If there's a snake at your home or property in Mosman, call Snake Catcher Mosman 1300 599 938. Stay a safe distance, move pets clear of the area, and keep your eyes on the snake from a safe spot. The single most useful thing you can do before we arrive is maintain visual contact - a snake that's been watched continuously is far easier to locate. A snake that's disappeared will often reappear, but if we arrive and can't find it, we will need to leave. You don't need to take a photo or identify the species, just watch where it goes.
Call Sydney Snake Catcher on 1300 599 938
If you've found a snake on your Mosman property, call Snake Catcher Mosman 1300 599 938. We're usually on site within around thirty minutes depending on traffic and access, and we operate twenty-four hours across Mosman and the wider Mosman Municipality.
Mosman is the main residential suburb of the Mosman Municipality, sitting on a peninsula bounded by Sydney Harbour on the south, Mosman Bay on the west and Middle Harbour on the north and east. The suburb is predominantly heritage residential in federation, inter-war, mid-century and modern character housing on substantial leafy blocks, with mature canopy through the streets, sandstone retaining walls and outcrops everywhere, established gardens, and significant harbour foreshore exposure on multiple sides. The Military Road commercial strip and the Spit Road corridor run through the centre.
Mosman is one of the most reptile-active municipalities on the Lower North Shore. The peninsula geography, the harbour foreshore on three sides, the sandstone walls and outcrops, the mature established gardens and the heritage housing stock with tiled roofs all combine to produce heavy Diamond Python work, regular Water Dragon and Red-belly calls along the foreshore, consistent Green Tree Snake and Golden-crowned Snake activity through the heritage gardens, and substantial apartment-block work through the village core and along Military Road.
Diamond Python is the species we attend most often in Mosman, with Red-bellied Black Snake the next most common, particularly along the Sydney Harbour corridor and around pool pump housings. Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes are both regularly encountered given the sandstone retaining walls, the mature canopy and the moister microhabitats around established houses. Blue-tongues are the single most-called reptile in the suburb overall. Eastern Water Dragons are prominent along the Sydney Harbour frontage and around pool surrounds on harbour-adjacent blocks. Eastern Browns are uncommon in this country but occasionally occur.
Diamond Python. The species we attend most often in Mosman. Non-venomous, but large, adults reach two to three metres and they're powerfully built. Black scales with yellow or cream rosette patterns. Diamond Pythons follow rodents and possums, which is why they end up in roof cavities, in mature gardens, on warm sandstone walls and along fence lines facing reserve or harbour foreshore. They rely on camouflage rather than speed and usually stay still when you find them. Where it's safe to leave them in place, we encourage that, they're beneficial, keeping rodent numbers down. Where relocation is needed, their size and strength means it should be done by a trained handler. If you see one, step back and call 1300 599 938.
Red-bellied Black Snake. A major species in our Mosman work, particularly along the harbour foreshore, plus the creek and gully systems threading down toward the harbour, and the wetter parts of foreshore-edge blocks. Glossy black with a red or pink underside, adults typically one and a half to two metres. Red-bellies follow frogs, so frog activity after rain and through the warmer months brings them through. They concentrate around pool surrounds and pool pump housings, ponds, water features, damp thick garden beds along boundary fences, and frog-active gully systems. Venomous, but considerably less defensive than Browns. They will move away if given space and only bite when cornered or grabbed.
Green Tree Snake. A common species in Mosman, properly attended here, not a tail-end inclusion. Slender, fast-moving, bright green or olive (sometimes grey or nearly black, with a yellow underside). Completely harmless and non-venomous. Excellent climbers with sharp eyesight. We get regular Green Tree Snake calls from Mosman given the harbour foreshore, the mature canopy, the established gardens with old trees and dense planting, the pergolas, the fence lines and the connecting bushland. They feed on skinks, geckos and small frogs, and they're often spotted high up, moving along fence tops, eaves and pergola beams.
Golden-crowned Snake. A common species in Mosman, properly attended here, not a tail-end inclusion. Small (typically under sixty centimetres), nocturnal, with dark brown or olive body and a distinctive pale crown marking. Mildly venomous, but bites from this species are not considered dangerous to humans. Golden-crowned Snakes are right at home in the sandstone retaining walls, deep leaf litter, damp shaded garden corners and moister microhabitats that characterise the established Lower North Shore. They feed on small skinks and frogs and shelter under rocks, garden edging, in damp leaf litter and behind heritage sandstone. We get regular Golden-crowned calls through the warmer months.
Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake, but among the most-called reptiles in Mosman. Large, slow-moving native skinks that get mistaken for snakes constantly because of their size and the way they flatten their bodies when threatened. They flash a bright blue tongue, hiss, and look dangerous, but they're harmless, beneficial, and good for a garden. They eat snails, slugs and insects, and tend to settle in garages, sheds, garden beds, rockeries and under outdoor furniture. If you've called a snake catcher because there's a large reptile in the shed, there's a real chance it's a Bluey, and the simplest way to find out is to send through a photo.
Eastern Water Dragon. A prominent species in Mosman given the harbour foreshore exposure. Large native dragon lizards with grey-olive scales, distinctive dark banding and a long flattened tail. Often basking on harbour-side sandstone, on sandstone outcrops along the foreshore, around pool surrounds on harbour-adjacent blocks, on decks facing the water and on warm driveways. Frequently called in as snake sightings because of the size and the way they sit motionless before bolting. Harmless, beneficial, protected. Most sightings don't require relocation. We attend when one has settled somewhere it can't be left, or where it's distressed and trapped.
Eastern Brown Snake. Uncommon in Mosman given the sandstone-foreshore character of the suburb, but occasionally encountered. When we do attend a Brown here, it tends to be on the drier western or northern edges where housing transitions toward more open ground, or around the more exposed industrial and commercial precincts. Slender, fast-moving, venomous, and clinically the most dangerous land snake in Australia. Browns are not the species this suburb is built around, but if you see one, step back, keep a visual, and call 1300 599 938.
The species mix in Mosman follows habitat tightly. Diamond Pythons follow rats and possums into roof cavities, mature gardens and along sandstone walls. Red-bellies follow frogs and moisture, concentrating along drainage easements, creek and gully systems and around pool pump housings. Green Tree Snakes follow skinks and geckos through pergolas, fence lines and mature plantings. Golden-crowned Snakes follow small skinks and frogs through damp leaf litter and under sandstone retaining wall caps. Blue-tongues follow snails, slugs and insects through garden beds and shed corners. Eastern Water Dragons follow the harbour foreshore and basking sites on harbour-adjacent properties.
For Diamond Pythons: roof cavities of older tiled-roof homes (especially small gaps under the eaves and around the chimney), on warm sandstone retaining walls, curled behind thick shrubs, along fence lines facing reserve or harbour foreshore, in the mature gardens of established homes, in garages and sheds adjacent to roof access points.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes: pool pump housings and pool surrounds, water features and ponds, drainage easements and creek corridors running down toward the river, thick damp garden beds along boundary fences, under decks and verandahs in shaded damp corners, frog-active areas after rain.
For Green Tree Snakes: along fences and fence tops, through pergolas, around roof lines and eaves, in mature shrubs and trees, along garden edges, around bird-feeding areas, in established gardens with old trees and dense planting.
For Golden-crowned Snakes: under sandstone retaining wall caps, in deep leaf litter against the house, under garden edging, stepping stones and pavers, in damp shaded corners behind thick planting, in heritage stone walls.
For Blue-tongues: garden beds, rockeries, behind shrubs near walls, under timber piles and leaf litter, garages and sheds (the single most common Bluey location), compost bins, under outdoor furniture.
For Eastern Water Dragons: along the harbour foreshore, on sandstone outcrops along the foreshore, around pool surrounds on harbour-adjacent blocks, on decks facing the water, on warm driveways, on retaining walls along the foreshore.
In apartment buildings and townhouse complexes: stairwells (cool and dark), underground car parks, communal gardens and pool surrounds, lift lobbies, balconies (Diamond Pythons can climb readily and turn up well above ground level), roof cavities of converted older buildings, around pool pump rooms.
Step back. Bring children and pets indoors. If possible, keep a visual on the snake from a safe distance. Don't try to move it, contain it, photograph it from up close or identify the species. Call 1300 599 938. We'll talk you through what to do until we arrive. You don't need to follow the snake, we use species behaviour, temperature, time of day and property layout to work out where it's likely gone and locate it from there.
If the snake is a Diamond Python in the roof cavity, you don't need to evacuate or panic. Pythons are non-venomous and slow. Keep the area below the roof access calm, don't try to bring the python down yourself, and call 1300 599 938.
If a snake is inside the house, this is an emergency. They get in through open sliding doors, garage gaps, holes around pipes, ventilation openings and worn door seals. Leave the room, close the door behind you, and call 1300 599 938.
If the snake is in an apartment building common area, stairwell, underground car park, lift lobby, communal garden or pool surround, secure the area, keep residents away, and call building management as well as 1300 599 938. We regularly coordinate with strata and building managers on relocations in multi-residential properties.
