Outdoorsy paranoia

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

Hiking along some paved footpaths near central Taiwan (Changhua, Hsitou). How likely is one to be bitten by a poisonous snake? How likely is one to catch Japanese encephalitis from a mosquito?

ETA: pretty far up along some mountains, in as dense a forest as you’ll find paved footpaths.

2

I’ve never even seen a snake and I’ve spent a lot of time in that area over the past few years.

3

I was hiking here in the mountains even in unpaved areas, river tracing, swimming in rivers, camping, etc. I encountered a couple of snakes here, mostly harmless and usually way more afraid of me than I of them.

4

I’ve encountered a number of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes in my hikes in the last 4 years, but haven’t been bitten…

Most are scared of humans and will slither away. The Russel’s viper is an exception.

5

Just a reminder folks.

A snake can only be poisonous if you eat it. Many mushrooms are poisonous, but snakes are venomous or non-venomous.

6

[quote=“almas john”]Just a reminder folks.

A snake can only be poisonous if you eat it. Many mushrooms are poisonous, but snakes are venomous or non-venomous.[/quote]

Well if she/he bites me first it should be just fair to take it on and bite back, from head to tail…

7

[quote=“almas john”]Just a reminder folks.

A snake can only be poisonous if you eat it. Many mushrooms are poisonous, but snakes are venomous or non-venomous.[/quote]
Well, if you eat its venom sac…

8

[quote=“almas john”]Just a reminder folks.

A snake can only be poisonous if you eat it. Many mushrooms are poisonous, but snakes are venomous or non-venomous.[/quote]
Watch out for the red ones with the white spots. Sometimes they have gnomes living in them.

9

Snakes are generally more scared of you then you are of them, so as long as you can see an obvious way for them to escape, you should be fine. If not sure, just walk back away from them. Make some noise (stamp on the ground, bang a stick) and they should move away. Russel’s vipers sunning themselves may not give way so easily, so keep a wary eye on them. Snake bite is always uncommon unless you try to catch the snake, or stand on it.

10

I know how you feel. Up until very recently I had a crippling fear of bees and wasps which I talked about elsewhere on here.

Although I haven’t 100% beaten it yet, I’m warming to the idea of going hiking although I’m not sure how much of a liability I’d be on the mountain trail.

Small steps young grasshopper.

11

The whole thing about paranoia (in non-clinical terms) is that it hypervigilance without having experience / confidence in one’s knowledge of the threat. It’s a big scary unknown.

So, do the homework: there are loads of places you can search for knowledge of indigenous dangers here. Make a list, read up, and then do (or have done for you) a Chinese language search to see how often these things (bee attacks, snake bites) actually happen. Once you have all this info together, you will probably be able to look at the danger rationally.

Some points about wilderness safety:

  1. Always be aware of your environment. Don’t yack too much on the trail.
  2. Bring a charged cellphone in a waterproof container or package.
  3. Don’t hike in a remote area alone.
  4. Plan everything you need and will do, and have a plan B.
  5. Bring a first aid kit.
  6. If bitten by a snake, you need to be able to describe the snake accurately to the medical staff who will treat you so they can give you the correct antivenin. Killing the snake and bringing it with you works well too! Don’t assume that all its venom is gone.
  7. If attacked by Tiger bees, try to get rid of them by jumping into water or running through tall grass / shrubberies.
  8. Leave a map or adequate description of your route with others.
  9. Bring a flashlight, and a Viking helmet with flashy things on it.
  10. Remember “The Edge”, and if things get tough, say, with surprising intensity: “Shall we just lay down and die, Bob, shall we just lay down and die??”

That should do it!

12

I think there are a few snakes that are aggressive. The habuhabu (100 pacer I think its called), the cobra and the bamboo viper to name three.

These could likely come towards you while most other snakes probably dont want anything to do with you.

I dont know bout the southern hills but up in the northern hills (even in yangminshan) there are PLenty OF SNAKES>

iN wANLI, iv seen cobra, umbrella snake (not aggressive but deadly ), etc. Bamboo vipers have been seen in the Kenting area.

13

I’ve been bitten by a snake in Taroko Gorge.

It was a hot day and it must have been basking on the footpath. I was wearing shorts at the time and it caught me on the lower calf.

We hiked down the mountain (no first-aid kit, no cell phone coverage) drove for an hour to the hospital to be told “You’re alive, don’t worry.”

It was worth the drive to be re-assured, but it did waste half a day of our three day break!

So, if you are worried, wear long trousers while hiking, carry a first-aid kit and know what to do in the case of a snake bite.

I’m a qualified First-Aider now, so I carry a kit in the car and when out in the bush, snakes can be a problem in Australia.

Hope this doesn’t stop you from discovering just how beautiful parts of Taiwan can be.

L.