Brown Snake Suspected of Killing French Backpacker in Australia

A brown snake has been suspected of killing a French backpacker in Australia recently. According to reports, the victim died several days after being bitten by the deadly venomous snake. The 25-year-old backpacker was harvesting grain in the locality of Nullawil in Victoria, Australia when the wild animal attack occurred. The town is also around 200 miles northwest of Melbourne city.

Friends of the French man found him unconscious at his home after suffering from cardiac arrest on the morning of October 24 and attempted to save him by conducting CPR for over an hour.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the French tourist may have been unaware that he was bitten by the notorious brown snake, which may have also robbed him of immediate medical attention and anti-venom treatment.

Backpacker Dies from Snake Bite

In critical condition, the French backpacker was flown 300 kilometers to a Melbourne hospital, where he died two days after his life support was switched off, according to local media reporting. Details that were revealed later linked the man's death with the venomous snake species Pseudonaja textilis, also called the eastern brown snake or common brown snake.

The victim's employer, where he was engaged on a working holiday visa, reportedly stated that puncture wounds were seen on the backpacker's foot. The owner of Access Grain harvest depot, Wade Humphreys, adds that the French may have not realized that he was bitten by a snake and only worked in the town for only about 10 days before his death.

Australian Brown Snakes

Brown snakes can be found in most parts of Australia, with P. textillis being the best-known species. These lethal reptiles belong to the family Elapidae and genus Pseudonaja. The eastern brown snake has an average length of 1.5 meters, with the largest specimen recorded of having a total length of 6 feet and 7.25 inches, according to the Australian Museum.

These ferocious snakes are responsible for causing the most deaths (through snake bites) of other species in Australia. Having a very potent venom, brown snake bites may cause internal bleeding, seizures, and even cardiac arrest.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seeking medical attention is the top priority after suffering from snake bites, which would allow for the administration of an anti-venom treatment for serious snake envenomation.

Brown Snake Bite Fatalities

In recent years, scientists found that brown snakes have been responsible for multiple deaths in Australia since the year 2000, describing the species as "defensive" rather than being an aggressive species. More than half of these deaths occurred at the victim's home.

Aside from cardiac arrest, some deaths from the same snake species include multiple organ failure, cerebral hypoxia or anoxia, and intra-cerebral hemorrhage. The study was published in the journal Toxicon in 2017, wherein researchers found that 23 out of the 35 deaths recorded by local authorities in Australia were caused by brown snakes.