Search

Snake catcher’s “hilarious” find in homeowner's toilet

Adelaide man Rolly is no stranger to catching and safely relocating venomous snakes, but a recent job had him in stitches. He has been a snake catcher for over five decades and revealed to Yahoo News Australia that it’s not often the reptiles that shock him the most, rather it's his insight into other people’s lives. "I've seen everything," he said. "From whips and chains in the cellar to dope crops in a shed.” The most recent and “hilarious” insight came from a phone call he received from a panicked resident who asked him to retrieve a snake from her toilet. After receiving an image of the “reptile”, Rolly called the resident back immediately. "Look it's not a snake, it's some type of tapeworm... and it's probably come out of your bum," he recalled himself telling her. "I think you need to go to a chemist.” Rolly uploaded the image of the creature and shared the conversation with followers. “As snake catchers we do quite often get unusual phone calls and findings - so this one we just add to the list…,” he began his caption. “phone call “I’ve got a snake in my toilet”. Snake Catcher “Ok can you send me through a photo and I’ll call you back”.” “Caller “Sure I’ll do that now”.” “Snake Catcher “Ah I think you need to go to the chemist and ask for some Conbantrin - it’s not a snake”.” “Caller “Con wha”.” The post, which attracted more than 3,000 reactions on the social media site was instantly flooded with comments. “I'd rather see a snake in my loo then that lol,” one wrote. “At least the toilet is clean !” another joked. A person with seemingly first-hand experience chimed in and said, “I went on a call out years ago and had the same thing. I didn't know what to say to them.” The situation did not deter Rolly from his job and he seemed in good spirits. "I was going to ask her if she wanted to go fishing and she could have stood next to me and supplied the worms," he joked. Image credit: Facebook

Family & Pets

Family finds 1.3m snake wrapped around mirror

Image: Brisbane North Snake Catcher/Facebook Checking your rear-view mirrors is essential before driving off. However, one Queensland family has discovered another big reason to perform this important safety check. The family had been off enjoying a picnic north of Brisbane on Sunday. Upon returning to the car – much to their shock – have discovered a large snake wrapped around the rear view mirror. According to Brisbane North Snake Catcher director Josh Castle, this was an unusual place to find a snake. “I’ve never seen it,” he told 7News. “I have pulled them out of car bonnets and stuff like that, which is more to be expected because they can into a bonnet from underneath. “The fact it was actually in the car and soaking in the sun through the window on the mirror is quite weird.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845991/new-project-8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/44e7a1c59704460f8dd92137545a5f90" /> The snake has been identified as a coastal carpet python approximately 1.3.m. “We’ve pretty much found them everywhere now. That pretty much tickets every box on where we’ve found them,” he said. Naturally, the internet absolutely lost its collective mind when photos of the car invader emerged. “Sell the damn car, it belongs to the snake now,” wrote another.

Travel Trouble

"Never seen anything like it": Snake catcher's horrific find in family home

A snake catcher was left in shock after finding 57 snake skins in a family's attic in Queensland. Reid Newell from Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast was called to the home where he found 57 snake skins in a 7 x 7 metre roof space of the family's new home. "I've never seen anything like it, I've been in quite a lot of roofs, and the most I've seen before that was maybe four or five, so this was a massive jump," Mr Newell told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/stuff-of-nightmares-terrifying-evidence-that-home-was-infested-with-snakes/news-story/c18e563771c4025dece7236dc4024d02" target="_blank">Courier Mail</a>. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fposts%2F1532113400310601&width=500&show_text=true&height=677&appId" width="500" height="677" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> Newell said that the photo only showed a small amount of the shedded skins he found in the property. "I couldn't say how many snakes it was from, but it definitely wasn't one. It wasn't just from the one species either, there was carpet python sheds in there, and also common tree snake sheds." He predicted that the former owners of the home had poultry which attracted mice to the home which then attracted snakes. Newell didn't find a single snake on the property, which was surprising to the family who called him in. "The owners were pretty cool about it, they were also shocked," he said. "I told them the amount of skins from multiple species was crazy to me and I think they thought that was pretty cool."

