Australia has a global reputation for venomous wildlife — overstated, but not entirely unearned. Of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world, Australia has 21 of them. That's a fact that will catch up to you eventually if you spend enough time in the bush.

The good news: snake bite fatalities in Australia average just 1-2 per year nationwide, despite millions of bushwalkers, campers, hikers and fisherfolk being out in snake country every weekend. The reason is simple — basic prevention works extremely well, and the medical treatment is excellent IF you do the right first aid. Here's the practical guide.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Snakes are cold-blooded, want nothing to do with humans, and bite almost exclusively when surprised, threatened or trodden on. Avoid the surprise and you avoid the bite.

The prevention checklist:

• Always wear footwear in the bush — never barefoot through vegetation
• Look ahead on tracks — particularly tracks through long grass, log-strewn areas, around water
• Don't put your hands or fingers into rock crevices, under fallen logs, in piles of brush — anywhere you can't see what's there
• Wear gaiters in serious snake country (paddocks, rocky ridges) — adds another layer of protection on the lower leg where 90% of bites happen
• Step ON logs and rocks rather than over them — gives you visibility of what's on the other side
• Stomp around when bushwalking — vibrations make snakes move away
• If you see one — back away calmly. Don't try to kill it (illegal under most state laws AND the most common cause of bites). Don't approach for a photo. Just walk away

Most snake bites happen in two scenarios: trying to kill the snake, or treading on it accidentally. Both are largely preventable.

If someone is bitten, the Australian Resuscitation Council protocol is Pressure Immobilisation. Memorise this — it saves lives.

1. Call 000 immediately. If no signal, send someone to find help while staying with the victim
2. Reassure the victim. Anxiety speeds heart rate which spreads venom. Keep them calm
3. DO NOT wash the bite. Hospitals can identify the snake species from venom traces — that determines which antivenom to use
4. DO NOT cut, suck, or apply a tourniquet. All of these are movie-grade nonsense and make the situation worse
5. Apply firm bandage over the bite site, wrapping firmly (firm enough to stop venous flow, not so tight you stop arterial flow). Use a heavy crepe or specialised SMART bandage
6. Continue wrapping up the entire limb, from fingers/toes to the armpit/groin
7. Splint the limb to prevent any movement — a tent pole, broken branch, walking pole all work
8. Mark the bite location on the bandage with a pen so the hospital can find it
9. Keep the victim still and lying down. Carry them out if needed — don't make them walk

Carry two 10cm SMART bandages in your first aid kit. They have printed tension indicators showing the right wrap pressure. Cheap insurance — the bandages are $8 each.

Photo: David Clode / Unsplash

Australia has many venomous spiders, but only two are seriously dangerous to humans: funnel-webs (mostly Sydney basin and east coast, fast-moving and aggressive) and redbacks (everywhere except Tassie, mostly stay in webs but very common).

Funnel-web first aid: same Pressure Immobilisation Technique as snake bite. Apply bandage and splint, keep still, call 000.

Redback first aid: DIFFERENT. Don't apply pressure immobilisation (slow-acting venom; tight bandage actually concentrates pain at the site). Instead — apply ice or a cold pack to reduce pain, take paracetamol, get to a hospital. Antivenom is available but rarely needed for adults — some emergency departments now manage redback bites with pain relief alone.

Other spiders (huntsmen, white-tailed, mouse spiders, common garden spiders): bites are painful but not medically dangerous. Wash the bite, watch for unusual reactions, see a doctor if concerned. Most spider bites attributed to "white-tail" are actually misdiagnosed bacterial infections.

Prevention: shake out boots and clothes left outside overnight. Don't put hands into woodpiles, between rocks, or under bark. Inspect long-drop toilets before sitting (yes, really).

Australian scorpions are venomous but their venom is low-toxicity and the scorpions themselves are small. A sting is painful — comparable to a bad bee sting — but not life-threatening for healthy adults.

Treatment: ice pack, painkillers, monitor. Get medical attention if the victim is a child, elderly, immunocompromised, or shows unusual symptoms.

Centipedes (giant red-headed centipedes especially) deliver a genuinely painful bite — locally severe but not dangerous. Same treatment.

Bull ants and jumping ants — painful, often allergic reactions in some people. Apply ice. Watch for anaphylaxis signs (swelling away from the sting site, difficulty breathing, dizziness) — call 000 if those appear.

Photo: Chris Charles / Unsplash

Tropical Australian waters (Cairns to the WA Kimberley, Nov-May) host stingers that can kill in minutes:

• Box jellyfish — large transparent body, multiple long tentacles. Sting is searingly painful and potentially fatal. Wear a stinger suit; douse with vinegar before removing tentacles
• Irukandji — tiny (1cm), nearly invisible. Sting can cause Irukandji syndrome: severe pain, vomiting, hypertension, sometimes cardiac issues. Same treatment + immediate hospital
• Blue-ringed octopus — small (golf ball sized), lives in rock pools. Bite often painless but causes muscle paralysis within minutes. There is no antivenom — only treatment is CPR until medical help arrives. Can be fatal

Marine first aid summary: get out of the water, douse jellyfish stings with vinegar (every Cape York beach has bottles), call 000, be ready to do CPR. Don't pee on stings (urban myth, ineffective).

Bare minimum for any bushwalking or camping group:

• 2 × 10cm SMART bandages with tension indicators (snake bite essentials)
• Splint material (lightweight, often included in pre-built kits)
• Permanent marker (mark bite location)
• Adhesive sutures + bandaids in various sizes
• Antiseptic wipes
• Pain relief (paracetamol, ibuprofen)
• Tweezers and small scissors
• Latex gloves
• Emergency space blanket
• Vinegar (small bottle) for tropical/marine trips
• Paper-based first aid manual or printed reference card

St John Ambulance Australia, Survival First Aid, and Adventure Medical Kits all sell quality pre-built kits in the $80-200 range. Add the SMART bandages if not included.

The Australian bush will hurt you only if you let it. Snakes don't want to bite you. Spiders mostly want to be left alone. Marine stingers stay in clearly-marked tropical waters during a clearly-defined season. Most fatalities come from people not knowing the right first aid technique — Pressure Immobilisation for snakes and funnel-webs, vinegar for marine stingers, ice and ED for redback and scorpion.

Carry the kit. Know the technique. Then go enjoy the bush — it's still one of the safest places on earth, with proper preparation.