Above: A tiger snake, common in the Dandenong region.By Shaun Inguanzo,
TIDY your backyard as if preparing for a bushfire season – or risk attracting venomous snakes.
That’s the warning from snake behaviour expert Stacey McCarthy, who this week provided tips to Dandenong residents on avoiding encounters with venomous snakes.
Her advice follows last week’s incident in which a Dandenong South man was rushed to hospital after a brown snake bit him in his backyard.
Paramedics from the Metropolitan Ambulance Service were called to Canberra Avenue on Wednesday, 24 January to tend to the man, aged in his early 30s.
He was rushed to Dandenong Hospital in a stable condition.
Ms McCarthy, who is director of snake catching and handling company, Snake Handler, said snakes were always on the prowl for food, including skinks and frogs.
Ms McCarthy said poorly maintained yards attracted the prey, and therefore, snakes as well.
“They’re not territorial animals so they won’t stay around if the yard is maintained well,” she said.
“We always say to people if you want to reduce the risk of snakes in your backyard then prepare as you would for the bushfire season.
“That means no rubbish in the backyard, the gardens and grass should be maintained, because overgrown grass encourages food such as frogs and skinks to come in.”
Copperheads and tiger snakes are the most common species in the Dandenong area, Ms McCarthy said, and both are venomous.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment’s manager of fauna and flora compliance, Ron Waters, said if people suspected they lived near snake habitats, they should take care walking around at night, and always wear appropriate footwear.
Mr Waters said that contrary to popular belief, snakes did not like intense heat.
“If we get a series of 40-degree days then there aren’t many snakes about,” he said.
“They become nocturnal.
“The best days for snakes are when we have got mild, sunny conditions in the mid to high 20s.”
Meanwhile, Ms McCarthy stressed that residents call a snake catcher instead of attempting to kill the snake.
She said it was illegal to kill snakes under Australian law, and that avoiding a confrontation would eliminate the risk of being bitten.
For more information visit www.snakehandler.com.au
