Snake season increases as temps rise

Tasmanians are encouraged to brush up on snake first-aid following a series of snake bites across the state this summer, including one involving a child.

Chris Daley of Reptile Rescue responded to a call where a snake was found under a car in a shopping centre car park. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

SIX people, including a child, have been bitten by snakes in Tasmania in recent weeks.

Health authority records show six people have been taken to hospital emergency departments for snake bite treatment this summer.

Five of the victims were bitten in December and one person has been bitten in the first week of January.

One of the victims was a child, bitten in the state’s North in late December, but fortunately it was considered a “dry bite” – where no venom was released.

Tasmanian Health Service was unable to confirm if all snake bite victims had been released from hospital.

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The bites have prompted a warning people should brush up on their first-aid skills.

Tasmanian snake handler Chris Daly said people should be on the lookout for snakes at this time of year, and stay back from them.

He said snakes generally only struck people as an act of defence.

Mr Daly said Tasmanians should expect to come into contact with more snakes because climate change was increasing the months they were active.

“Tasmanians should really have their first-aid methods down pat,” he said.

Mr Daly said that 15–20 years ago, Tasmanian snakes would typically go into a hibernation-like state, called brumation, for six months a year during the colder months.

“Now, with global warming, they are out for eight to nine months,” he said.

Because of the longer period of activity, his organisation Reptile Rescue Incorporated, no longer has a downtime.

“Reptile Rescue now runs all-year round. We’re not as busy in the winter months, but we still get calls,” he said.

“We will continue to see snakes until late April and they will fire back up from September,” he said.

Last year the organisation had about 7000 calls, which was higher than usual.

“I don’t think it’s gone up because there are more snakes around, but people are more educated and call us rather than try to deal with it themselves,” he said.

Mr Daly responded to a call at Claremont Village Shopping Centre on Friday evening to remove a 1.5m tiger snake from under a car.

Chris Daly assisted Maddi Stoye in removing an unwanted snake from underneath her car. SUPPLIED.

Chris Daly removing an unwanted snake from underneath Maddi Stoye’s car. SUPPLIED.

“Somebody walking past in the car park noticed 30cm of snake poking out of the front wheel,” Mr Daly said.

It is believed the snake took refuge under the family car while it was parked at Clifton Beach earlier in the day, then hitched a ride to Claremont. It took Mr Daly about 90 minutes to remove the snake and, after a few repairs to some burnt scales, it will be released into the bush.

Mr Daly said tiger snakes were the most potentially deadly of Tasmania’s snakes because their venom delivery was “excellent”.

But he said tiger snakes would generally only act in defence. “It’s only when you keep going towards the snake that it will strike.”

 To contact Reptile Rescue, call 0499 116 690