{"id":30991,"date":"2026-06-14T08:58:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/30991\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T08:58:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:58:33","slug":"tradies-warned-about-common-winter-danger-hidden-in-aussie-homes-tragic-instances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/30991\/","title":{"rendered":"Tradies warned about common winter danger hidden in Aussie homes: ‘Tragic instances’"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Aussies rug up and search for somewhere warm to escape the winter chill<\/a>, a reptile expert is warning that snakes are doing the same.<\/p>\n

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.<\/a><\/p>\n

Snake catcher Chris Williams explained, “in the summer, snakes are encroaching on us,<\/a> and in the winter, we’re encroaching on them.”<\/p>\n

Tradies, home renovators, and people entering a holiday home are among the most likely to disturb the reptiles.<\/p>\n

“Electricians up in roofs is one of the big ones, or anyone taking the tiles off roofs,” he said.<\/p>\n

Snakes recovered from incredible places in Sydney<\/p>\n

Williams is the president of the Australian Herpetological Society and the founder of Urban Reptile Removal<\/a>. And over the years, he’s discovered snakes in some weird places around the greater Sydney region.<\/p>\n

He’s shared an incredible picture with Yahoo News showing two small snakes poking their head out of a brick wall.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Tradies working around roofs often encounter snakes during winter.<\/p>\n

(Getty)<\/p>\n

“It turns out double-brick wall cavities are ideal for eastern brown snakes<\/a> looking for somewhere to lay their eggs,” he said.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

It was one of two instances during the warmer months when he removed the species from walls in Sydney’s west.<\/p>\n

“There was one in Werrington near Penrith where they had little brown snakes popping out for over a week,” he said.<\/p>\n

Surprising snake mistake made by Aussies<\/p>\n

Most snakes found in roofs during winter are harmless pythons or tree snakes, but Williams warns the public against trying to remove them.<\/p>\n

Not only can snakes be accidentally harmed, but humans can be too.<\/p>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Members of the public can struggle to differentiate between brown tree snakes (top) and tiger snakes (bottom).<\/p>\n

(Getty)<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“Venomous tiger snakes<\/a> are often confused with brown tree snakes<\/a> and vice versa.<\/p>\n

“And a small, brown-coloured snake can be one of a handful of different species.”<\/p>\n

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