Travel Trouble

"A first for me”: QLD snake catcher’s deadly find during heavy rains

A prolonged heatwave followed by a downpour of heavy rain has created ideal conditions for snakes, with catchers in Southeast Queensland scrambling to relocate reptiles from homes and backyards. Noosa-based catcher Luke Huntley said “wildlife is thriving” compared to last summer when conditions were drier and destructive bushfires provided less water for snakes. Mr Huntley spoke to NCA Newswire and said he’s currently busy retrieving snakes from different hiding spots across the region, even spotting his first ever brown snake - one of the world’s most deadly - in the popular beachside town. “In the suburb of Noosaville, bang in the middle of Noosa,” he said. “I thought it was going to be a tree snake and I rocked up and I saw quite a big head and little neck poking out of a fence near a pool and I thought ‘wow, that is a big brown snake right in the middle of Noosa’. “That was a first for me. “Brown snakes are the second most venomous land animal, so they’re definitely one to show respect and keep away from or call a professional.” Mr Huntley said the perfect conditions for snakes had him relocating five reptiles by mid-afternoon on Monday, as Queensland was met with heavy rain for four consecutive days. “For the first couple of days of heavy rain, it’s quiet,” the operator of Snake Catcher Noosa said. “And the reason for that is all the snakes are sheltering — in holes underground, little caves, sometimes they go into roofs. Basically anywhere that’s dry. “As the water level increases as it rains and rains more, a lot of those underground little places get flooded so then snakes then come out the ground, out of their little holes and that’s when they come into houses.” The snake catcher has issued a warning to residents, saying it’s important to keep screens, garages and doors closed to make sure your home isn’t inviting to snakes. “Having screens and keeping everything closed, is going to absolutely ensure there is a very small chance of anything getting in,” he said. “If you do have it in the house — if it’s in a room, close the door and put a towel under the door and call a snake catcher. “If it’s in a big open area, remove any pets or kids and keep an eye on it from a very safe distance, like well over six metres away. “Same with if it’s in the garden — either wait for the snake to go away by itself, take any pets or kids out of the area so there’s no risk, and just let it do its thing. “Or if you don’t feel comfortable with that and you want it gone, just call your local snake catcher and they’ll come out and relocate it.”

Travel Trouble

Shadow Catchers review: Fakes, body doubles and mirrors from the analog to the digital lens

