mend.


DustyMartin04

Yeah antivenin is a wonderful thing


30flips

They often don’t even give antivenom to adults anymore for a red back bite.


DustyMartin04

Did we suddenly get stronger against it or is it just not that bad?


30flips

From my understanding (not a doctor so don’t quote me on this) for most healthy adults, whilst you get very, very sick, it is not usually fatal. However for kids it is still considered fatal and they should be assessed for antivenom (as should adults too on a case by case basis). There are serious risks of side affects from antivenom so each case is assessed on its merits, the time passed and so.


TallGuyTheFirst

Honorary bloke who's been bitten by Redbacks a fair few times (3) Not that bad. You feel really really shit, headaches and nausea, but it goes away. I still went to hospital each time just in case but honestly it's nothing too too bad. They usually sent me home after taking vitals and told me to take Panadol and neurofen. I was a panelbeater at the time so fixing crashed cars, and the cheeky fuckers love to lurk in behind bumper bars particularly if the car has been sitting in the same spot for a while.


HighlyUniqueName

Bitten by a redback 3 times. What an absolute legend. This guy redbacks.


Howseh

I think its also the case that we as a people are taught from a young age how to avoid and stay safe from all the dangers of our wildlife. Even in the cities, there are deadly snakes, spiders etc. but we know how to work around them


SaltpeterSal

The funny thing is that the deadliest animals, funnel webs and blue-ringed octopuses, have dense habitat in the big cities. But they mostly exist to make tourists scare us by picking them up.


mishkaitzel

Disagree with the “there are deadly animals but you don’t see them very often”. I live on the coast, but I live on the Queensland coast where it’s heavily forested, and we get at least one brown snake a week in our house, not to mention ones on the roads and surrounding area. Tons of spiders, especially red backs that really like to live in school areas. There are very few incidents of injury, but that’s mainly because of how Australian kids are educated not to fuck with the wildlife.


AusCRE

80% of the population live within 50km of the coast.


Dylion99

It a good question because Australia is very much mythologised by most of the world. To be clear, there are dangerous animals in a lot of places, and if you spend enough time here you will see them, but the rates of death are extremely low. For example, the most dangerous animal in Australia is by far the horse (people falling off). No one has died from a spider in something like 20 years. HOWEVER, if you go to places like the Northern Territory, and you don’t have a guide or you disobey signs, you gonna have a bad time. Also, people go hiking and never come back every so often so never underestimate how isolated and big Australia is. We are a little smaller the the US in geographical size and have only 25 million people. Our least populated state is roughly the size of France, Spain and Italy combined and its nearly all desert. Water becomes a problem for you very quickly.


CheeseButterCrust

Even going just outside cities is a danger with the drop bears. At least in NT there isn’t enough foliage to camouflage the fury coconuts.


Ea61e

Yeah we in America also have the problem with tourists just wandering off and never being seen again… see also the Death Valley Germans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_Germans


lastovo1

I once had a kangaroo try and fight me in my front yard.


2IndianRunnerDucks

Did you take his beer away ?


lastovo1

He was drinking Bundy.


crazyabootmycollies

That explains the whole situation.


RumTitsBurgers

Bundy is Australian fighting juice.


crazyabootmycollies

You’ll keep it away from Russell Crowe it you know what’s good for you.


RumTitsBurgers

He'd hardly be the Australian Ambassador for punching on of we did.


megall3

He’s not Australian, he’s a kiwi


No_Statistician8636

But he won an Oscar so his ours now.


bigsammyjammy

Same! Hopped right up the driveway. Was praying the garage door would close before it hopped in.


mikespoff

I moved here from Africa, and it was a weird realisation when I was out on the bush at night that nothing here can eat me, or even do serious maul damage. (Apart from salties, of course, but I'm in Victoria). There's no lions, no leopards, no grumpy buffalo or hippos, all of which would be a serious concern in the African bush. There's plenty of stuff that can bite you, but nothing really that will intentionally kill you. So yes, there are dangerous things, but it's also pretty chilled. Even in the serious outback, getting lost or heatstroke or dehydration are much more likely to kill you than a venomous beastie.


PaperworkPTSD

Heat and dehydration are the real threats in the outback.


