Snakes alive! Boom season for baby eastern browns

THE number of snakes being caught in the southern suburbs has doubled this year.

• Baby brown discovered in child’s lunch box
• My nightmare snake season has begun
• Three eastern browns in less than 10 minutes

THE number of snakes being caught in the southern suburbs has doubled this year.

Snake Catchers Adelaide employee Cory Young said this snake season, which typically runs from October to March, he was catching about 15 snakes a day, up from eight the year before.

“This year we haven’t had a lot of heatwaves, it’s been constant warm temperatures so they come out every day instead of every now and then,” Mr Young said.

Mr Young said he had removed snakes from homes, schools, vet clinics and surf life saving clubs this season.

It follows news last week of a mother who found a baby eastern brown snake hiding inside her child’s lunch box at their Hahndorf home.

Tatachilla Lutheran College principal Cain McDonald said three baby snakes had been spotted on the McLaren Vale campus this summer.

“Because of where we’re located, next to vineyards, it’s not an uncommon event for us,” Mr McDonald said.

He said about two snakes were spotted per season.

Snake Catchers Adelaide’s Rolly Burrell with a snake found at a Flagstill Hill home. Picture: supplied

Kaurna MP (Labor) Chris Picton said a staff member spotted a brown snake outside his Seaford Meadows’ office door on February 27.

“The snake catcher was telling me there have been lost of sightings of baby brown snakes and they’re being run off their feet with calls,” Mr Picton said.

Willunga and Aldinga Vet Services nurse Chloe Pettman, 23, said snakebites were common and pet owners “need to be aware”.

Her cat, Wednesday, was bitten by a baby brown snake in November and was found not breathing and completely paralysed 13 hours after the bite.

She said symptoms may take up to 24 hours to present and differ for all creatures.

“I was a mess,” Miss Pettman said.

“Unlike adult brown snakes, (babies) are more notorious because they will latch on and release all their venom at one time so Wednesday had a pretty hefty dose.”

She said on average, the clinic treated 30 to 40 animals for snake bites between October and March each year.

Port Noarlunga Surf Life Saving Club president Shaun O’Sullivan said a brown snake was spotted in the Port Noarlunga carpark in January.