B2N - Sssssssnake season is here!

Unless you have been living under a rock, or just arrived from overseas, you will be aware that the snakes are on the move. We have seen footage from Flaxton of two males fighting on a garden path for a female’s affection, completely oblivious to the human filming them a few feet away!

There are many sightings being posted and discussed on community boards, and the local snake catchers are busier every day. Sadly, we have all seen a few snakes already who haven’t made it across busy roads.

Snakes are known to be active during spring and summer months, so keep your eyes peeled, and keep close to any small pets when they are outside.

Snakes are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, and it is an offence to kill, injure or take snakes from the wild. It is also illegal to have them relocated by anyone other than an authorised snake catcher.  (HT Editor, Victoria McGuin, has already had ‘Snake Catcher Dan’ out to her property this spring!)

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) reminds everyone that snakes usually prefer to retreat when encountered, but if surprised or threatened they can become defensive.

Most bites are received by people who try to capture or kill a snake.

Anyone who has been to the Maleny Show will have enjoyed the snake-handler with his ‘safety with snakes’ talk , sharing what to do when you see a snake nearby. Keep calm, try to stand still and determine what it is doing; slowly move away unless it’s very close, where in this case the advice is to freeze and keep quiet (they detect movement), and leave it alone.  

Snakes do not have good eyesight, they respond to movement, which scares them, and most snakes do not see in colour. If you stand completely still in front of a snake, it can’t tell the difference between you and a rock or tree. (Again, we have seen the snake-handler at the Maleny Show do this with a variety of species.)

During the spring/early summer snakes often bask together or travel together during the mating season, so be aware that if you see one, there may be another nearby!

Venomous snakes are dangerous when in a defensive position, coiled, reared back, hissing - so stay out of the strike zone of snakes (roughly two-thirds of a snake’s length).

And remember, as the Sunshine Coast Council advises on their website, when left alone, snakes present little or no danger to people.