Beware: snakes hiding in shoes, cars and rafters near soaked Logan River

A Logan snake catcher has told of some close calls during this week’s flood and is warning people to check shoes and under cars.

Red-bellied black snakes and large pythons are on the move during the floods with Logan snake catcher Glenn ‘Ozzie’ Lawrence warning residents to check inside shoes and under cars.

Ozzie said the stormy weather had forced thousands of snakes to higher ground and into hiding spots with areas around creeks and rivers teeming with reptiles on the move.

LOOK UP... Logan snake catcher Glenn 'Ozzie' Lawrence has warned residents to check shoes and under cars after the floods have flushed out many poisonous red belly black snakes and huge coastal carpet pythons.

In three days during the flood, he was called to 25 homes to catch snakes and had also been out to check on the conditions of five sleeping snakes.

Check your car for snakes. A Coastal Carpet Python curled up inside the grille of a car.

“If you are near a river expect to see snakes because they are moving to higher ground,” he said.

“Their food supply has been washed away and they are seeking shelter in nice dry safe spots, such as in the rafters and coiled up on the underside of a warm car engine.

“It is the most red-bellied black snakes I have caught in such a small amount of time and it’s because of the rain.”

A family at Greenbank had a scare when they rushed to bring in shoes from the rain but did not check inside, where a 45cm red-bellied black snake was curled up inside.

Greenbank is on the The Platypus Pools watercourse and Bracken Way and is home to pythons, whip snakes, red-bellied black snakes and, to a much lesser extent, brown snakes.

A family at New Beith will be shutting the dogflap after a red-bellied black snake slid inside during the torrential rain on Tuesday.

Logan snake catcher Glenn 'Ozzie' Lawrence has warned residents to check shoes and under cars after the floods have flushed out many poisonous red-bellied black snakes and huge coastal carpet pythons.

“We were not exactly sure how it got inside but we suspect it was the doggie door,” Ozzie said.

Cedar Grove, on the Logan River, was also a hotspot for snakes during the rain with Ozzie catching a 1.5m eastern brown, one of the most venomous snakes in the world.

“It was up on the veranda, tucked in behind a 60l esky and looking very comfortable,” Ozzie said.

“It was near seven tree frogs so he was going to stick around. Eastern browns can be vicious but they don’t usually move around at night.

Double trouble ... Logan snake catcher Glenn 'Ozzie' Lawrence says many snakes are harmless and are just as scared about the flood waters as people are. He warned residents to check shoes and under cars after the floods have flushed out many snakes.

“They’re the number two most venomous snake in the world and unlike the red-bellied black, they go around with their batteries on full.”

Ozzie said with temperatures expected to soar over 28C next week, he expected the displaced snakes to be on the move again.