Why snake sightings have increased in Wide Bay backyards

With snake season underway one Queensland region is standing out for its serpent surprises and ambulance trips. It comes as an expert warns landclearing is leaving reptiles with nowhere to go but suburbia. VIDEOS, PHOTOS.

From snakes hiding in shoes and resident roof pythons to a deadly eastern brown chilling out in the Hervey Bay Airport cafe, sightings are on the rise in a region also logging the highest number of bites in the state.

While the season is proving to be one of the busiest for catchers across the country, the number of sightings across the Fraser Coast and Gympie regions are a standout on pages like Snake Identification Australia which has more than 71,000 members where a recent post confirmed more requests for IDs came from the Hervey Bay area than anywhere else.

Residents and visitors around Wide Bay have flooded the page with anecdotes of their surprise and often amusing encounters with the reptiles.

The most frequent visitors are the costal carpet python, harmless (unless you are a possum/chicken/rodent) but capable of a nasty bite if provoked.

While many locals are keen for the pythons to be moved to bushland and away from family pets, others don’t mind having them move in.

Hervey Bay resident Christine Gordan wrote on the page that a coastal carpet python, which her children had dubbed ‘Hissy’ had taken up residence in her family’s shed.

Coastal carpet pythons are among the most common snakes spotted in Wide Bay. Photo: Mathew Hampton.

In response to the number of people commenting about the prevalence of snakes in the area, Peter Catherall, a former city dweller who had moved to Hervey Bay, also recently shared an incredible video taken last year when a coastal carpet python was removed from an in-wall fish tank in his home after it wrapped itself around the pump and heater.

The python was completely submerged except for its head making for a shock addition to the in-home aquarium.

Fraser Coast Snake Catchers removed a snake from a fish tank heater in a Hervey Bay home.

A keelback snake made itself at home in a Kin Kin woman’s croc shoe to beat the cold.

“It’s a bit chilly today, so the “croc” would definitely be a nice warm spot to recharge,” Michelle Ryan said in the post.

A keelback snake sunbathed inside a croc in the Gympie region. Photo taken by Jethro Spencer.

Eastern brown snakes have been spotted in many yards and even in the window of Hervey Bay’s Airport Cafe in September.

An eastern brown snake was found at Hervey Bay Airport. Photo: Jessica Fen.

In Bundaberg, a rare orange brown snake slithered into a shopping centre car park earlier this month.

According to the Queensland Ambulance Service, 12 patients were taken to Hervey Bay Hospital this year, the highest number of reports in Wide Bay.

This was followed by Bundaberg Hospital at 10 reports and Gympie Hospital at eight.

So, is the Wide Bay really the snake capital of Australia? Mathew Hampton says the answer is no.

Instead, the qualified snake catcher and creator of the Snake Identification Australia believes frenzied land clearing and floods has left the reptiles with nowhere else to go than suburbia.

More than 10 per cent of post identification requests on his page come from Queensland’s southeast.

Mathew Hampton is the creator of a snake identification Facebook page in Australia.

Snake sightings have become more common due to loss of habitat and breeding seasons, Mr Hampton said, adding the actual snake population had actually decreased in Australia.

Snakes travel around about twice as much from August until December during breeding season.

Mr Hampton told this publication an average of two snakes out of 20 reached adulthood and lived a full life.

Most young snakes were picked off my predators, run over by cars or killed by people and pets, he explained.

He used to find up to 15 snakes per night when he was out about 20 years ago.

This is now reduced to only two or three sightings, and they are mostly common species, he said.

“They’ve just gone quiet.”

Coastal carpet python. Photo: Mathew Hampton.

Land-clearing and tree removals push snakes out of their habitats and subsequently, these animals encounter people and pets more than ever.

The reptiles are pushed into tighter areas and slither through backyards as they try to return to bushland.

“Snakes are running out of places to live,” Mr Hampton said.

“That’s why it’s important to save what you got left.”

The common tree snake is the second most common snake in the region. Photo: Mathew Hampton.

On the east coast, particularly Hervey Bay, the top three most sighted snakes are the coast carpet python, the common tree snake and the keelback snake.

All three species are not venomous.

The eastern brown snake ranks as the fourth most common species in the area and are highly venomous.

The top three most common snakes in Wide Bay are mostly harmless, but the eastern brown snake is venomous. Photo: Mathew Hampton.

Mr Hampton said coastal carpet pythons accounted for about 60 per cent of sightings in the Wide Bay region.

Many cases don’t require a catcher and the snakes “never cause any problems.”

“Take a step back, keep still and if possible and safe to do so, take a photo for identification,” Mr Hampton said.

His Facebook group, now with about 100 approved snake identifiers, provides an identification within about 6o seconds on average, he said.

“If you don’t need to relocate him, just leave him be.”