A key part of being able to survive in Australia is being able to spot the many deadly animals lying in wait to kill you at any given moment. From redback spiders to deadly snakes and even kangaroos, everything is just waiting for its chance to strike. Let your guard down for even a second and you're a goner.
OK, we exaggerate. However, it is true that there are plenty of animals out there in the bush that you should be extremely cautious of. And a big problem is how well they've adapted to blend in with their environment.
Take for example this eastern brown snake, which was found by the Snake Out Brisbane Snake Catchers. Can you spot it?
If you can, you've beaten us.
Did you spot it? Take a look at the lower left-hand corner. Really look at it. If you can't find it, you probably don't have what it takes to survive in outback Australia. Just saying. Still nothing? Give up? OK, here is the snake's little face.
The snake catchers posted the picture of the (slightly adorable) snake to their Facebook page. The snakes live all along the east coast of Australia, parts of the Northern Territory and parts of Papua New Guinea.
Though the snakes are highly venomous, and a bite can cause convulsions, cardiac arrest, and death, the snake catchers didn't seem too bothered by the encounter.
"They try to keep to themselves, only ever coincidence if we come across them," they wrote on Facebook.
"Even browns will flee first, and failing that, act all mean and scary before actually biting. Their 'attack' is really more a defensive display designed to scare and warn off would-be predators, and it sure works!"
"With the warm Spring weather here in Brisbane, Eastern Browns and many other snake species are on the move looking for food and mates. While accidents can happen, snakes generally do their best to avoid human confrontation and will only bite if provoked," Janne Torkkola, owner of Snake Out Brisbane, told IFLScience.
"There's also no reason to put yourself at risk trying to approach these animals yourself without training since local wildlife authorities and snake-catchers are available 24/7 for advice."
The snake tends to defend itself initially with bites that are non-fatal (ie they don't pass much venom in their initial attack) and as a result, the fatality rate from untreated bites is a relatively low 10-20 percent.
So even if you didn't spot it, there's a good chance you'd survive the encounter.
Here's how the professionals dealt with it.
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