As Aussies rug up and search for somewhere warm to escape the winter chill, a reptile expert is warning that snakes are doing the same.
During colder months, snakes enter a state of brumation, a state similar to hibernation, where they lower their metabolism to conserve energy while remaining semi-alert.
Snake catcher Chris Williams explained, “in the summer, snakes are encroaching on us, and in the winter, we’re encroaching on them.”
Tradies, home renovators, and people entering a holiday home are among the most likely to disturb the reptiles.
“Electricians up in roofs is one of the big ones, or anyone taking the tiles off roofs,” he said.
Snakes recovered from incredible places in Sydney
Williams is the president of the Australian Herpetological Society and the founder of Urban Reptile Removal. And over the years, he’s discovered snakes in some weird places around the greater Sydney region.
He’s shared an incredible picture with Yahoo News showing two small snakes poking their head out of a brick wall.
Tradies working around roofs often encounter snakes during winter.
(Getty)
“It turns out double-brick wall cavities are ideal for eastern brown snakes looking for somewhere to lay their eggs,” he said.
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It was one of two instances during the warmer months when he removed the species from walls in Sydney’s west.
“There was one in Werrington near Penrith where they had little brown snakes popping out for over a week,” he said.
Surprising snake mistake made by Aussies
Most snakes found in roofs during winter are harmless pythons or tree snakes, but Williams warns the public against trying to remove them.
Not only can snakes be accidentally harmed, but humans can be too.
Members of the public can struggle to differentiate between brown tree snakes (top) and tiger snakes (bottom).
(Getty)
“There have been plenty of tragic instances where people thought they knew what species they were looking at, and things haven’t gone to plan,” he said.
“There’s a lot of variation in the appearance of our Sydney snakes, and judging one just on its colour or pattern can be dangerous.
“Venomous tiger snakes are often confused with brown tree snakes and vice versa.
“And a small, brown-coloured snake can be one of a handful of different species.”
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