Deadly snake numbers surge, Gold Coast
Holiday makers were left scrambling after a deadly eastern brown was sunning itself beside them at one of the city’s most iconic beaches. SEE WHERE
Gold Coast
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Experts have urged more caution this snake season, warning changed weather patterns could increase movement of deadly species.
Increased movement around urban sprawl areas have sparked a surge of early sightings of eastern brown snakes and red-bellied black snakes in backyards, community hubs and playgrounds.
Tim Hudson from Hudson Snake Catching said the earlier sightings were due to a shift to an El Nino weather system.
“Last year, we were in a La Nina pattern, so conditions were a lot wetter and a lot cooler,” he said. “On the Gold Coast, we didn’t see a lot of movement of the front-fanged elapid snakes like the eastern brown and the red belly until a bit further into September, but this year I’m already on my sixth or seventh specimen that’s over 1.3m long.
“There’s definitely more brown snakes doing the bulk of their movement a lot earlier.”
Mr Hudson said movement started in August, with urban sprawls a huge attraction to brown snakes.
“Brown snake numbers are on the rise because of human habitation. The more development – the more people are going to come into contact with them,” he said.
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“Brown snakes are in more contact with people because they love living around human settlements, the edge of suburbia, the edge of farmland and in farmland – all areas where there’s a prevenance of rats and mice.
“We see a lot of these new estates going in and a lot of them have rock walls, which the developers put in – which is just an apartment complex for different snakes, including the eastern brown.”
One Tallebudgera resident warned fellow locals on a Facebook community group of mating grounds for red-bellied black snakes in the off-leash dog area of Schuster Park.
The resident said the sight was both “terrifying and fascinating” as she reportedly watched two males fight.
“They both were huge, entwined around each other and standing up about thigh height,” she said. “It was truly mesmerising. Thank heavens a man grabbed my dog and kept it safe from being bitten. I feel like I’ve dodged a bullet. Beware, be vigilant and alert.”
Mr Hudson said it could be common for up to three male snakes to engage in combat for a female. “The females ovulate at this time of the year so basically if you’ve got a female ovulating whether that’s a brown snake, a python or a red-bellied black then there can be multiple males around,” he said.
Locals took to a community Facebook group issuing a warning to fellow holiday makers after a brown snake was found at one of the city’s most popular family beaches – Currumbin Alley.
The concerned onlooker posted the location of the snake as a “PSA” (public service announcement) citing it as the “biggest” they had seen in a while.
“(Had a) small heart attack as it was where we were sitting,” the Facebook user wrote.
“Couldn’t scoop the kids away quick enough while trying not to draw attention to it.
“It’s down at the Alley right on the rocks/beach... (by) the left side car park, the rocks right under where the little seat and black memorial statue is – plenty of kids around to (sic) warn them to leave it alone.”
Mr Hudson warned: “Typically in Australia there’s on average 3000 snake bites a year – 95 per cent of those are attributed to people trying to catch or kill the snake.”
“We always encourage people to pick up the phone and call a snake catcher. If we determine if it’s harmless and it doesn’t pose a threat to you we will tell you to let it move on. If the snake is venomous or you’ve got pets or children we can relocate it for you.
“All the problems happen with people trying to catch and relocate them, themselves.”
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