Community & Business
7 October, 2022
Beware of snakes this spring
SNAKE breeding season is upon us in the Far North and Tablelands Snake Catchers are urging people to stay alert after fielding 300 calls in September and removing 80 snakes from homes across the region.
The Tablelands is home to some of the most venomous land snakes in the world, including the Coastal Taipan, Eastern Brown Snake, Mulga or King Brown Snake, Red Bellied Black Snake, Rough Scaled Snake, Pale headed Snake, Black Whip Snake, and Death Adders.
With a single bite from these snakes able to kill a person in a matter of hours, locals are being urged to keep vigilant during the warm dry months.
Tablelands Snake Catchers owner Leslie Brown said although many people may believe they can remove the snake themselves, every snake should be treated like it’s venomous and treated with respect.
“Many snakes are coming in from the paddock to inside the house, but we find a lot of snakes stay out in the garden,” he said.
“I think the important thing for people to remember is that snakes aren’t out to get us – they aren’t hunting us down to kill us.
“If you leave the snake, they will leave you be. It’s important for people to not interfere with them and to treat every snake they see as venomous.”
So far this year, brown tree snakes have topped the list for most commonly found snake, a mildly venomous snake with a brown colouring and thin “S” shaped body.
The eastern brown snake is coming in the second most found and cope well within highly populated areas, making them easy to spot throughout the warmer months.
The third most commonly found snake in the region, according to Mr Brown is the carpet python, a large non-venomous reptile.
With sightings of snakes expected to increase, Mr Brown advises locals to not approach a snake no matter what.
“Our advice is to not approach the snake at all. If the snake is outside, close all the doors of your home and bring your pets in so they are away from the animal,” he said.
“If the snake is inside in a room, close the door of the room and put a towel under the door so it can not get out. This is helpful for us so we know where the snake is, making it easier to catch.
“You can message us a picture of the snake if it is safe to do so or post on Facebook groups such as Snake Identification Australia to identify whether the snake is venomous or not.
“But always make sure no one interacts with the snake and always treat it like it is venomous”
