A MAN was bitten by a snake while chopping down trees in his Lilydale backyard on Tuesday.
Paramedic Edda Courtney said the 28-year-old man was in considerable pain and feeling nauseous when the ambulance arrived about 1pm.
“The man told us that he had been cutting down trees in a yard when he saw the black snake with a cream belly,” Mr Courtney said.
“He stood still hoping it would go away. Unfortunately it didn’t and struck his left calf.”
The man went back to the house and was given first aid by a neighbour while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
Mr Courtney said the man wrapped a compression bandage around the site of the bite and continued the bandage up the leg, restricting the flow of venom to the rest of his body.
“Thankfully he remained very calm, despite the pain. Becoming anxious or moving around too much only speeds up the spread of venom,” he said.
The man was taken to Maroondah Hospital in a stable condition.