Australian boy's egg collection turns into nest of deadly snakes

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**Frazzled**

Chicken eggs, those aren't chicken eggs!!!
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/21/australian-boy-egg-collection-turns-into-nest-deadly-snakes/?test=latestnews#ixzz2FgezX1SS

Australian boy's egg collection turns into nest of deadly snakes
Published December 21, 2012
Associated Press

Dec. 18, 2012: Eastern brown snakes sit in a deep tub after hatching in Townsville, northern Queensland, Australia. (AP)

A 3-year-old Australian boy was lucky to escape uninjured after a collection of eggs he found in his yard hatched into a slithering tangle of deadly snakes.

Reptile specialist Trish Prendergast said Friday that young wildlife enthusiast Kyle Cummings could have been killed if he had handled the eastern brown snakes -- the world's most venomous species on land after Australia's inland taipan.

Kyle found a clutch of nine eggs a few weeks ago in the grass on his family's 3-acre property on the outskirts of the city of Townsville in Queensland state, Prendergast said. He had no idea what kind of eggs they were.

He put the eggs into a plastic takeout food container and stashed them in his bedroom closet, where his mother, Donna Sim, found them Monday. Seven had hatched, but the snakes remained trapped under the container's lid. The remaining two eggs were probably infertile and were rotten, Prendergast said.

"I was pretty shocked, particularly because I don't like snakes," Sim told the Townsville Bulletin newspaper.

Prendergast, who is the Townsville-based reptile coordinator of the volunteer group North Queensland Wildlife Care, was handed the container on Tuesday and released the snakes into the wild that night.

She was relieved that no one had handled the snakes.

"Their fangs are only a few millimeters long at that age, so they probably couldn't break the skin, but they're just as venomous as full-grown snakes," Prendergast said.

"If venom had got on Kyle's skin where there was a cut of if he put it in his mouth, it could have been fatal," she added.

Eastern brown snakes -- which can grow to more than 6 1/2 feet long -- usually stay with their eggs but sometimes leave for short periods to feed.

"He's very lucky he didn't encounter the mother while he was taking her eggs. That also could have been fatal," Prendergast said.

The snakes were 5 to 6 inches long and had probably hatched around five days before they were released, she said, adding that they were thirsty but otherwise healthy.

Australia averages around three fatal snake bites a year, and eastern browns are responsible for the majority of them.

Sim did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Friday.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/21/australian-boy-egg-collection-turns-into-nest-deadly-snakes/?test=latestnews#ixzz2Fgr7ijvy

**Snrub**

That kid is very lucky. Eastern Brown find you in her nest you can bet your arse you're gonna know about it.

**KalashnikovMarine**

Wow that's crazy. I haven't heard of any one managing that in the U... wait a minute.

Australian.

Wildlife Enthusiast

Penchant for ticking off extremely poisonous or otherwise lethal reptiles?

...welcome back Steve.

**Frazzled**

KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Wow that's crazy. I haven't heard of any one managing that in the U... wait a minute.

Australian.

Wildlife Enthusiast

Penchant for ticking off extremely poisonous or otherwise lethal reptiles?

...welcome back Steve.

And thus, reincarnation is proven once and for all.

**Squigsquasher**

Townsville. What an unimaginative name for a town.

Still...Jesus Fething Christ. The kid is lucky to be alive. Thank goodness they weren't Taipans.

**Palindrome**

Would they actually be venomous when newly hatched?

**Kilkrazy**

The reason why Australian creatures are mostly borne in eggs is that they are so poisonous.

**KalashnikovMarine**

If you think about it, had the eggs not been discovered it would have been the start of a "B" grade horror flick.

**-Loki-**

Palindrome wrote:
Would they actually be venomous when newly hatched?

As they said in the article - absolutely. But their fangs probably not long enough to break skin, but they'd definitely leave poison where they bit, so if he got some in a cut or in his mouth, it would have been fatal.

Our wildlife doesn't feth around.

**djones520**

Another reason why Australia is a big NOPE!

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/index.cgi?id=943881018973

**KalashnikovMarine**

What does it say about me that despite all the murder creatures that infest every square inch of Australia I still want to live there?

**purplefood**

You value a challenge?

**KalashnikovMarine**

Yeah makes sense. Hell that's why I skipped a 20k army recruiting bonus and joined the Marines.

Or I'm just sick of all this cold weather. XD

Living in Arizona and Florida broke my "Withstand temperatures below freezing with out becoming a miserable swearing hate monster" function.

**Snrub**

Kalash if you ever do end up moving to Oz make sure you come to Melbourne. We need more awesome people to balance out the inordinate amount of hipster douches and scene kiddies.

**KalashnikovMarine**

Damn, I cannot escape hipsters any where I go can I? Melbourne and Adelaide are at the top of my list though.

**Snrub**

Nah don't go to Adelaide. Their water tastes like gak and there's sweet FA to do there.

**Henners91**

I don't understand the appeal of Australia.

**KalashnikovMarine**

There's a signature quote running around here that sums up my reasons but in brief: the challenge, the girls, the warm weather and the beaches.

**djones520**

KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Damn, I cannot escape hipsters any where I go can I? Melbourne and Adelaide are at the top of my list though.

I'm pretty sure you won't run into to many in Saudi Arabia, or most neighboring countries.

**KalashnikovMarine**

djones520 wrote:
KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Damn, I cannot escape hipsters any where I go can I? Melbourne and Adelaide are at the top of my list though.

I'm pretty sure you won't run into to many in Saudi Arabia, or most neighboring countries.

....So many horrible jokes to make there.

**chromedog**

Palindrome wrote:
Would they actually be venomous when newly hatched?

Absolutely. The newly hatched are JUST as venomous as their adult kin - except their fangs can't yet pierce skin - if the venom gets into an open cut though, it's all bets off.

Australia. Even the deadly animal children are dangerous.