Qld snake season to be worst ever after warmest winter on record

Queensland snake catcher on his multiple near-death experiences. Plus he reveals the frightening places where snakes are hiding in your home as Queensland heads into its worst stake season ever. WATCH NOW

Queensland is heading for its worst snake season, with snake catchers already seeing a spike in call outs and residents being told to be on alert for bites and the risk to pets.

University of Queensland venomous animal expert Bryan Fry said the hottest winter on record has kept normally dormant snakes active and looking for shelter in people’s homes.

Dr Fry said snake activity would continue to ramp up to as Queensland heads into a forecast hot and dry El Nino summer.

Dr Fry said because it was the hottest winter yet, it correlated to the worst snake season yet in the state and that should reflect into the summer.

“The data doesn’t lie,” said Dr Fry, who is an associate professor at University of Queensland’s School of the Environment.

“The numbers don’t lie. It is the hottest winter since winter records started being kept,” he said.

“All the predictions are … that this is going to be a monster of a summer.

“So we’re going to have even more of an issue of snakes, it’s going to be the tipping point where it’s so hot, they’re trying to find somewhere cool and your garage is going to be like a big cool cave to them.”

Harrison’s Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher owner Tony Harrison said he had been “crazy” busy for this time of year and breeding season had started early.

A large coastal carpet python found in a car engine bay at Bardon in Brisbane’s inner west. Picture: Snake Catchers Brisbane Gold Coast

“We normally would be catching one or two snakes every couple of days …. this August we (were) catching four or five a day,” he said.

“I catch them in high rises, buildings, people’s cars, toilets, roofs, child care centres, pools, bathrooms, you get them everywhere.”

Snake bites have risen this year with Queensland Ambulance Service statistics showing there had been 599 snake bites up until August, compared to 520 in the same period for last year.

Dr Fry predicted a rise in snake bites and snakes causing electrical faults.

“(The ecosystem) is totally out of whack, which means that of course that the predators are going to come out.

“It’s a big concern you know, for a number of reasons … the snake bite potential …but also … snake electrocution induced disruption to the power supply is a huge issue in Queensland.”

Mr Harrison, said breeding season had also started early which increased snake activity.

“Reptiles spend their life trying to be cryptic and camouflage or stay out of your hair,” he said.

“During the breeding season, they have only had one opportunity per year to mate. So all that common sense goes out the window and they travel big distances and on a one track mission to get to that female.”

Snake Catchers Brisbane and Gold Coast owner Bryan Robinson said August was when snake call-outs began to rise after a slower July.

He said the increase in calls year by year were also an impact of more people kicking around and more developments.

Snake Catchers Brisbane Gold Coast with a deadly eastern brown snake found in a bin

Mr Harrison said he had been bitten thousands of times in his nearly 30-year career as a snake catcher.

But he said the biggest concern for residents was their pets, as “people were usually smart enough to stay away from snakes”.

“Pythons have nearly 100 teeth, no venom, but they can eat nearly three times their girth, so if you have a really big carpet python, you have to watch your pets.”

Cairns Snake Removals David Walton said this year in one week alone he had three clients whose cats were eaten by carpet pythons.

While, Mr Robinson said he sees more snakes in cars than he does cats being eaten by snakes.

RSPCA Queensland veterinary nurse Jaimee Blouse said there were many things owners could do to protect their pets.

“We are expecting a warmer season and if we don't have ideal rain conditions to provide their natural food source … then snakes tend to look for alternatives,” she said.

“That may be our pets,… snakes tend to seek out our birds whether that be poultry or our budgies but certainly for our bigger species if you've got small dogs or cats you do want to be vigilant.”

Ms Blouse recommended bird cages be made snake proof and pet food be kept away from rodents because rodents then attract snakes.

She said keeping pets indoors and not roaming around at night also minimises the risk of snake attack.

Two pythons fighting for breeding rights in Coalfalls at Ipswich. Picture: Snake Catchers Brisbane Gold Coast