Warning to pet owners after increase in sightings of venomous snakes in Adelaide’s northern suburbs
VENOMOUS snakes have been active in the north and northeast much earlier than in previous years, leading to a surge in the number of pets being rushed to vets after snake bites.
- Warm weather sees our legless friends emerge from their winter homes
- Eastern brown snake found in Moana woman’s ugg boot
- 1.5m-long brown snake found under fridge of Moana home
VENOMOUS snakes have been active in the north and northeast much earlier than in previous years, leading to a surge in the number of pets being rushed to vets after snake bites.
Vets4Pets Golden Grove Emergency Veterinary Hospital, which takes clients after hours from their clinics at Mawson Lakes, Salisbury Park, Angle Vale and Ridgehaven, has treated 15 pets since September – much more than the same time in the previous year.
It comes as Tea Tree Gully and Salisbury councils released new data that showed reported snake sightings had increased since major flooding that lashed the state in September and October.
From September to November 10, Tea Tree Gully Council received 22 reports of snakes – nine in September, 12 in October and one in the first week of November.
Salisbury Council recorded 15 sightings – two in September, nine in October – up from just one during the same month last year – and four in the first week of November.
Playford Council did not have any statistics regarding snake sightings in its district.
“We have seen a lot more snake bites this year compared to last year and we have also seen a lot of animals with what we call dry bites,” Vets4Pets senior vet Dr Cheryl Lordan said.
“So they’ve been seen with the snake, whether they’ve killed the snake or whether they’re playing with the snake – which cats love to do – and then they’ve come in for observation and they haven’t shown signs of snake bites.
“By this stage last year we hadn’t had this many in the clinic so there’s been a fair few more.”
Dr Lordan said the clinic had treated pets from Angle Vale, Salisbury, Greenwith and Redwood Park this year and urged any pet owners whose animals had been bitten by a snake to be taken to a vet as soon as possible to receive antivenom.
She said a dog could die within 20-30 minutes after a bite, while cats were a little more resilient.
Tea Tree Gully Council has issued a warning to residents on its website and social media channels about snake activity in the district after statistics showed the number of sightings this spring have already passed the total figure from last season.
The council’s parks manager Andrew Sellars said sightings had mainly been of red-bellied black snakes, but there had been two reports of brown snakes.
“Last year, we didn’t get any reports through until mid October, with about 20 reports for the entire season,” Mr Sellars said.
“During the flooding, snake sightings increased considerably with 10 sightings in just one day along Linear Park, most likely because they were washed out of their habitat.”
Mr Sellars said there was a possibility the same snake could have been sighted more than once.
He said a professional snake handler removed and relocated snakes on council land, but residents needed to contact a snake catcher for snakes on private land.
Mr Sellars urged the community to report sightings on council land to 8397 7444.
A Salisbury Council spokesman said the council provided “information to people reporting a snake or rat/vermin” containing information about how to prepare their properties to reduce “the likelihood of snakes or rats/vermin appearing”, as well as a public health fact sheet.
“The information packs provided, which are also available on our website, include helpful information for contacting a professional snake handler or pest controller,” the spokesman said.
Lynda Barnes of Munno Para said her cat, Prozac, was bitten by a snake in 2013.
“I picked Prozy up and I noticed she just wasn’t right, and then I saw down the hallway a brown snake,” she said.
“It was already dead so she saved everybody else.”