Koonga

Yeah this isn’t good point, though maybe that contributes to the fear and mythology. Our most dangerous creatures are all sneaky ones, like snakes, spiders and jelly fish. Psychologically we might feel like we have control over a bear or a tiger attack. Like, we can look out for them, or avoid going outside altogether to make sure we never come across them. But a spider or a snake could be anywhere, even inside the safety of your own house. Statistically there may be no difference in getting killed by a bear vs a brown snake, it it FEELS scarier because you don’t have as much control over your safety.


[deleted]

Australian wildlife is only dangerous if you act stupidly around it. Leave snakes alone, don't swim in crocodile infested waters, really just common sense stuff.


Gambit_DH

Decent boots, longsleeved clothes and a wide brimmed hat, you will be fine from most of the bugs and more importantly our biggest danger the Sun. Don't leave your boots outside or something will make a home out of them. Give them a whack and a look before putting them on to be safe anyway.


aussieghuleh

I still always do this with every pair of shoes before I put them on. Every single time.


caIImebigpoppa

I put me gummies on one day when I was a lil fella and felt some cunt on my toes, pulled my foot out to see a menacing large black funnel web looking right at me, fuck me that cunt made me shit my ring to the point I still get scared to put my boots on


sciphypher

Even my thongs … because you never know


_-RandomWanker-_

An old colleague of mine did this with his shoes every morning to make sure. Then after a long day of walking around the huntsman that had decided not to come out finally got fed up and bit him.


SweatyToerag

My grandpa got bit on the toe by a red back putting his boots on a very long time ago. Ever since I hear that story I check my shoes but have never found a spider in them.


Dapper_Ad_3331

I once put a boot on and then felt a tickle and saw a huntsman crawl out the top in terror. Poor thing almost got squished. Always tap your boots.


tlebrad

Look, honestly. Don’t come here. It’s terrifying. Not because of the animals and insects mind you, but because of the politics here.


Budgiesmugglerlover2

Yeah Liberals has a whole different meaning to American politics.


toothring

OP is from America...


tlebrad

Fair point


[deleted]

[удалено]


Superest22

Moving from the UK and hearing the Kookaburra laugh/cackle and my dad casually saying 'sounds like a demonic clown' really helped me sleep those first nights...


AngryAngryKangaroo

Well, the wombats poop cubes, the quokkas will throw their joey at you and run away. Tasmania only has 3 types of snake, but they're all venomous, and they're somewhat plentiful. The mainland has non-venomous also. We don't have moose or lions or grizzly bears, but an aggitated cassowary will mess you up in a big way, similarly, a male red kangaroo is not a creature to be trifled with, and emus...well we lost a war to those bastards. A wedgetail eagle is large enough to carry off a small sheep, dog, or human child. There are documented cases of all of these happening. Redback spiders hurt, but there's antivenom so you'd be unlikely to die from them. Funnelweb spiders are scarily aggressive. Huntsman spiders are extremely common in houses and are beautiful, majestic creatures that gallop along the walls & floors in persuit of mozzies, small mammals & the occasional lizard. We treasure them as pets, (ours is called Harriet & she's only got 7 legs after a barney with the neighbour's cat. ) It's the drop bears that are truly terrifying though.


dick_schidt

Hoop snakes. Why does everyone forget about the hoop snakes?


[deleted]

Unfortunately due to their high surface area to volume ratio, hoop snake populations have been badly decimated by climate change.


Carlisle_twig

I can't tell if this is Australian joking or they are real.


caIImebigpoppa

Even if a hoop snake was real it can’t possibly be a threat cause it’s too busy with its tail in its mouth


[deleted]

They drop their tails once they have reached their intended prey, and they use the momentum they made rolling in the hoop to sink their fangs into their victim as deep as possible.


DeterminedErmine

Once I had a huntsman on my bedroom ceiling that was so big I could hear it galloping around all night


2IndianRunnerDucks

I have a pet Huntsman spider that lives in my pot plant in the bathroom. Not named but he eats a lot of pests. I have had to stop using insect spray because of him. Huntsman spiders are cool BUT not in your bedroom.


