Tasmanian Tiger Snake
There are only three species of snakes in Tasmania, the tiger, copperhead and the whip snake, the latter being the smallest and the least seen.
The tiger snake is so named as it sometimes has striped bands around its body. It is the largest and most aggressive of the three varieties and can reach six feet in length and be as thick in girth as a man’s arm. It is treated with respect as it is extremely venomous, it being classified as the fourth most venomous snake in the world. Consequently, a wary eye is usually kept when out and around over the spring, summer and autumn months, and particularly when walking through thick undergrowth.
On one occasion when living at “The Grange” Mother (Elma Badcock nee Page) opened the back door of the house just in time to see a small tiger snake slithering into her overturned gum boot. It was soon dispatched but for some weeks could not bring herself to wear the boot and thereafter would carefully shake her boots out before putting them on.
Over most years, several snakes a year would be seen by family members around the farm, but most would be left alone apart from those who took up residence near the house, the latter being sought out and killed for safety reasons.
Dad (Eric Badcock), over the years, would recall a number of incidents concerning snakes, particularly from his time while living at “Stoke”, Toiberry, where they were more prevalent than at Bishopsbourne. This was possibly due to there being more cover at “Stoke” and the adjoining lagoon providing them with a good supply of food, notably frogs. One often related story occurred when Dad was on a waggon loading pea vines that were being pitched up to him, when in one bunch he spotted a snake. He yelled out, “don’t give me that” but was not quick enough to prevent the peas from being deposited on the waggon, with the snake disappearing into the load. The waggon was pulled to the pea stack for unloading with the horses being removed and tethered a safe distance away. Unloading was then carefully commenced, with the four-foot (1.2m) snake not being spotted until the last layer on the floor of the waggon was reached. When the last peas around the reptile were removed, he began to rapidly slither around the waggon looking to escape, with Dad after him with the pitchfork, eventually tying himself in a knot around part of the frame before being killed.
When Uncle Jeff was a small boy, Dad and Grandfather (Melvyn Badcock) were turning peas in a paddock near the “Stoke” bush with Uncle Jeff following along as they worked. Hiding under the peas were a number of snakes and as the bunches of peas were lifted they would slither away. All present became wary with Dad recalling Uncle Jeff becoming terrified, and he grabbing the lower part of his legs, called out to his father, “Pick me up!, Pick me up!”.
Another story comes from the time when brothers Terry and Tony, Uncle Jeff’s sons, looked down a well located along the double ditches on the “Stoke” property. The water surface was almost covered with wriggling, writhing snakes, all apparently having fallen in while searching for water over the hot, dry summer. To support themselves, each had inserted its head into the cracks of the brickwork forming the wall of the well. They got a rope and tree branch and lowered it down the well, allowing several snakes at a time to cling to the branch before hauling it to the top. The snakes were then killed. By the time all snakes were removed, 27 lay dead on the nearby ground.
One night while Dad and others were out hunting possums in the “Stoke” bush, their neighbour, Tom Parsons, came to have a look at proceedings. On him stepping onto a log the shell collapsed and as his leg descended into the centre of the fallen tree, he felt a sting on his leg but did not take much notice until undressing for bed later that night. On his leg he found two puncture marks like that from a snake and on his flannels a yellow stain. He suffered no ill effects from the bite and it would seem that the flannel under clothes had prevented the poison from getting into his system.
Written by Ivan Badcock on 05/01/2002 and updated 11/02/2026.