Snake Catcher Patonga

Diamond Python is the species we attend most often in Patonga, with Red-bellied Black the next most common, particularly around Brisbane Water and the creek lines feeding into it. Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes are both regularly attended given the coastal sandstone, the bushland reserves and the mature canopy. Eastern Water Dragons are prominent along the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay foreshore. Lace Monitors are heavy across the bushland-edge blocks given the proximity to Brisbane Water and Bouddi National Parks. Blue-tongues are the single most-called reptile overall.

The Snake Catchers operates a network of forty-seven qualified, licensed catchers across New South Wales. The catcher who attends your call in Patonga lives and works on the Central Coast — in this suburb or a neighbouring one. They know the country, the species, the seasonal patterns and the local properties better than anyone driving up from Sydney could. Calling 1300 599 938 connects you with them.

The Reptiles We Attend in Patonga

Diamond Python. The species we attend most often in Patonga. Non-venomous, but large, adults reach two to three metres and they're powerfully built. Black scales with yellow or cream rosette patterns. The Central Coast is some of the best Diamond Python country in New South Wales, the sandstone, the bushland reserves, the warm tiled roofs and the mature canopy suit them perfectly. They follow rodents and possums, which is why they end up in roof cavities, on warm sandstone walls, in mature gardens and along fence lines facing reserve. They rely on camouflage rather than speed and usually stay still when you find them. Where it's safe to leave them in place, our catcher will 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. Call 1300 599 938.

Red-bellied Black Snake. A major species in our Patonga work. 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 drainage lines, creek corridors, 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 Patonga. 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 given the bushland reserves, the mature canopy, the established gardens with old trees and dense planting, the pergolas and the fence lines. 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 Patonga. 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, the retaining walls, the deep leaf litter, the damp shaded garden corners and the moister microhabitats that characterise the Central Coast. They feed on small skinks and frogs and shelter under rocks, garden edging and in damp leaf litter. We get regular calls through the warmer months.

Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake, but among the most-called reptiles in Patonga. 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 because there's a large reptile in the shed, there's a real chance it's a Bluey. Send through a photo and the catcher can usually identify it before arriving.

Eastern Water Dragon. A prominent species in Patonga given the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay foreshore. Large native dragon lizards with grey-olive scales, distinctive dark banding and a long flattened tail. Often basking on rocks along the water's edge, on sandstone outcrops, around pool surrounds on water-adjacent blocks, on decks and on warm driveways. Frequently called in as snake sightings because of the size. Harmless, beneficial, protected. Most sightings don't require relocation. Our catcher attends when one has settled somewhere it can't be left, or where it's distressed and trapped.

Lace Monitor. A regular and significant species in Patonga. The Central Coast carries one of the highest Lace Monitor populations of any LGA in metropolitan New South Wales, the bushland reserves, the national parks and the bushland-edge residential blocks all suit them. Large, distinctive, with grey-black scales and pale cream or yellow banding. Adults can reach over two metres including the tail. Lace Monitors are protected native goannas, not snakes, but they're often called in as snake sightings because of the size. Harmless to humans if left alone, but capable of giving a serious defensive bite or scratch if cornered. Most sightings resolve themselves. Our catcher attends when one has settled somewhere it can't be left, including in pool surrounds, on decks, in chook pens, around stables or close to children and pets.

Eastern Brown Snake. Uncommon in Patonga given the bushland, sandstone and coastal/waterfront character, but occasionally encountered, more often on the drier western edges or around the more open ground than down near the water or in the deep bushland. 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.

Which Species Follows What

The species mix in Patonga 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 lines, creek corridors 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. Blue-tongues follow snails, slugs and insects through garden beds and shed corners. Eastern Water Dragons follow the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay foreshore and basking sites. Lace Monitors follow carrion, eggs and rodents through bushland onto the reserve-adjacent blocks.

Where We Find Reptiles on Patonga Properties

• For Diamond Pythons: roof cavities of older tiled-roof homes (especially gaps under the eaves and around the chimney), on warm sandstone walls and outcrops, curled behind thick shrubs, along fence lines facing reserve, in mature gardens, 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 lines and creek corridors, 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, 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.
• 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 Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay foreshore, on sandstone outcrops, around pool surrounds on water-adjacent blocks, on decks facing the water, on warm driveways.
• For Lace Monitors: in pool surrounds, on warm decks, in chook pens, around compost heaps, on driveways, along fence lines facing the national park, on reserve-adjacent and acreage blocks.

What to Do If You See a Snake in Patonga

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 dispatch the qualified local catcher and stay on the phone with you until they arrive. You don't need to follow the snake.

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.

Snake Bite First Aid

• Call 000 immediately.
• Apply a firm pressure-immobilisation bandage starting at the bite site and working up the limb, then back down. Do NOT cut, suck, wash or wipe the bite.
• Splint the limb to keep it completely still.
• Keep the bitten person calm and motionless. Movement spreads venom.
• Mark the bite site on the bandage with a pen if possible.
• Do NOT try to identify, photograph close-up, or catch the snake.
• Wait for paramedics. Stay with the person. Reassure them.

What Actually Reduces Reptile Activity

• 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 lines 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. Most people leave them alone once they understand what they're looking at. 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.