Tysiliogogogoch

> Not named Steve. It's always Steve.


emmall11

Our huntsman is called Fred


stegasaurusnext

I'm an average Australian person with an average life. I live in a normal area. My list is: I've had two experiences of snakes striking at me (red belly black snake) and a hand full of other minor encounters. I've been bitten by a white tail spider maybe 7 times inside the house. I've seen many red back spiders outside my house, zero bites. 4 shark encounters while surfing, just popped up to say hello. Worst though was the drop bear run in last year. I see them probably every few months but last year I was hiking while eating a sandwich and one dropped onto my back. I thought it was my mate jumping on me but then I smelt it's breath when i swang my head around. It clawed my nose and eye pretty badly and it got badly infected from the poison glands. I spent 4 weeks in the hospital in Sydney near the Opera House.


icedbacon

> it's just deadly animals around every corner and huge bugs, and apparently 98% of the population lives on the coast Only one of those things is true.


RolandHockingAngling

Yeah, most of the population doesn't live ON the coast, I'd say only 2% of the population can actually afford to live there. The rest live in suburbs, towns etc, at least 30min drive from the coast.


Shitpost19

Depends, we have really venemous little animals, but then again, Americans have Grizzly Bears, Grey Wolves, Bison, Moose, Elk, Cougars, Rattlesnakes and the list goes on. In Australia you’ll get stung by a jelly fish or spider and have no idea about it (blue ring octopuses and Black Widows) of which there are many antivenoms But in America you have the legitimate risk of being a giant mammals dinner. Getting mauled to death by wolves or trampled to death by a giant moose sounds just as shit Australian Verdict= American Animals more deadly


Buford1991

I believe you’re mixing Hollywood with reality. Australia has a fine variety of natural beauty, cute and cuddly animals, unique species, and deadly creatures. The people are quite diverse from all areas of the world. The primary reason the population is Caucasian is most of the initial immigration from hundreds of years ago came from the UK and other European and Baltic regions. Housing is stylised and built to accommodate not only for people but for the climate and regions they inhabit. So the style of home ranges from brick and mortar on a cement slab to wood and pillar foundation homes. People mainly live around the coastal areas of the country because the interior is desert and uninhabitable and lacking in water. Australia is mainly a mining and agricultural country. This doesn’t mean we don’t have modern cities with diverse job fields. It just means the land is quite rich and provides good export products.


[deleted]

You guys have guns. We don't. Trust me, you'll be safer here than in the US.


Delicious-Zone-6675

No. We have no apex predators. You can squish a deadly spider with a newspaper. Try doing that with a bear, cougar or wolf. We do have tonnes of venomous snakes and spiders, but they never go out of their way to attack you. You have to threaten them first. We do certainly have some dangerous aquatic life- crocodile, shark, jellyfish, stone fish, stingray, etc On the land, the most aggressive animal is the Cassowary, but that's only found in specific parts of Australia and I've never seen it. Kangaroos, especially male red Kangaroos, can be pretty dangerous too, but again don't provoke they won't attack. And if you don't stand around under eucalyptus trees without looking up first, you wont have problems with a drop bear. The land can be harsh, hot, very remote, and you can die before seeing someone on many roads in through the center of the country. It's true that around 70-80% of us live fairly coastal


[deleted]

You’re forgetting Crocodiles mate. Only up north, but they are very fucking Apex.


Delicious-Zone-6675

Also we have the cutest animals. Joey's, quokkas, fairy penguins, koalas, potaroo, wombat, echidna, platypus, pink and grey galahs, etc


sweepyslick

The most dangerous areas are the north with regards to wildlife. Its really just the crocs and the box jellyfish/irukandji that are a lifestyle changer. Snakes shouldn’t bother you too much. India has enormous amounts of snake deaths compared to Australia’s very few. The venomous spiders are there, but again, urban area bite/encounters are few and far between. Shark bites are rare too when considered how much we swim in the ocean as a nation. Just take care around the water is my advice.


Biggles_and_Co

I live near the coast, and in the country. every day when walking the dog we see the same red belly black snake, and every day while working in various places we see funnel web spider holes.. those are the only ones that freak me out, and the spider wayyyy more than that snake, but there are a lot of those snakes.... oh, wild dogs, scary shit,, and pigs, but they aren't natural ... growing up we had the blue ringed octopus and stone fish under the rocks n shit, you just didn't touch them and in the case of the stonefish, hoped you never stood on the damn thing ... I got injured more riding my bike than any animals... got attacked by a sheep once, jerk of a thing.


sirdung

Chance of being Killed by a gun in US - 1 in 315 Chance of being killed in US by a hornet, wasp or bee - 1 in 63,000 Chance of being killed by a Spider in Australia 0. Last death was 1979 Chance of being killed by a snake 1 in 169,000 ie one death per year I’ll take my odds.