Review: <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/shadow-catchers/">Shadow Catchers</a> at Art Gallery of New South Wales. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-28/vladimir-putin-says-he-never-used-body-double/12009780">denied using a body double</a>, saying he’d been offered one before but declined. The rest of us, in our glorious anonymity, might take up the offer. An actual person could shadow us through daily life. They could hold us tight while we attend to the task of living. They could reply to emails, chauffeur children and stand in for us at work while we go to the beach instead. Body doubles come into focus in a major exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Curated by Isobel Parker Philip, <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/shadow-catchers/">Shadow Catchers</a> includes almost 90 works from the art gallery’s collection: photography, video, sculpture and installations from Australia’s most respected artists, alongside important international works. Common to the works is the use of shadows, body doubles and mirrors, many of which challenge a straight forward understanding of photography and the moving image. The camera can lie Shadow Catchers shows that since the <a href="https://photo-museum.org/niepce-invention-photography/">first photography in 1827</a>, the medium has given us truthful copies of ourselves and the world. However, we also know it is easily exploited. In the era of fake news, we increasingly question the veracity of images. One of the oldest works in the exhibition, Clarence H. White and Alfred Stieglitz’ 1907 work <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/425.1977/">Experiment 27</a> (lady in white with crystal ball), shows images have long performed a dual function of revealing but also manipulating or concealing reality. The exhibition presents us with distortions, mirror images and doppelgangers and brings us truth and fiction in equal measure. Viewing the works of <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/412.2016.1-120/">Patrick Pound</a>, <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=redgate-jacky">Jacky Redgate</a> and <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=phillips-debra">Debra Phillips</a>, I wondered whether I was seeing the moon, the Earth, a UFO, a mirror or a simple ball. I was drawn into the cosy domestic space of what I thought was a lesbian couple. Instead, I was being intimately invited by <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=phillips-emma">Emma Phillips</a> to witness the tenderness of twin attachment. The self-splitting allure of the mirror reveals itself in works by <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/artists/moffatt-tracey/">Tracey Moffatt</a> and <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=morley-lewis">Lewis Morley</a> (famous for his portrait of Christine Keeler). The erotic force of a simple shop mannequin is the signature of French photographer <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=molinier-pierre">Pierre Molinier</a>. <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=bing-ilse">Ilse Bing</a>’s intimate self-portrait from 1931 illustrates the central curatorial premise, duplicating her dark beauty in a staging of two angled mirrors where she looks both at us and away from us. Other highlights include eight imposing photographs by <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=raskopoulos-eugenia">Eugenia Raskopoulos</a>. Activating the illusory properties of the mirror after a hot shower, letters from the Greek alphabet are wiped onto the steamy surface. Grand scale <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=fairskye-merilyn">Merilyn Fairskye</a>’s large scale portraits, printed on a plastic substrate, emit a shadow onto the wall behind them and create a schism that gently ruptures the faces of her subjects. Body double, a work by <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=rrap-julie">Julie Rrap</a>, is the centrepiece of the exhibition. The artist has worked with notions of the double in sculpture, video and photography since the early 1980s. Two silicon rubber casts of the artist’s body lie corpse-like on a stage, one face down and one face up. A ghost-like figure of a man or a woman is projected onto the bodies. The projection of the body rolls across the stage from one figure to the other, appearing to resuscitate the silicon forms. The organisation of the works across four rooms intermingles historical works with the contemporary, reminding us that the present is always informed by the past. The exhibition offers a poetic reflection and critical account of our enduring fascination with technologies of representation. While the exhibition successfully returns us to photography’s past and the defiant contribution of postmodern approaches to “doubling”, it neglects to question our current and future predicament. The world today is saturated, even drowning, in shadows, which we are too slow or too tired to catch. Today we share the world with millions of our body doubles whether we want to or not. Shadows and mirrors follow us through daily life and reflect us in the screens of our digital devices, ultrasound images, x-rays, dentists’ moulds; our experience of ourselves in the world is constantly mediated through the experience of seeing ourselves duplicated. Bitmoji, digital avatars, gaming skins, VR personas, Instagram feeds, CCTV surveilance and passport scans mean we have plenty of body doubles lurking in cyberspace. It is suggested we live in a <a href="https://www.lensculture.com/articles/mois-de-la-photo-montreal-biennale-2015-the-post-photographic-condition">post-photographic</a> time. What this means is that technology is creating images of and with us, for and not for us. These may be better or worse than our mortal bodies and mostly beyond our control. Shadow Catchers is showing at Art Gallery of New South Wales until May 17. Written by Cherine Fahd. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/shadow-catchers-review-fakes-body-doubles-and-mirrors-from-the-analog-to-the-digital-lens-132668">The Conversation.</a>

Movies

Can you spot the sneaky snake in this tool shed?

A “sneaky snake” has been found in a Brisbane toolshed, however, many people are baffled after failing to find where the python was hiding. A photo of a shed was shared to Facebook on Friday afternoon, asking followers of the Snake Catchers Brisbane page to find the slithering reptile hiding in an inconspicuous place. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Felitesnakecatchingbrisbane%2Fphotos%2Fa.1675154946058175%2F2256860584554272%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="696" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> “Can you guess where this sneaky snake is hiding?” the post on the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/elitesnakecatchingbrisbane/" target="_blank">Brisbane Snake Catchers Facebook</a> page wrote. The post racked up over 1,400 comments filled with confused Facebook users. Many guessed the snake was hiding between tools and cans, behind beer bottles and on top of a radio – all of which were incorrect. “Did you take the photo after removing the snake?” one user joked after a flurry of comments filled with wrong answers flooded beneath the post. “Nope! It’s there, just hiding very well,” the Facebook page responded to the cheeky comment. Later that day, the Snake Catcher page revealed the python’s expert hiding place. “This carpet python’s nose was poking just over the ledge,” the page wrote, circling the area with a black heart. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Felitesnakecatchingbrisbane%2Fphotos%2Fp.2257092601197737%2F2257092601197737%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="501" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> “As soon as it’s cover was blown it slithered out of its hiding spot to make a quick get away!” Although there were many incorrect guesses, the page confirmed that snakes had been removed from many sneaky hiding spots mentioned in the post. “Everyone is still right in a way... we’ve caught many snakes from all the spots you’ve all mentioned, now you know where to start looking if you ever feel eyes on you.” Did you find the sneaky snake in the photo? Let us know in the comments below.