A snake bite is a medical emergency. Treat every bite as if it's venomous, even if the snake looked harmless. Symptoms can take time to appear, and that's exactly why fast action matters.
If someone is bitten:
Australian antivenom is highly effective when administered promptly. Time matters.
Deterrent products sold at hardware stores, powders, sprays, ultrasonic devices, are not effective. Don't waste money on them.
For Diamond Pythons, the most useful thing is reducing rodent and possum activity in the roof cavity. Pythons follow rats and possums. Seal roof entry points where you can and address roof rodent activity through proper control. Don't try to remove a Python yourself, they're large and strong, and they bite when handled.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes, keep pool pump housings clear and unappealing as shelter. Manage drainage easements and creek corridors where they touch the property, thin out heavy damp garden beds along boundary fences, and manage frog activity where it has concentrated against the house, without killing the frogs, they're protected.
For Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes, these are smaller and harmless to mildly venomous species, and most people leave them alone once they understand what they're looking at. If they're in a position where they can't be left, we attend. Reduce deep leaf litter against the house and tidy heavy planting against sandstone walls if recurring sightings are an issue.
For Blue-tongues, they're not pests, they're beneficial. The goal isn't to reduce them, just to be aware they'll shelter in the shed, garage and garden beds.
Beyond species-specific measures: mow grass often, clear leaf litter, trim vegetation next to walls and fences, tidy sheds and garages, store timber off the ground, seal small gaps, secure outdoor pet food and reduce rodent activity.
How quickly can a snake catcher get to Mosman?
We're usually on site in Mosman within around thirty minutes, depending on traffic and access. Sydney Snake Catcher operates twenty-four hours a day across the suburb and the wider Mosman Municipality. Call 1300 599 938.
What's the most common snake in Mosman?
Diamond Python is the species we attend most often in Mosman, particularly in roof cavities and around mature gardens. Red-bellied Black Snake is the next most common, along the harbour foreshore and around pool pump housings. Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes are both regularly attended. Eastern Browns are uncommon in this country but do occur.
I have Sydney Harbour frontage. What does that change?
Harbour frontage produces a particular reptile profile. Red-bellied Black Snake activity is heavier than the inland streets because the harbour foreshore concentrates frog populations. Eastern Water Dragons are common along the foreshore and around pool surrounds on harbour-adjacent blocks, and they're often called in as snake sightings before residents realise what they are. Diamond Python movement is also heavier along the foreshore bushland.
Is there a Python in the roof normal in Mosman?
Yes, it's a regular feature of life in Mosman. Diamond Pythons follow rats and possums into roof cavities, particularly in older tiled-roof homes. We attend Python-in-roof calls year-round. The work is straightforward when done by a trained handler and the python is unharmed in the process.
Do you attend apartment buildings and strata properties?
Yes. We regularly attend apartment buildings, townhouse complexes and strata properties across the suburb. Snakes can turn up in stairwells, underground car parks, communal gardens, pool surrounds, lift lobbies and balconies. Diamond Pythons in particular can climb readily and turn up well above ground level. We coordinate with building management and strata where needed.
Did I do something wrong to have a snake on my property?
No. Snakes move through every suburb on the lower North Shore. Your property isn't the reason, it's just on the route. Snake sightings aren't a sign of an unclean property, they just mean the local environment provides food, water, warmth and shelter.
Does one snake mean more are nearby?
No. Snakes don't travel in pairs, don't form groups, and don't nest in suburban yards. One sighting almost always means one snake.
How do I tell a Diamond Python from a Red-belly?
Diamond Pythons are larger and heavier, with a distinctive yellow or cream rosette pattern on a black background, and they tend to stay still when you find them. Red-bellies are slimmer, glossy black with a red or pink underside, and they move away when approached. If you can send through a photo from a safe distance, we can usually identify the species before we arrive.
Should I try to remove the snake myself?
No. All native snakes in New South Wales are protected wildlife, and the Eastern Brown is clinically the most dangerous land snake in Australia even though it's uncommon in Mosman. Diamond Pythons aren't venomous but they're large and powerful and they bite when handled. The vast majority of snakebite hospital admissions involve someone trying to catch, kill or move a snake themselves. Step back, keep a visual from a safe distance, and call 1300 599 938.
Are snakes protected in New South Wales?
Yes. All native snakes, plus Blue-tongued Lizards, Eastern Water Dragons and Lace Monitors, are protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. They must be handled and relocated by licensed catchers. Sydney Snake Catcher operates under licence MWL103807.
Sydney Snake Catcher 1300 599 938. Licensed, insured, on call 24/7 across Mosman and the wider Mosman Municipality.