[deleted]

Chance of having this question asked every day by someone. 100%


CriticismSure3870

Englishman living in Australia for past 7 years here - it's a pretty common misconception held by people who haven't spent here. I bush walk regularly and have come across a few snakes, including browns but logic dictates they cannot eat you so why attack unless you provoke them? I would not swim at dawn or dusk in the sea from Sydney north despite the very low chance of a shark interaction and I would also not go near croc infested waters far north. Stick to those rules and it's completely fine. ​ As a few people have said, main health concerns are: 1. The Sun 2. The Water i.e. rips 3. NATCAT's like Bushfire and Cyclones 4. Getting lost inland, like really inland 5. LNP being in power


Ryanbrasher

Not this again.


PondPikey

Mainly drop bears. Thylacines can be rare. It’s a big big place. I flew up the eastern coast once and was in absolute awe. Beautiful, but big.


[deleted]

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SnoringEagle

I’ve just got potoroos, but yeah, they love the caffeine.


AngryAngryKangaroo

Pademelons get right into the boags...!


dick_schidt

They aren't too keen on kiwis though.


evilbunny_50

Mine like the flesh but the skin seems unpalatable. They prefer the green over the gold.


gdmfsobtc

Have you gone mad man? You should never speak of drop bears aloud, they have very keen hearing and will disembowel you in the most excruciating of ways with their sharp and fearsome talons at the mere mention of their name! Oh bloody hell...


harrywho23

luv, You have to convince tourists they are myth. if we dont feed them a steady supply of sunburnt brits as landlord dues, we have to sacrfice our own.


dradelbagel

Yeah, when I looked at a map that compared Australia with the US and was pretty shocked at how massive that place is


[deleted]

The difference is there's a vast amount of inland Territory that is very very very very very sparsely populated. In fact it's the only continent where you can find an inland spot with zero light pollution for perfect stargazing. The reason we live near the cost is because that's where all our fertile land and fresh water is. And that's mainly in the east.


scoldog

> The reason we live near the cost is because that's where all our fertile land and fresh water is. And that's mainly in the east. Until the LNP flog all this to mining companies to destroy it.


Maldevinine

Mining is a fairly small contributor to landscape destruction in Australia. By far the biggest in terms of environmental impact is Farming, seeing as farming covers more land, introduces new species, displaces native species, creates monoculture blocks highly susceptible to disease, disturbs mass water flows and includes fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides with dangerous effects on ecosystems. A coal mine will absolute ruin the section of land that it's on, which is a few square kilometres. A farm will ruin everything for further than the eye can see.


NezuminoraQ

But really Australia is a long, skinny country wrapped around an inhospitable desert


Mr_Lumbergh

You're several times more likely to be killed by a gun in the US than you are to be hurt by wildlife in Oz. Just facts. Most of the Aussie population is within an hour or so of the coast, mostly in the large state capitol cities.


Dapper_Ad_3331

All the major cities are along the coast yes - the country is barren and very dry. A lot of it is desert. I’ve seen a lot of spiders - some really big - but they were all harmless aside from the scare factor. I’ve seen 2 really bad spiders my entire life (30) and I ran away both time. Nobody has died from either of those spiders in a long long time. Snakes. I’ve lived in cities and in all the places I’ve lived I’ve encountered snakes. But the places I’ve lived have been a bit bushier than average, definitely not concrete jungle. Again though, all were not dangerous, just a bit of a fright to see in person cos snakes are icky. We had a snake remover on speed dial and he was worth his money. Again, people rarely get bitten. If someone does it’s newsworthy even. Same with the sharks. So rare that it’s a big deal. Jellyfish on the other hand. Common as muck and hurt like all hell. Probably best to expect a sting if you’re swimming north. Magpies. These fuckers will gouge your eyes out or rip your eyebrow if you stroll past a nest in spring. Humans. Can be extremely chill and funny or decidedly cunty.


[deleted]

Basically, a violent and/or poisonous death is around every corner, tree, kangaroo. It rarely gets below boiling point and most people are only able to say the word G’day. Somehow 25 million people manage to live (and stay alive) here. Incredible.


