If you've recently settled into Avoca Beach, one adjustment that catches a lot of new residents off guard is just how much reptile activity comes with the lagoon, the creek lines and the bushland canopy through the suburb. It's a normal part of life here, and once you know what you're looking at, it stops being alarming and just becomes background noise.
Found a snake on your property? Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938. The catcher who attends lives and works on the Central Coast and knows Avoca Beach well.
Diamond python. The species we attend most often in Avoca Beach. Not venomous, but large, adults reach two to three metres, black with cream or yellow markings. Follows rats and possums into roof cavities, sandstone walls and mature gardens. Where it's safe, we'll often leave one in place, it helps with rodent control.
Red bellied black snake. The next most common. Glossy black, red or pink underside, generally one and a half to two metres. Follows frogs and moisture, concentrated around the Avoca Lagoon margins, drainage lines, creeks, pool areas and damp garden beds, especially after rain. Venomous but not defensive, it moves off if given space.
Green tree snake and golden crowned snake. Both regular here, thanks to the sandstone, canopy and moist pockets through the suburb. The green tree snake is harmless and a confident climber. The golden crowned snake is small, nocturnal and only mildly venomous, not dangerous to people.
Blue tongue lizard. Not a snake, but the single most called about reptile in Avoca Beach overall. Large, slow moving, and prone to hissing and flattening itself when startled, which tends to be the first big surprise for anyone new to the area. Completely harmless and useful in a garden, it eats snails, slugs and insects.
Eastern water dragon. Given the lagoon, the creek lines and the ocean foreshore, this is a prominent species here, often basking on rocks, decks and driveways near the water. Frequently mistaken for a snake because of its size, but harmless and protected.
Lace monitor. Present in Avoca Beach, particularly on the bushland edge blocks, a large goanna that's often reported as a snake before anyone realises what it actually is.
Eastern brown snake. Uncommon in Avoca Beach given the bushland, sandstone and waterfront character, but it does turn up occasionally, more often on the drier western edges than near the water. Fast moving and venomous, considered the most dangerous land snake in Australia. Keep your distance and call us if you see one.
Every animal on this list is protected under NSW law. Only a licensed handler can legally catch or relocate them.
Keep your distance and don't try to handle it yourself. Watching it is the most useful thing you can do, if it's visible, stay on it, and if it moves into cover, remember exactly where. That detail matters more than a photo or knowing the species. Call 1300 599 938 and we'll stay on the phone with you.
If it's a python in the roof, there's no need to panic, it isn't dangerous. Just leave it be until the catcher arrives.
If a snake gets into the house, through a door, a gap around pipes or a worn seal, leave the room, shut the door behind you, and call us straight away.
Call 000 immediately. Apply a firm pressure bandage, starting at the bite and working up the limb, then back down. Don't cut, wash or suck the bite. Splint the limb to keep it still. Keep the person calm and still, movement spreads venom faster. Mark the bite site on the bandage if you have a pen. Don't try to identify, photograph or catch the snake. Stay with the person and wait for the ambulance.
Sprays, powders and ultrasonic devices don't work, don't waste money on them.
For pythons, reduce rats and possums getting into the roof, that's what draws them. For red bellies, keep pool pump areas and damp garden beds tidy, and manage drainage lines near the house. For tree snakes and golden crowns, clearing leaf litter and thick planting near the house can cut sightings down, though neither is dangerous. Blue tongues aren't a problem to fix, they're worth having around.
General upkeep helps across the board: mow regularly, clear leaf litter, trim plants back from walls, keep sheds tidy, store timber off the ground, seal small gaps, and don't leave pet food out.
Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938 any time for snake removal in Avoca Beach and the surrounding area.
If you find a snake at your Avoca Beach home or property, call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938. Keep a safe distance and watch where it goes. Its current position—or the exact place it was last seen—is the most useful information you can provide.
Do not approach the snake, attempt to move it or follow it into vegetation. You do not need to photograph or identify it before calling. If it disappears, leave the surrounding area undisturbed and remember its last known location.
Avoca Beach combines ocean frontage, Avoca Lake, established residential streets, mature gardens, sandstone features and bushland around the adjoining headlands. Homes extend from the flatter areas near the lake to elevated properties surrounded by trees and native vegetation.
The ocean itself does not attract land snakes. Bushland connections, freshwater, shelter and available prey are more important. Species that may occur around Avoca Beach include Diamond Pythons, Red-bellied Black Snakes, Common Tree Snakes, Golden-crowned Snakes and Eastern Brown Snakes.
Diamond Pythons may move through mature gardens or enter roof cavities. Red-bellied Black Snakes are more closely associated with freshwater, damp vegetation and places supporting frogs. Lace Monitors may also occasionally travel onto properties adjoining larger areas of bushland.
Will the catcher be a genuine local? Yes. The catcher who attends your call lives and works on the Central Coast. Call 1300 599 938 and you're connected with someone local.
How quickly will someone get to me? It depends where the catcher is when your call comes in, but most Avoca Beach calls are attended within around thirty minutes, often sooner. We stay on the phone with you until they arrive.
What's the most common snake in Avoca Beach? Diamond python is the species we attend most often here, particularly in roof cavities and around mature gardens. Red bellied black snake is next, along creek lines and around pool surrounds. Green tree snakes and golden crowned snakes are both regularly attended. Lace monitors also turn up across the bushland edge and reserve adjacent blocks, the Central Coast has one of the heaviest lace monitor populations in the state.
I'm near the water. Does that change anything? Yes. Being close to Avoca Lagoon, creek lines or the ocean foreshore means heavier red bellied black activity, since the water concentrates frog numbers. You'll also see eastern water dragons along the foreshore and around pool surrounds, often mistaken for snakes before people realise what they are. Python movement is heavier along the water adjacent bushland too.
Is a python in the roof normal? Yes, it's a regular occurrence here. Pythons follow rats and possums into roof cavities, particularly in older tiled roof homes and on bushland edge blocks. We attend roof python calls year round, and a trained catcher removes them without harming the animal.
Have I done something wrong to end up with a snake on the property? No. Snakes move through every property on the Central Coast. It isn't a reflection of how tidy your yard is, it just means the local environment offers food, water, warmth or shelter.
Does one sighting mean there are more nearby? No. Snakes don't travel in pairs or form groups, and they don't nest in suburban yards. One sighting almost always means one snake.
Should I try to remove it myself? No. All native snakes in NSW are protected wildlife, and several species found in Avoca Beach are venomous, including the eastern brown, the most dangerous land snake in Australia. Diamond pythons aren't venomous but are large and strong enough to cause injury if handled. Most snakebite hospital admissions happen when someone tries to catch, kill or move a snake themselves. Step back, keep a visual, and call 1300 599 938.
Are these animals actually protected by law? Yes. All native snakes, along with blue tongue lizards, eastern water dragons and lace monitors, are protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Only a licensed catcher can legally handle or relocate them.
Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938, on call across Avoca Beach and the wider Central Coast.
