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Snake Bite Protection in Sri Lanka
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by Nilgala on April 17, 2006
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I will be conducting archaeological survey in the eastern part of Sri Lanka (The Bibile-Nilgala region, located to the west of the Senanayaka Samudra reservoir and within the Gal Oya National Park [Selakka Oya Sanctuary], Monaragala District, Province of Uva) and I would like to get some information on the best field protection for that area of the world.
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RE: Snake Bite Protection in Sri Lanka
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by Cro on April 17, 2006
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Nilgala: Please fill in your profile. You will have a much better chance of someone answering your question if you do. JohnZ
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RE: Snake Bite Protection in Sri Lanka
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by Phobos on April 18, 2006
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Carl:
There are items of clothing you can wear to protect you lower extremidies like boots gaiters & chaps. See http://www.tongs.com/
Vigilence on where you put your feet & hands are just as important.
Good Luck,
Al
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RE: Snake Bite Protection in Sri Lanka
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by Chris_Harper on April 18, 2006
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I was just in Sri Lanka. As a matter of fact, I was in Bibile and visited the Nilgala fire savanna and the Vedda as well. I wore Rocky Snake boots when out in the field, and I suggest that you do the same. The more remote areas of Sri Lanka are really bad places to be bitten by any of the 3 worst in that area: the Russell's viper, the Spectacled cobra, and the Indian krait. The Sawscaled is up north near Jaffna. The humpnosed viper isn't really a killer, but 2% of the people bitten by it do die, and there is no antivenom for it. You'll find that one in the leaf litter. Russell's strike hard, but most of the bites we saw were on top of the feet. They can strike above the knee if they really ticked off though. Don't sleep on the ground, and you'll be safe from kraits. Never walk barefooted at night, and ALWAYS use a flashlight or headlamp. I carry 2, one of which is a 5 LED Streamlight headlamp, which is great because it keeps your hands free, and the light lasts a long time. Also, in that area, watch out for elephants. They can be bad news if they catch you in the open. For leeches, we used a 98% DEET spray applied to the outside of our clothing and boots. That worked well. If they attached, they fell off with one spray. Also, wearing dog flea and tick collars on the outside of your boots will keep off mites/ticks/leeches and mosquitoes. There are mites there that cause "Tick Fever", which is the cousin of Rock Mtn Spotted Fever. I also suggest that you use a Permethrin spray on your clothing, as it wards off mosquitoes for up to 2 weeks. That would be to ward off malaria. Additionally, be sure to carry a good supply of Cipro. And you might want to be sure to carry some toilet paper or travel wipes. It's hard to find TP over there. I have a lot more tips if you want to talk to me by phone.
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