Snake catcher gives sound advice to those who encounter deadly reptile in home or backyard

Scott Smith was in bed and about to head to sleep when he got a call saying a dog had managed to corner a snake that had taken refuge under a kitchen fridge.

Finding a tiger snake in your kitchen is not something anyone would expect during an ordinary evening.

But at a house in Burnie on Monday, that became a reality.

Enter snake catcher Scott Smith.

“They actually called us a week earlier because they had a snake hanging around the house,” Mr Smith said.

“One of the other handlers went up and saw the snake — but he couldn’t catch it, and it disappeared.

“Then last night it was around 11pm when I just got into bed and I got a call saying that his dog had bailed it under the fridge.”

North West snake catcher Scott Smith. Photo: Supplied

Mr Smith said by the time he got there, the dog had been taken out of the kitchen before the snake slithered out from under the fridge and was caught.

Over the last month, Mr Smith said the number of call-outs he has been getting has increased.

“It started to get really dry in the late spring and early summer. Then we got a big wet spell, and it got quite quiet in comparison with the last few years.

“But in the last couple of weeks, the phone has been ringing quite a lot.”

With his role coming with apparent dangers, Mr Smith said preparation was key.

“You can’t be complacent. Snakes are faster than me, and you can get a life-threatening bite.

“You also need to look at your surroundings as well to make sure you put yourself in the snake’s head and think ‘what’s this snake going to do when I approach it?’

“If you can get those little steps ahead, it gives you a couple of little advantages when you’re getting down to the pointy end of it when you’re grabbing a hold of them and trying to bag them up.”

Tiger snake. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Smith urged the public to call a professional catcher if they come across a snake.

“One of the most important things you can do is keep an eye on the snake.

“If they keep their eyes on the snake, it gives us snake catchers such a better chance of catching them.

“I know people fear them greatly, and they just hide under the bed when there’s one in the yard, but keep your eyes on them as it helps our job immensely.”

Originally published as Snake catcher gives sound advice to those who encounter deadly reptile in home or backyard