03/11/2026
A snake having a rough time.
This is the eastern brown snake we caught in Gawler recently, which had an unusual injury that we weren't quite sure what to make of initially.
We took the snake to the vet for a closer examination, where we discovered that it had a severely swollen spur. It appears the spur had caught on something, tearing down the side of the cloaca and causing significant swelling.
It would have been an extremely uncomfortable injury.
Once the area was cleaned up, the extent of the damage became much clearer. There was significant internal damage, and the snake was actually passing waste through the side of the injury rather than through its cloaca as normal. There was also a considerable amount of built-up waste, suggesting it hadn't been passing it properly.
Unfortunately, an injury of this severity would give a wild snake very little chance of survival. It would likely suffer considerably and eventually die from its injuries or become an easy target for a predator.
As snake catchers, we have a responsibility to the animals we capture, and that responsibility doesn't end once the snake is safely out of someone's backyard.
In this case, we were able to get the snake to a vet, have it properly assessed and give it a chance. Unfortunately, after considering the extent of the injuries and the likely quality of life, euthanasia was the kindest and most appropriate outcome.
This is what responsible snake catching should look like.
Our duty of care extends to the animals themselves, not just the people who call us. If we catch an injured animal, we should be doing everything reasonably possible to ensure it receives appropriate care and assessment.
Every snake deserves that level of consideration, regardless of the species.
Unfortunately, animal welfare isn't always given the attention it deserves, but it's something we believe every catcher should hold themselves accountable for.
We're dealing with native wildlife, and we should always be putting its welfare first.
