Why snake numbers are rising in this Melbourne suburb
Residents in one northern suburb should be on high alert, says a veteran snake catcher who has caught “hundreds” — including highly venomous eastern brown and tiger snakes — already this season. And he’s pinpointed the reason why.
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Residents in one northern suburb should be on high alert, says a veteran snake catcher who has caught “hundreds” of them, including highly venomous brown and tiger snakes, already this season.
Mark Pelley, widely known as the Snake Hunter, said Greensborough had overtaken Diamond Creek as the snake capital of Melbourne’s north.
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“I am twice as busy this season (as) last season,” Mr Pelley said.
“I used to just catch the odd, big snake here and there, but now I’m flat out.”
Mr Pelley said the rise in snake numbers was due to population growth. “They are increasing every year,” he said.
”Where there are homes, there are people and there is rubbish, this also attracts mice, lizards and insects which snakes feed off.”
Mr Pelley said he comes across a vast majority of snakes, but predominantly the eastern brown and eastern tiger snakes — two of the most venomous in the world.
Mr Pelley said Henry St was the most notorious street for snake scares and sightings in Greensborough.
Plenty Drive was another hotspot.
Shoppers received a nasty surprise when an eastern tiger snake was spotted slithering between cars at the underground carpark at Greensborough Plaza on January 10.
Mr Pelley urged people not to try and catch snakes on their own.
“Don’t touch them and don’t try to handle them — snakes only bite when they are provoked,” he said.
SNAKES MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN YOUR AREA
1. Northern (Preston, Doreen, Epping, Wollert): Lowland copperheads, eastern browns, tiger snakes, little whip snakes.
2. Northeast (Diamond Creek, Eltham, Greensborough, Heidelberg): tiger snake, eastern browns, red bellied blacks, lowlandcopperheads, small eyed snakes.
3. Eastern (Park Orchard, Donvale, Ringwood): red bellied black, little whip, small eyed, tiger snakes, browns,
4. Southeast (Springvale, Glen Waverly, Moorabbin, Dandenong): copperheads, tiger snakes, small eyed snake, white lipped snake
5. Northwestern (Sunshine, Tullamarine, Essendon): brown, tiger, red bellied black, little whip.
6. Southwestern (Werribee, Altona North): eastern tiger snakes are extremely common
7. Central Melbourne (CBD and surrounds): mostly tiger snakes.
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