Home & Garden

You'll never believe the strange place this snake popped up in the Queensland floods

A snake catcher in Cairns is urging people about the peculiar places the slithery snakes are turning up after heavy rain that has flooded north Queensland over the last month. Matt Hagan says he has been busy removing snakes from all sorts of strange places – from gyms and schools, to houses and shopping centres after 300mm of rainfall in Cairns during the first week of February, <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/snakes-popping-strangest-places-queensland-floods-013156457.html" target="_blank">reports Yahoo 7 News.</a> “Wet conditions in Cairns have resulted in many snakes seeing a reprieve from the weather in dryer areas in and around buildings, homes and shops,” the expert reptile removalist wrote in a post to Facebook. Mr Hagan says he was called to a supermarket at Trinity Beach on Wednesday morning after employees found a small brown tree snake trying to get away from the intense rain. “They are nocturnal animals so they search for food, sometimes near buildings, during the night and crawl up into wall cavities for sleep during the day,” he explained to Yahoo7. “But this one was probably spooked when the neon lights got flicked on. It was upset and ready to go to bed.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcairnssnakecatcher%2Fphotos%2Fa.1443161255930517%2F2253592524887382%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="531" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> Mr Hagan confirmed all staff were OK after the ordeal, explaining it only took five minutes to remove the snake from the supply store shelf. This is not the first time a snake has turned up in an odd place, as just a few days ago a slithery reptile was found <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/venomous-snake-found-in-this-chilling-part-of-aussie-home">chilling out in the back of a fridge</a> in an Adelaide home. Another was found on Sunday after its <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/the-terrifying-place-this-snake-was-found-in-an-australian-kitchen">head peaked out of a kitchen sink drain.</a> The snake catcher says it's best to keep all screens tightly shut on homes and buildings to avoid running into “cranky” serpents. Have you ever found a snake hiding out in a strange place? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Trouble

Terrified woman discovers red-bellied black snake in her bedroom

As a woman from Holsworthy in NSW woke up to face another day, she got the fright of her life as she saw a red-bellied black snake slither across her bedroom floor. As she awoke, she noticed her dog staring at her bed as “stiff as a board”. It was then she realised that there was a 1.2m red-bellied black snake in her bedroom. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822857/snake-video-screenshot.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9583291bcae74c4ca3e8a69e0bd09b22" /> The removal of the snake was “quick and painless”, according to Kane Durrant from WILD Snake Catchers. “Sometimes it can take much longer but luckily today the snake was out and about and the resident had closed the door and kept an eye on the exit.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwildspec%2Fvideos%2F1145882328916058%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Mr Durrant was shocked to be called out to the same resident's house, as he had just removed another red-bellied black snake from their backyard just two weeks prior. He explained why the snake had decided to go indoors: “I guess the bedroom is quite scary as you sleep in there and should feel safe. “Hot weather like this week can push snakes indoors searching for a cool spot to rest.” Have you woken up to a snake in your bedroom? What did you do? Let us know in the comments.

