If You Find a Snake in Your House or Yard

STAY CALM
KEEP CHILDREN AND PETS AWAY

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE, BUT KEEP AN EYE ON WHERE THE SNAKE GOES

CALLOUT FEES APPLY

COMMON VENOMOUS SNAKES AROUND SYDNEY

There are a variety of snakes found living among us. Some are venomous and others are virtually harmless to humans. Living within Sydney it is very common that you may come in contact with a snake while walking or doing general day to day activities. All animals should be treated with care and respect: Snakes are a natural part of the ecosystem and play a part in keeping things in balance.

Throughout NSW snakes are a protected species and it requires a permit to remove them. (If you find a snake in your house or back yard we offer a relocation service to remove the snake in a humane and safe manner. No snake is harmed or placed in an unsafe area. All handlers at Snake Catcher Sydney are fully trained professionals. Fees apply.

RED-BELLIED BLACK SNAKE

Its name says it all; a red to pinkish belly with a shiny black top. These snakes generally grow 1.2 to 1.5 metres in length. This is a venomous snake although its venom is milder than the Brown Snake it must always be treated with respect (as should all snakes).

Red Bellies inhabit wetlands such as creeks and rivers although they may venture into suburban areas (usually due to habitat destruction) in search of food.

Females give birth to around 20 live young.

Diet: Mainly frogs but will also take small mammals and other reptiles.

EASTERN BROWN (COMMON BROWN) SNAKE

A slender snake extremely venomous and aggressive when threatened or cornered with bullet shaped head. These snakes can grow up to and beyond 2 metres and are usually pale brown to grey in colour. Juvenile Browns usually have bands down their body and can often be confused for a Tiger Snake.

They are found in grass/woodlands but do tend to pass through backyards, sheds and houses (usually due to habitat destruction) in search of food and shelter.

Females can lay up to 35 eggs and a number of females can reuse the same nest.

Diet: Mainly feeds on small mammals but will also take birds, reptiles and frogs.

EASTERN TIGER SNAKE

This is a highly venomous snake which can grow to 1.2 metres and comes in a variety of colours from brown, olive grey to jet black. The most common colouring around Sydney is light grey to bluish with darker grey bands running down the entire body with a creamy underbelly.

The Eastern Tiger Snake has a broad habitat; ranging from rainforests to dry areas and even river floodplains.

Female gives birth to between 20 and 30 live young.

Diet: Mainly feeds on frogs but is not fussy and will also take small mammals and reptiles.

DEATH ADDER

This is an extremely venomous and dangerous snake due not only to its potent venom but also its camouflage and incredibly fast strike. With larger fangs than most venomous snakes in Australia, this is a relatively short and fat snake that comes in a variety of banded colours ranging from; red, grey to multicoloured stripes in Northern Australia. Death Adders can grow from 70 to 100 cm but are usually found around 30 to 60cm.

These snakes live in a variety of different habitats including forests, woodlands and grasslands where it blends in perfectly with loose leaf litter. Being an ambush predator it hides in loose leaf litter or sand/dirt using its tail as a lure to attract prey.

Females give birth to up to 20 live young.

Diet: Feeds mainly on birds but would take small mammals.

BROWN TREE SNAKE

Brown tree snakes are found down the east coast of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. They grow to 1-2 metres in length. Females will lay one or two clutches of eggs a year depending on seasonal variations. The female leaves the eggs in hollow logs, rock crevices or other sites where they are protected from drying out and high temperatures.

Brown trees snakes are a nocturnal, rear fanged colubrid, with two small, grooved fangs at the back of its mouth. Due to the placement of the fangs, venom is very difficult to convey into a bite on humans. The venom appears to be weakly neurotoxic, serious medical consequences have been limited to children who are more susceptible due to smaller body mass.

Their food sources are birds, Lizards, bats, rats and other rodents.

They are most commonly found in forests, grass lands and rocky stone outcrops.

GOLDEN CROWN SNAKE

A small, nocturnal snake often found all over Sydney and coastal NSW. Often brought inside by domestic cats. This is not considered to be a dangerous snake. Golden Crowned snakes grow up to 75 cm in length and can be identified by the crown of golden scales on top of its head.

These reptiles live in sandstone areas and deep forest.

Their diet consists of lizards, frogs and blind snakes.

A female Golden Crowned Snake will have a clutch of 2-15 eggs. They lay eggs in January and hatch in March.
GCS are a venomous snake, but they are not thought to be dangerous.

COMMON NON-VENOMOUS SNAKES AROUND SYDNEY

DIAMOND PYTHON

These are light to dark coloured snakes, with beautiful yellow diamond like patterns the entire length of their back with a pale creamy underbelly and a typical python like (triangular) head. They are a medium-sized python with females attaining lengths of up to 2 metres while males generally grow 60cm to 1 metre.

They are arboreal, so mainly found in trees, roofs and rock ledges. But can also be found on the ground in hollow logs and burrows.

Diet: Diamond Pythons feed mainly on marsupials but will take reptiles and mammals such as rats and mice. They are constrictors as they have no venom, therefore, they constrict their prey by coiling around and squeezing whilst holding the prey in its mouth which is loaded with hundreds of razor-sharp rear-facing teeth.

GREEN TREE SNAKE

This is a slender, large eyed non-venomous snake found along the east coast of Australia and Papua New Guinea. This common snake is harmless and easily recognised with a slender body and tail. Often pale yellow on the throat and belly and green to olive green to black on the back.

Its’ habitat ranges from forest to woodland to urban areas. Its’ fangs are at the back of the jaw, so like the brown tree snake, it is very difficult to transmit the venom to a human by biting. It has a mildly toxic venom that is not regarded as dangerous to humans.

These snakes are active during the day and rest at night. Their diet is frogs, water skinks and other small reptiles. They will also eat fish, small mammals and geckos.

They lay 5-12 elongated eggs per clutch.

Although common tree snakes are essentially harmless to humans, they will defend themselves by producing a horrible odour and they may bite. Generally, they will try to make a quick getaway when they realise someone is watching them.

CARPET PYTHON

This slender non-venomous snake can range in colour from a beautiful vibrant green with a bright yellow throat, to dull green or brown (in some cases even black). Green Tree Snakes are very agile climbers which can attain a length of up to 1.2 metres. When threatened it raises up and puffs out its throat to display nice flecks of blue between its scales. They have an extremely large area in which they inhabit which encompasses nearly all of Australia.

Diet: Consists mainly of frogs.