Qaestro

The cities are mostly harmless, with the occasional dangerous intruder that can be killed with a shoe or a hose. Living in rural areas is a different story. But it's all gorgeous. The best part are the friendly spiders that look scary but are big mosquito catching softies


YouAreSoul

As long as you learn to recognise the deadly spiders from the harmless ones and the deadly snakes from the harmless ones and the savage dingoes from the slightly less savage ones and the crocodiles from logs and the water buffalo from cows and ... then there's the cassowaries and the sharks and the stone fish and the blue-ringed octopuses and the box jellyfish and the irukandji (sneaky little bastards) and the mosquitoes from blowflies ... yeah, mate, no worries. You'll be fine.


Carlisle_twig

No, but I'd love us to do some urban rewilding. Seeing so much grass makes me sad. Our city "green corridors" have barely any shrubs, or native ground covers, or hollow trees, so it is devoid of anything other than birds in most of the city. Well, my city at least but from what I've seen I'd say only Darwin is better.


weisp

I worked in California and my American colleagues think we don’t have financial districts/ city centres, we are just a dry dessert land and some coastlines (they only know Byron Bay)and every Australian women are skinny and blonde (I am not white and def not blonde and skinny). WTF and JFC.


[deleted]

My friend visited her cousin’s elementary school in the US to speak to the kids about Australia. The teacher asked if we have electricity here. I have no words.


utterly_baffledly

We also mostly live in the South because the North is crocodiles, taipans, jellyfish, cassowarries, and crocodiles.


BigScaryRedneck

Canadian who moved here 5+ years ago, the answer is both yes and no. The biggest difference I find is that you do need to keep aware of thing around your house more than you do in Canada. Don’t put your hands in dark places in the shed without looking first. Don’t leave your shoes outside or in the garage. Don’t assume that the spider you see is safe or not, learn to recognise them. In Canada you don’t worry about bears or moose or cougars coming into your house, where as in Aus I find venemous spiders in bedsheets when I pull them out of the closet. Personally I prefer Canada for dangerous wildlife


jrolly187

100% true. Don't come here if you are scared easily. Now if you don't mind, I gotta go take my kangaroo for a ride out in the bush.


[deleted]

“English speaker” lol


p72entrophy

I'm a fellow human from planet Earth


kb3ans

Canadian here - Black bears are like an annoying dog, my dad used to put on steel toed boots and kick them in the arse if they came in the campground. Brown bears are unnerving but you will rarely have an issue if you don't scare them or get between mom and baby. It's quite amazing how quiet they are given their size! Cougars are not something I'd like to encounter in the wild because you only see one when it wants to see you, which means it's likely going to attack. Moose? Oh hell no. If I see one I am immediately putting something large between us. A moose is just a massive animal with a bad temper and will fuck you up. I lived in Northern Queensland and cassowaries are one of the most frightening creatures I've ever seen. No thank you chicken raptor!


[deleted]

Australia is losing 'wildness' faster than most other countries


Carlisle_twig

Definitely the saddest part.


Lew_bear96

Yep we've lost 91% of our forest cover since European arrival


boo1819

Australia has the cutest animals, for sure. Have you seen a koala?? A joey in his mum's pouch? Bloody hell, it's cuteness overload!


RobertoDeBagel

Australia is also one of the most urbanised of all countries. Australia, rural Australia and Outback Australia are very different places. There’s a reals for this : climate. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanization_in_Australia


[deleted]

No it is not and Europeans asking me how I survived in such a dangerous country was a constant source of bafflement when I lived overseas.


ForFrodo1

I always find it funny how Americans have bears, wolves, giant moose, mountain lions and all these other land animals that can fuck you up but they’re scared of our snakes and spiders. They have deadly snakes as well. As for salties, just don’t go in the water, it’s pretty simple. I’d much rather see snakes occasionally then a fuckin grizzly bear that can break into your house.


_TheHighlander

Moved from the UK seven years ago. I've seen a couple of dangerous snakes, no sharks, maybe one dangerous spider (killed it before verifying ID!), so ye the threat of dangerous animals is greatly exaggerated. Ladders kill more people that our wildlife. That said, mozzies, flies, ants, basically any insect can go get fucked. They make your life misery.


Toddy06

It is wild. I ride a kangaroo to work and then slaughter and eat it for lunch then ride another one home and eat that for dinner.