Home & Garden

Snake catcher's grim warning after toddler attacked in backyard

After being bitten by a tiger snake in the northwest of Melbourne, a young boy has been commended for his bravery throughout the ordeal. Huxon Healey has been discharged from hospital after a venomous snake attacked him on the leg in his backyard in Sunbury. The two-year-old was praised for his calm demeanour after an incident that would make most grown adults panic. After the bite occurred, Huxon suffered from high blood pressure and a temperature, immediately forcing his parents to rush him to hospital. “He was being a bit hysterical and crying which is unusual for him, he’s usually pretty tough,” said his stepdad Corey Thomas to <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/snake-catchers-warning-toddler-bitten-deadly-reptile-backyard-084006711.html" target="_blank">7News</a>. He was provided with antivenom and had to sit through multiple blood tests. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821547/19e2ec479b060db860088b5722c22ac7.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e5f781a0927a42c58dc1de1d2b610e5e" /> After the stressful moment came to an end, Huxon’s family were welled with pride at how well the young boy responded to the terrifying moment. “He took it like a champ and we’re pretty proud of him.” After a sudden rise in snake attacks, Stewart Gatt, a snake catcher from Victoria, has issued a warning to residents to remain aware of their surroundings. Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/snake-catchers-warning-toddler-bitten-deadly-reptile-backyard-084006711.html" target="_blank">7News</a>, he said: “We’ve got the second most venomous land snake in the world and the fourth being the brown snake and tiger snake.” As Australia heads towards the warmer months, snakes head towards metro areas to hunt for food after a long hibernation period. “The snakes come to drink and eat, they feast on frog and mice,” he said. Once Huxon was safe and sound, his family asked a snake catcher to assess the backyard to guarantee it is snake free and safe, but Mr Thomas thinks it won’t be too long before little Huxon tries to get revenge. “I said, ‘Where are you going?’ and he said, ‘I’m going outside to catch the snake’,” Mr Thomas said. Huxon is now under the supervision of his family and expected to make a full recovery. Click <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/what-to-do-if-you-see-a-snake-and-how-to-avoid-them" target="_blank">here</a> to find out how you can avoid snakes and what to do if you come across one.

Body

Can you spot the two-metre snake hiding in this sewing room?

Your sewing room isn’t exactly the first place you’d expect to find a snake. But with plenty of nooks and crannies in this one, it would be the perfect place for a snake to rest its scales. A woman got a huge surprise yesterday when she found the two-metre coastal carpet python, calling reptile wrangling company Snake Catchers Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Gold Coast to her Sherwood home, southwest of Brisbane In a post on the company’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/www.snakecatchers.com.au/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, the business said the snake “had made itself quite comfortable here in a sewing room of a Sherwood home. If it weren't for the few displaced items, the homeowner wouldn't have noticed it.” A photo of the room, with the snake hiding, was posted on Facebook by the company which started a game of what we’re calling “Where’s Snakey?” <img style="width: 243.137px; height: 500px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821151/hiding-snake-full.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4359988693f94a9bbee2df1c92ec4038" /> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/comment_embed.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fposts%2F885394811649133%3Fcomment_id%3D885567401631874&include_parent=false" width="560" height="153" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/comment_embed.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fposts%2F885394811649133%3Fcomment_id%3D885524158302865&include_parent=false" width="560" height="133" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/comment_embed.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fposts%2F885394811649133%3Fcomment_id%3D885760814945866&include_parent=false" width="560" height="133" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> As the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6237721/Homeowner-Queensland-gets-shock-finds-snake-cluttered-sewing-room.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a> reports, snake catcher Jasmine Zeleny said that coastal carpet pythons can grow to a length of up to three metres and were often caught in Brisbane. “They’re a non-venomous species, and they do very well in an urban environment,” she said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821152/snake-reveal.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1da829d9459e4aa8b5a4efc806a50eb0" /> How long did it take you to spot the snake? Tell us in the comments below.

