If there's a snake at your home or property in St Huberts Island, call 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.
We'll dispatch the qualified local catcher on our network who works Woy Woy and the surrounding suburbs. The catcher who attends lives and works on the Central Coast - they're local.
Why St Huberts Island Gets the Snake Activity It Does
St Huberts Island is a small residential island in Brisbane Water connected to the mainland by a single causeway, an entirely residential suburb with significant water frontage on every side, predominantly mid-century and modern canal-style homes on standard blocks, mature canopy in the older sections, and the canal layout producing extensive waterfront exposure on most blocks.
St Huberts Island's island geography and canal frontage on most blocks produce a distinctive reptile profile. Water Dragons are heavy along the waterways, Diamond Python in roof cavities, Red-belly working the canal banks and pool surrounds, and Bluey calls constant through the gardens.
St Huberts Island is genuinely an island, ringed by Brisbane Water canals and foreshore, which makes it a bit different from most Central Coast suburbs. It means water dragons are part of daily life here in a way they aren't everywhere else, and it shapes which snakes turn up too.
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 the island's canals and properties well.
Diamond python. The species we attend most often on St Huberts Island. 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, found around 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 coastal sandstone, canopy and bushland reserves. 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 on the island. Large, slow moving, and prone to hissing and flattening itself when startled. Completely harmless and useful in a garden, it eats snails, slugs and insects.
Eastern water dragon. Given the canals and 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.
Eastern brown snake. Uncommon on St Huberts Island 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 on St Huberts Island and the surrounding area.
Yes. The Snake Catchers attends houses, waterfront homes and other properties throughout St Huberts Island. Call 1300 599 938 at any time to arrange licensed snake removal.
Response time depends on catcher availability, traffic and other jobs already underway. We will provide an estimated arrival time when the booking is confirmed. We do not guarantee a fixed 30-minute response.
No. Snakes can swim, cross bridges and causeways, and move through connected gardens and landscaped areas. They may also occasionally be transported unintentionally in vehicles, boats, building materials or garden supplies.
The island setting may influence which habitats are available, but it does not prevent snakes from occurring.
Species occurring around Brisbane Water and the surrounding Central Coast include Diamond Pythons, Common Tree Snakes, Golden-crowned Snakes, Red-bellied Black Snakes and Eastern Brown Snakes.
This is not a ranking of local call-outs. Some species are likely to be encountered less often on a developed canal estate than in neighbouring bushland suburbs.
The canals contain salt or brackish water, which does not directly attract land snakes. Residential gardens, freshwater drainage, pools, shelter and available prey are more relevant.
Frogs may gather around freshwater ponds, drains and damp gardens, while rats and mice may shelter around buildings. These food sources can attract different snake species.
Keep away from the pool and give the snake an opportunity to leave. Snakes can swim, but smooth pool walls may make it difficult for one to climb out.
Do not attempt to lift it with a pool net or other equipment. If the snake appears trapped or remains in a frequently used area, call 1300 599 938.
Yes. Diamond Pythons are strong climbers and may enter roof cavities through damaged tiles, gaps beneath eaves or other structural openings.
Roof spaces provide shelter and may contain rats, mice or possums. Do not enter the roof or attempt to pull the python out yourself.
Snakes may enter gardens while moving between shelter sites or searching for suitable temperatures and prey. A sighting does not mean that the property is dirty or poorly maintained.
Dense vegetation, retaining walls, spaces beneath decks, roof cavities and areas containing rodents or frogs may provide temporary shelter or food.
Step back and watch where the snake goes from a safe position. If it disappears, remember its last known location and leave the surrounding area undisturbed.
Do not approach it, block its escape or search through vegetation, furniture or stored materials. You do not need to identify or photograph the snake before calling.
Not necessarily. Many sightings involve an individual snake passing through. However, one sighting cannot prove that no other snakes use the same property at a different time.
Separate snakes may independently use the same garden, roof cavity or food source.
No. Do not touch, trap, strike or corner any snake. Venomous species occur around the Central Coast, while non-venomous Diamond Pythons can still bite when restrained.
Keep a safe distance, watch where the snake moves and call 1300 599 938.
Yes. Native snakes are protected wildlife in NSW. Commercial capture and relocation should be undertaken by a suitably qualified handler authorised under the appropriate NSW reptile catch-and-release licence.
A reptile keeper licence alone does not authorise commercial snake removal.
The Snake Catchers — 1300 599 938. Available 24 hours a day across St Huberts Island and surrounding Central Coast suburbs.
