Red-bellied black snake finally caught in western suburbs private school

A deadly snake has finally been caught after a week hiding in the vents of a western suburbs private school, with teachers “just wanting it over and done with”.

A red-bellied black snake, believed to be hibernating in the vents of a western suburbs private school, has finally been caught after nearly a week on the … slide?

Snake Catchers Adelaide were initially called to the school three to four days before the snake was caught, with students and teachers panicked and “wanting it over and done with”.

Snake Catchers employee Rolly Burrell suspected the slithery creature hitched a ride to the school in somebody’s car – but was gone by the time they’d arrived to take it away.

“They couldn’t get it out of the engine bay, they spent four or five hours trying to get it out. Obviously it must have got itself out because it wasn’t there and it’s been dropped off at the school,” Mr Burrell, 65, said.

The red-bellied black snake was caught at a western suburbs private school. Picture: Facebook

“It was probably going to take up hibernation in the vents.

“They (the school) wanted it over and done with. I mean, it had been going on for a few days going in and out of those vents and we had to set a trap. That was the only way we could catch it in the end.

The red-bellied black snake was caught at a western suburbs private school. Picture: Facebook

“There’s so many vents in a building and it kept coming out of different vents all the time. In the end, it actually came out and when the catcher got there he managed to catch it before it went back in.”

Mr Burrell said while a bite from a red-belly could result in death, they were traditionally “more placid” than most snakes.

“The red-bellied black ranks way down the list so it’s not as dangerous as the eastern brown snake,” he said. “They won’t come out and chase you and bite you or anything like that, they’ll shy away from you.

“The snake season’s just about finished – there’s only a couple more days and that’ll be the end of it.

“It’s been a long, long season. It usually goes from late September and then it usually finishes in March but it started in August. We’ve had no rain, it’s been dry and the weather’s been great.”

Originally published as Red-bellied black snake finally caught in western suburbs private school