Owners of small pets are being reminded to be vigilant with snake-proofing their homes
Pet lovers: Anyone who owns a small animal in the Sunshine State should heed this advice from a local snake catcher.
QLD News
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A SNAKE catcher wants to remind pet owners to be vigilant about their animals safety with the start of snake season.
Every year in Queensland a number of small pets, such as cats, small dogs and birds, are consumed by hungry pythons.
Shaun Davey, 24, of Shaun’s Snake Removals and Identifications, said more of the reptiles will be spotted from now through to September as they start coming out of brumation to eat and mate.
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“They are starting to show their faces again since the weather is starting to warm up,” he said.
“So if anyone out and about, especially hiking or doing renovations around the house or cleaning the garden, just be careful.
“You’ll also start often seeing two in the one area. It’s usually two males fighting, with a female hanging around.”
Mr Davey said snakes are most likely to try to hide in untidy yards or homes with small pets.
“Keep an eye out where the animals roam, especially near food bowls and water bowls, they as snakes will be coming in for some water and something to eat,” he said.
“Even pools will bring them in. On hotter days in summer, sometimes we find a snake in the pool skimmer.
“You’ll never keep a snake out of your yard, there will always be a way for them to come in, so just keep the area tidy and try not to keep any hidey holes.
“They’ll hide under pot plants, or under gaps in the outdoor unit of air conditioners – anywhere they can squeeze under.”
Mr Davey, who covers the Ipswich, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim regions, said pythons will also be drawn in by bird and chook food.
Birds are messy eaters, so try and clean up after them as their food attracts mice and rats, then pythons will come after the mice and rats,” he said.
He said dogs barking at snakes and cats were also at risk.
“Cats will see something and try to play with it or see what it is and will get choked or swallowed, unfortunately,” he said.
Mr Davey said the most common serpents in southeast Queensland were coastal carpet pythons, eastern browns, red belly blacks, yellow faced whip snakes as well as common tree brown tree snakes.
If anyone spots a snake, Mr Davey advises to keep an eye on it and to ring a snake catcher in the area.
“Don’t try and kill it or catch it,” he said.
“If you do, it increases the chance of you being bitten by I think 84 per cent.”
All snakes native to Australia are protected species.