Qld man dies after being bitten by snake

A father in his 60s who died after he was reportedly bitten by a snake at a home in the Lockyer Valley was an experienced snake handler and had owned pythons as pets, a neighbour says.

A man in his 60s has died after a suspected snake bite in the Lockyer Valley as reptile catchers warn of a new wave of hatchlings amid increasing call-outs to homes near new developments.

Paramedics were called to a property on Eileen Court at Kensington Grove about 9.50am on Saturday but the man died at the scene.

The man’s neighbour Michelle Vedredi said she had received multiple calls and messages about the tragedy from worried family and friends while she was at work.

“They were asking if I was OK because the helicopter had been and there were four ambulances and cop cars,” said Ms Vedredi, who lives next door.

“The coroner had left just before I got home and cops were taking photos between the house and the shed, I’m not sure exactly what happened.

“Someone told me they could hear his wife screaming through the fence for help before ambulances got there.”

A man has died after being bitten by a snake. Picture: Ken Griffiths/supplied

Ms Vedredi said she had spotted a dangerously venomous eastern brown snake in her own yard days earlier.

“I just quickly got my dog inside and then it started moving on toward (his) yard, so I let the lady in the granny flat behind me know,” she said.

“I was shocked by how fast it moved.”

Ms Vedredi said the man had previously owned pythons and was familiar with handling snakes.“He has a wife and two kids, it’s just so sad,” she said.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman confirmed a report would be prepared for the coroner.

Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers contractor Heather McMurray said snake season was at its peak across South East Queensland.

“We are flat out at the moment especially as the babies start to hatch,” she said.

“(Snake season) starts in October and goes through to about April in Queensland.

“The heat and the humidity is certainly bringing (snakes) out – the pythons are loving the humidity and the brown snakes are loving the hot, dry days.”

Lockyer Valley Snake Catcher Chris Jennings said the destruction of habitats for new developments had been driving snakes into nearby established properties.

“Anytime you have developments there’s a change to the snake’s imprint of its environment,” Mr Jennings said.

The last reported fatality in Queensland was in November after a woman in her 50s was bitten in North Burnett.