Home & Garden

"You'll get them everywhere": Snake catcher's grim warning of Aussie plague this summer

A snake catcher has issued a warning for residents across the country to be aware of their surroundings as the weather gets warmer, as there is a high chance reptiles will emerge to get some sunlight after a long mating season throughout the cold winter. Tony Harrison, a snake catcher from Queensland’s Gold Coast, said that September was the month when reptiles are out searching for a companion to mate with. According to Mr Harrison, snakes emerge from bushlands on warm days and are most prevalent during summer. Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6125895/Prepare-snakes-season-dont-stupid-catchers-say.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail Australia</a>, Mr Harrison said: “You’ll get them everywhere.” He added, “When temperatures drop below 23C, you don’t see a lot of them, they slow right down. “They’re not gone, they’re just not as obvious as they usually are but as soon as weather warms up they’re a lot more active, which is what’s happening right now.” Andrew Melrose of Shire Snake Catchers Engadine in NSW said that the peak time for snakes and reptiles is spring, as that is the season when they breed. Christmas time is also an active period as they look for food, and then in April when they prepare for the colder months. “We do get a bit dry towards July – August – toward spring, after this bit of rain as temperatures start to warm up and they start to think about breeding and mating,” said Mr Melrose. Earlier in the year, a Queensland resident, Aaron Bryant was fatally killed by a snake bite after he tried to remove a baby eastern brown snake from his home. Mr Harrison recommends taking a photo and sending it to a snake catcher for identification before attempting to remove the reptile yourself, as many people often misidentify snakes. “For your average person, it’s hard to tell which one's which,” he said. “If you see a snake don’t go and stir them up, take a photo from a distance. “It’s human nature to go and stir a snake up, what will happen is the snake will defend itself, and that snake could put you in hospital. “A lot of people make mistakes and end up in hospital.” According to data from the Department of Health, Townsville Hospital emergency department has seen 103 patients who suffered from snake bites in the past financial year alone. But despite the large number, Mr Melrose said that a bite was usually a snake’s “last resort". He said that when a snake is in unknown territories such as your home or workplaces, they are not there to bite you as that plan of attack is strictly for defence purposes. “The best advice I give to anyone to avoid a bite if you do see it ... the best thing is just leave it alone – call the experts and don’t try to catch or killing it because the snakes will usually (not be interested in) you.”

Home & Garden

"There's no snake in that photo": Snake catcher's photo baffles internet

Social media users have been left scratching their heads after a snake catcher asked them to spot a snake that had disguised itself in someone’s kitchen. The Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 were called to a home in Ninderry, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast earlier this week to remove the reptile. “Time for another game of spot the snake. This cheeky customer was removed from a home in Ninderry today!” snake catcher Lockie Gilding wrote on their Facebook page. Many were left baffled as to where the snake was hidden in the photo. Can you spot it? <img style="width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820374/1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/204be042d623430a8fee2709924c1571" /> “There's no snake in that photo,” commented one confused user. “The newest edition of Where's Wally,” joked another. “I can never find the snake.” The photo shows two brown stools pushed close together with a few magazines on top. It turns out the snake had curled itself around the leg of the right-hand stool. <img style="width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820375/2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d3f5e2bb399b4ee5951d0517893ac897" /> Lockie revealed that the reptile was a brown tree snake that was less than a year old. Despite brown tree snakes being mildly venomous, they are not considered to be dangerous as their fangs are at the back of the mouth so only a very large snake could inject venom into a human. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSunshineCoastSnakeCatchers%2Fposts%2F2086076414977476&width=500" width="500" height="776" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> “Even though it's small I'd leave it well alone - some of those small snakes are as toxic as those bigger ones,” one user commented on the photo. Did you spot the snake? Let us know in the comments below.

Home & Garden

Can you spot the snake in this overcrowded shed?

