Snake catcher Ozzie Lawrence says the world’s second deadliest snake is making its way into crevices and retainer walls, particularly in the more rural suburbs of the City of Logan.
This snake season has seen a rise in numbers, largely due to the mass of development.
The Eastern Brown and Carpet Python are among the two most frequent visitors into local homes.
Logan Reserve, Logan Village, Jimboomba, Cedar Vale and Greenbank have topped the number of callouts, which for Mr Lawrence this time of year averages between three and eight calls every day.
“The Eastern Brown is losing its habitat, but it is quite adaptable and because there is so much development around, the snake has adapted to the modern environment,” he said.
“It’s finding that in the retainer walls, other tight spaces or where there is garbage because that’s where there are plenty of rats and mice – and they love rats and mice.”
Eastern Brown snakes are what Mr Lawrence calls a true survivor, and he’s seen a 50 per cent increase in numbers this season. They don’t have great vision, so if they feel threatened, they are likely to defend themselves.
Mr Lawrence said the best way to avoid being bitten is to stay as still as possible.
“They might go close to you, but if they don’t feel threatened, they won’t bite. They might even crawl over your shoes,” he said.
“As a defence mechanism, they’ll rear up as a warning. Don’t move. They’ll get bored and move back to their normal position. When they do, that’s the time to slowly walk away.
“These guys would rather run away than to fight.”
Mr Lawrence said the most prolific time of the season might still be yet to come.
“The beginning of the season was full on, with the males looking for mating and food – in that order,” he said.
“It’s getting quieter now because a lot of the females are pregnant. Around Christmas the babies will be out and about, so that’s when things can explode. Just a couple of snakes can become 20, 30, 40.”
The good news? Snake catchers are on call 24/7.
Leave a Reply