'I Just Screamed': Mom Saves Toddler from Deadly Snake Preparing to Strike

A mom in Australia who spotted a dangerous and deadly eastern brown snake approaching her toddler quickly swooped in and pulled her daughter to safety. Daniella Vizzini, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, saw the snake crawling toward her 2-year-old daughter Eva, who was playing in a paddling pool at the time. "I saw it rise up out of the ground because it was in like an 'S' shape. It was ready, it was ready to strike her," Vizzini told local news outlet 3AW. "I just screamed 'Snake! Snake!' and I just grabbed her."

Eastern brown snakes are native to south and eastern Australia, and measure around 5 feet long on average, with the longest specimen recorded being 6 feet, 7 inches long. "This species is common throughout the eastern half of Australia and is particularly abundant in farmland and suburban areas where they can find their favorite prey: rats and mice. Because these snakes can thrive in suburban areas this also means that humans can come across them quite often," Alessandro Palci, a reptile researcher a Flinders University in Australia, told Newsweek. "Eastern brown snakes are most active in the spring, their breeding season, since males are actively searching around for females. In the wild they shelter under fallen logs, boulders, and in animal burrows, but in cities they can often be found hiding under any type of building material. So, workers at construction sites need to be especially careful," he said. November is late springtime in the Southern Hemisphere.

Brown snakes are highly venomous and also able to adapt easily to a range of environments, including urban areas. "[This combination] means that they cause more bites (and subsequent deaths) than any other snakes in Australia," Louise Gentle, a wildlife conservationist at Nottingham Trent University, told Newsweek. Eastern brown snakes will not hesitate to strike if cornered, with most bites happening when people try to catch them and/or kill them, Palci said. "Their venom is a coagulent, causing blood to clot. The effect of the coagulant is much stronger in children as they don't have as much blood as adults, so it takes less of the venom to have a fatal effect on the body." Their fangs are relatively short compared to those of other venomous snakes, at around 0.12 inches. This means that many bites can be prevented by wearing a thick layer of protective clothing when outdoors, as their fangs cannot penetrate the fabric. "However, if a bite does occur medical attention needs to be sought immediately, because they have a very potent neurotoxic venom, which can quickly lead to paralysis and death," Palci said. "Moreover, because of their small fangs, bites typically look like very small scratches and can thus be easily overlooked. If someone suspects that they have been bitten by an eastern brown snake they should immediately seek medical attention even if they are unsure. Antivenom for these snakes is available and can be administered in the hospital if necessary."

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Palci advises that following a bite, you should lie down and remain as still as possible until help arrives, because this will slow down the spread of the venom in the body, and that the bite wound should not be cleaned or washed, as this could interfere with venom detection once in the hospital—the snake species can be identified using a venom detection kit, and this will lead to the selection of the most appropriate antivenom. Eastern brown snakes are responsible for more snakebite deaths than any other species in Australia, according to the Australian Museum. "But not all is bad with these snakes! Sometimes they deliver 'dry bites,' without causing envenomation, as a simple way of defending themselves. Moreover, they are great at keeping pests such as mice and rats under control, and should thus be respected for the help they provide to our farmers. This is one of the reasons why snakes are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and cannot be killed or taken from the wild," Palci said. Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.