A snake catcher has left the internet stumped after asking his followers to spot a python hiding inside an overcrowded shed. The reptile, which was believed to be two to two-and-a-half metres long, picked a clever hiding spot after slithering inside a shed at Coolum last week. Max Jackson shared a 180 degree image of the shed on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SunshineCoastSnakeCatchers/">Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7</a> page, asking viewers to spot the python. Can you spot it? <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSunshineCoastSnakeCatchers%2Fposts%2F2048817575370027&width=500" width="500" height="696" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> “Don’t think I could find anything in that shed,” one Facebook user commented. Some people thought there was a snake hiding along the roof, but they were mistaken. However, many people were able to spot the python tucked away near a couple of black boxes, on the far left of the picture. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6aae76d0c24e4c69a912132a53f307da" /><img style="width: 500px; height:375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819917/2.jpg?width=500&height=375" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6aae76d0c24e4c69a912132a53f307da" /> “Bit ‘boxed’ in their lil fella,” one person joked. “Got him! I’m never walking in my shed again” said another person. Max explained that the reptile was first discovered when a child went to get a toy from the shed. “Their kid had gone into the shed to go and get the toy and realised the toy was basically sitting on top of the python,” Max said. Max explained that pythons like to move to sheds and roof spaces in the winter to keep warm. “It’s a nice warm way to spend the day especially in winter,” he said. “They do tend to come with rodents as a free bonus too.”

Home & Garden

South Australian mum’s horrifying discovery in child’s lunchbox

A South Australian mother has made a frightening discovery while packing her child's school lunch, finding a baby brown snake hiding inside the lid of the lunch box. The woman, from the Adelaide Hills, had already put an apple and two other snacks in the lunch box when she noticed the deadly eastern brown snake. She quickly shut the lunch box and called a snake catcher. <img width="475" height="316" src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/9488254-3x2-700x467.jpg" alt="A baby brown snake tucked into the lip of a school lunchbox" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Rolly Burrell from Snake Catchers Adelaide told 9NEWS even though the reptile was only a baby at two weeks old it was still a dangerous threat to a child. "Eastern brown snakes are the second deadliest land snake in the world. The baby snakes are as venomous as the adults," Mr Burrell, who has been a snake catcher for 43 years, said. <img width="464" height="261" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7815769/http_2f2fprodstatic9netau2f_2fmedia2f20182f022f272f132f382fsnake2_464x261.jpg" alt="Http _%2F%2Fprod .static 9.net .au %2F_%2Fmedia %2F2018%2F02%2F27%2F13%2F38%2Fsnake2" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> "It could have been very dangerous for the child if he put his hand in there, he could have been bitten and probably wouldn't have known he'd been bitten because it would have been a very soft bite." We are currently in the middle of hatching season for eastern brown snakes and Mr Burrell said he was receiving 50 to 60 phone calls a day to report brown snakes around the Adelaide area. "It's been a very good (breeding) season, the weather has been fantastic ... the weather is fine and the humidity is there and that's what snakes need to hatch," he said. "Snakes don't like hot conditions so they've got to find somewhere to cool off. Obviously he's gone into the pantry ... maybe he was looking for something to eat."

Home & Garden

Queensland girl's shocking discovery in school bag

An Ipswich schoolgirl got the fright of her life when she reached into her bag for morning tea only to find a red-bellied black snake instead of her snacks. The young primary school student from Augusta State School in Augustine Heights, southwest of Brisbane, didn’t notice the snake right away – in fact, it wasn’t until it slithered across her hand that she raised the alarm. A staff member at the school bravely stepped in to quickly zip the backpack compartment closed and call a professional reptile handler. Licensed snake catcher Lana Field from Snake Catchers Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Gold Coast arrived to find the two-foot juvenile snake curled up inside, explaining red-bellied blacks are actually quite shy, so it was probably looking for a place to hide when it entered the schoolbag. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fphotos%2Fa.185721661616455.1073741828.185716708283617%2F740882296100386%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="631" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe> “It had every opportunity to bite the child because she’s putting her hand in there in a dark space but it would have been more interested in hiding,” Field told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/ipswich-student-finds-red-belly-black-snake-in-school-bag/news-story/6f1b9474bd2aae534002152ae55b1f38" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “Nobody has ever died from a red-bellied black bite.” Funnily enough, the snake – the mascot for Slytherin house in the Harry Potter series – had slithered its way into a Gryffindor bag. In the books, the two houses are fierce rivals. Field said call-outs for red-bellied black snakes were common, “particularly in areas where there are rock retaining walls and any areas where there is some water in the vicinity".

