30/12/2024
Here's a few things you need to know about snakes in Australia.
1) More people are hospitalised from a bee sting than snake bites.
2) They really have no interest in biting people. They are defensive not aggressive.
3) Leave them alone and they’ll leave you alone. 30% of the total fatalities are people reported to have been bitten while attempting to pick up or kill a venomous snake.
4)If you hear a soft slithering in the ceiling, chances are a python or tree snake has taken up residence in your roof. There are 15 species of python in Australia, making up a quarter of all the snakes that live here. Pythons are probably the most commonly seen snake in Eastern Australian suburban backyards, the most familiar being the Carpet Python in Queensland and the Diamond Python in eastern NSW and Victoria.
5) If you encounter a snake within or around your home and are unsure (please don’t guess) then call your local snake catcher and ask them to help identify the type of snake – if it appears to be dangerous or venomous in any way, they will be able to come and remove it from your premises safely. In many cases, snakes like carpet pythons are harmless and go about business without the need for removal.
6) All snakes are protected in Australia and killing one without legal justification is an offence. Only licensed people are allowed to catch or keep snakes
Rather than fearing our snakes, let’s try seeing them as they are. They pose little risk to us. They flee from us and they play a vital role in keeping down the numbers of introduced rats and mice.
