by his shoulders while two others whipped the sleeping bag off his feet.
They did just that, and in the few seconds it took to complete the task, the
snake bit the man 13 times, killing him. Chances are the snake eventually
would have left if the man had lain still and waited it out.
When it comes to avoiding creepy crawlies, a little local knowledge
goes a long way. Learn before you head out what you need to watch for
and where it lives. Generally, you should follow these rules to minimize
contact with creepy crawlies:
Keep your hands and feet out of dark places such as rock crevices, heavy brush,
or hollow logs. If you need to get into such places for supplies or shelter,
first use a long stick to probe the area and scare out any problem critters.
Indeed, any time you slam your foot down beside a crevice, crack, or hole,
you’re risking a bite, because these are the places where snakes like to curl up.
Bringing your foot down right beside one might be enough to get you bitten.
Close up your pants, sleeves, and necklines tightly.
Get up off the ground when you sleep. If you have bug netting, wrap yourself
in it (rather than just placing it on top of you).
Don’t leave your clothes or shoes lying around on the ground while you sleep,
and always shake them out and check them before you put them back on.
Most scorpion stings occur on the foot after a scorpion has spent the night in
a traveler’s shoe or boot.
Wear protective clothing if possible. Most snakebites occur at the ankles, so
leather boots that cover this area can help. Bug jackets and pants, as well as
general mosquito netting, help fend off most flying, biting insects.
Pay attention! Creepy crawlies are not that easy to spot, so stay alert as you
move through their world. Look up. You don’t want to walk headlong into a
hornets’ nest, or grab a branch that’s covered in stinging ants. Look down if
you’re walking through heavy brush or tall grass.
Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you. In the Amazon jungle, a
Waorani man toyed with a spider by poking it with a stick. He just kept poking
and poking, and eventually the spider decided it had had enough, jumped 5
feet (1.5 m) at the guy’s face, and sank his fangs right into his nose. He later
told me it was one of the most painful things he’d ever experienced. Dangers and Hazards (^) | 263