Home & Garden

Watch as snake catcher captures deadly “monster” serpent

Having worked as a snake catcher in Australia for 10 years, Jarrod Bingham has seen his fair share of dangerous reptiles, but he says the eastern brown caught over the weekend is “easily” the biggest he’s ever caught. Bingham was called after the six-foot-long “monster” had slithered inside a water meter box in Rockbank, west of Melbourne. It took three attempts to capture the camouflaged snake, and even after the beast was in the bag, it struggled to stay there. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSnakeWranglerOfficial%2Fvideos%2F1976675949219860%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Now that he’s caught the biggest actual snake of his career, Bingham, a Councillor for Moorabool Shire Council tells the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5243383/Vic-snake-catcher-captures-monster-six-foot-brown-snake.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a> he’s now set his sights on “catching those snakes out in parliament,” and will run for state government at the end of the year.

Home & Garden

Snake catcher tears apart kitchen in search of snake

A family in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast got the fright of their lives after a red-bellied black snake slithered into their kitchen. Naturally, they called their local snake catchers to handle the situation, but little did they know, their reptilian friend had hidden himself so well that their kitchen would need to be torn apart in order to find him. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FReptileCatcher%2Fvideos%2F1480085428734491%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> “This little Red Belly decided he wanted to get out of the rain and hang out in a [family’s] kitchen in Pacific Paradise,” Stu from The Snake Catcher 24/7 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ReptileCatcher/videos/1480085428734491/" target="_blank">wrote on Facebook</a>. “After a bit of time and effort I got him out from under the kitchen bench. It’s amazing the places snakes can get in to.” A bit too close for comfort, if you ask us! Tell us in the comments below, have you ever had a scary encounter with a snake?

Home & Garden

Queensland mother spots monster two-metre python in backyard

Queensland mother Megan Manly has described the “nightmare” of spotting a two-metre python in her backyard, before barricading herself and her toddler inside. It could have been much worse though, as she had repaid a hole in the screen door just two hours before discovering the menacing serpent lurking outside. Had she failed to do so, the massive snake might have been able to make its way inside where she was taking cover with her two-year-old son, Sam. "I was about to leave the house to pick up my eldest son from school when I saw my dog up on his hunches, with his hair standing up looking outside," she told the Sunshine Coast Daily. "Before the snake catcher came I had barricaded us in the lounge, in case the snake came through the screen door. If I hadn't have fixed it earlier that day, it would have come inside." <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmegan.manly.56%2Fvideos%2F10156416796495839%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="543" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Ms Manley shared footage of a snake catcher coming to the rescue, pulling the enormous serpent out of harm’s way and deftly placing it inside a bag. "It was horrific - I am petrified of snakes... I can take spiders, sharks and I would even rather a grizzly bear in my backyard over a snake," she told the Sunshine Coast Daily. What are your thoughts? Have you ever encountered a snake this big? Hero image credit: Facebook / Megan Manly

Home & Garden

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Snake catcher’s “hilarious” find in homeowner's toilet

Family finds 1.3m snake wrapped around mirror

"Never seen anything like it": Snake catcher's horrific find in family home

"A first for me”: QLD snake catcher’s deadly find during heavy rains

Shadow Catchers review: Fakes, body doubles and mirrors from the analog to the digital lens

Can you spot the sneaky snake in this tool shed?

You'll never believe the strange place this snake popped up in the Queensland floods

Terrified woman discovers red-bellied black snake in her bedroom

Snake catcher's grim warning after toddler attacked in backyard

Can you spot the two-metre snake hiding in this sewing room?

"You'll get them everywhere": Snake catcher's grim warning of Aussie plague this summer

"There's no snake in that photo": Snake catcher's photo baffles internet

Can you spot the snake in this overcrowded shed?

South Australian mum’s horrifying discovery in child’s lunchbox

Queensland girl's shocking discovery in school bag

Watch as snake catcher captures deadly “monster” serpent

Snake catcher tears apart kitchen in search of snake

Queensland mother spots monster two-metre python in backyard

Our Partners