If you find a snake on your Terrigal property, call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938. We will dispatch a qualified local catcher who lives and works on the Central Coast and regularly covers Terrigal and the surrounding suburbs. Most jobs are attended within around 30 minutes.
While you wait, keep everyone well away from the snake and do not attempt to catch, trap or move it. The most useful thing you can do is watch where it goes from a safe distance.
There is no need to identify the species or approach it for a photograph. If the snake disappears into vegetation, beneath a structure or behind stored materials, remember exactly where it went. That information gives the catcher the best chance of locating it quickly.
Terrigal sits at the centre of the Central Coast’s ocean strip, with Terrigal Beach, the hilltop village and its busy commercial and restaurant precinct at its centre. Established homes and apartment buildings extend across the surrounding slopes and ridges, alongside mature trees, sandstone outcrops and pockets of bushland.
The beach and restaurants may be the public face of Terrigal, but the elevated bushland around the village has far more influence on its reptile activity. Native animals move down from the ridges through connected vegetation, established gardens and residential streets.
Terrigal’s variety of property types also produces a wide range of snake-removal work. Strata buildings around the foreshore and town centre generate calls from balconies, communal gardens, underground car parks, stairwells and pool areas. On the surrounding slopes, snakes may be found around established homes, sandstone retaining walls and properties adjoining bushland.
We also attend shops, restaurants, offices, accommodation venues and other commercial premises throughout Terrigal. If a snake enters a workplace, clear the immediate area, stop people from approaching it and call us. Do not move furniture, stock or equipment while attempting to locate it.
All native snakes, together with Eastern Blue-tongued Lizards, Eastern Water Dragons and Lace Monitors, are protected under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. They should be caught or relocated only by an appropriately licensed wildlife handler.
Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938 at any time for snake removal in Terrigal and surrounding Central Coast suburbs.
Terrigal combines beachfront apartments with leafy older properties extending back from the coast, along with sandstone, mature trees and creek lines running towards the ocean. This means reptiles turn up everywhere from bushy residential gardens to stairwells and underground car parks near the beach.
Found a snake or lizard on your property? Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938. The catcher who attends lives and works on the Central Coast and knows Terrigal and its surrounding suburbs well.
Diamond Pythons are the snakes we attend most often in Terrigal. They are non-venomous but large and powerfully built, with adults reaching between two and three metres. Their black scales are covered with cream or yellow markings.
They follow rats and possums into roof cavities, sandstone walls and mature gardens. Where it is safe for one to remain, our catcher may recommend leaving it in place because Diamond Pythons are beneficial and help control rodents.
Red-bellied Black Snakes are also regularly attended around Terrigal. They are glossy black with red or pink colouring along the underside and lower sides, with adults generally reaching between one and a half and two metres.
They follow frogs and moisture and may be found around drainage lines, creeks, pools and damp garden beds, particularly after rain. Red-bellied Black Snakes are venomous but will generally move away when given enough space.
Green Tree Snakes are regularly found around Terrigal’s mature trees, gardens, pergolas and fence lines. They are slender, fast-moving and confident climbers.
Despite the name, they may be green, olive, grey or almost black, usually with a yellow underside. They are completely non-venomous.
Golden-crowned Snakes are small, nocturnal snakes commonly found around sandstone, retaining walls, damp leaf litter and shaded parts of the garden.
They are mildly venomous, but their bites are not considered dangerous to humans. They should still be left alone and never handled.
Eastern Blue-tongued Lizards are not snakes, but they are among the reptiles most frequently reported in Terrigal.
They are large, slow-moving and may hiss, flatten their bodies and display their bright blue tongues when startled. They are non-venomous and useful around gardens, where they feed on snails, slugs and insects.
Eastern Water Dragons are regularly seen around creek lines, drainage corridors, parks, pools and suitable areas near the foreshore.
Their size and long tails mean they are often mistaken for snakes. Eastern Water Dragons are non-venomous, protected native animals, and most outdoor sightings require no action.
Lace Monitors occur around Terrigal, particularly on properties adjoining bushland and reserves. These large native goannas are often reported as snakes before anyone gets a proper look at them.
They will generally move away when given enough space but can deliver a serious defensive bite or scratch if cornered or restrained.
Eastern Brown Snakes are less frequently encountered in Terrigal because of the suburb’s bushland, sandstone and coastal character, but they do occasionally occur. Sightings are more likely around drier, open ground away from the water.
They are fast-moving and highly venomous. If you see one, keep your distance, watch where it goes and call 1300 599 938.
Every animal on this list is protected under NSW law. Only an appropriately licensed handler should catch or relocate one.
Terrigal has plenty of apartment and townhouse living near the beach, and snakes occasionally turn up in common areas, stairwells, underground car parks, communal gardens, pool surrounds and lift lobbies.
Diamond Pythons are capable climbers, so balconies and elevated walkways are not necessarily out of reach. If you see a snake in a common area:
Keep your distance and do not attempt to catch, handle or move the snake yourself.
Watching where it goes is the most useful thing you can do. If it remains visible, continue watching from a safe position. If it moves into cover, remember exactly where it disappeared. That information is more useful to the catcher than a photograph or an attempt to identify the species.
Call 1300 599 938, and we will talk you through what to do while the catcher is travelling.
If a Diamond Python is in the roof, there is no need to panic. It is non-venomous, but do not enter the roof or attempt to pull it out. Leave it alone until the catcher arrives.
If a snake enters the house through an open door, a gap around pipes or a worn seal, leave the room and close the door behind you if it is safe to do so. Call 1300 599 938 immediately.
Treat every suspected snakebite as a medical emergency:
Snake-deterrent powders, sprays and ultrasonic devices do not work. Do not waste money on them.
For Diamond Pythons, reduce rat and possum activity in the roof, as that is what attracts them. For Red-bellied Black Snakes, keep pool-pump areas and damp garden beds tidy and manage drainage lines near the house.
For Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes, clearing heavy leaf litter and trimming dense vegetation near the house may reduce repeated sightings.
Eastern Blue-tongued Lizards are not a problem requiring a solution. They are beneficial native animals and worth having around.
General property maintenance also helps:
Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938 at any time for snake removal in Terrigal and the surrounding Central Coast suburbs.
Yes. The catcher who attends your Terrigal call lives and works on the Central Coast. Call 1300 599 938 and you will be connected with someone who knows the local species, terrain and properties.
It depends on where the catcher is when your call comes through, but most Terrigal calls are attended within around 30 minutes, often sooner.
We will provide an estimated arrival time when the booking is confirmed and talk you through what to do while the catcher is travelling.
The Diamond Python is the snake we attend most often in Terrigal, particularly in roof cavities and mature gardens.
The Red-bellied Black Snake is also regularly encountered around creek lines, drainage areas and pools. Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes are regularly attended as well.
Lace Monitors occasionally turn up on properties adjoining bushland and reserves, with the Central Coast supporting a significant population.
Freshwater habitat matters more than the ocean itself. Properties near creek lines, drainage corridors, ponds and other damp areas may experience more Red-bellied Black Snake activity because these environments support frogs.
Eastern Water Dragons are also seen around creeks, drainage areas, parks and pools. Their size and long tails mean they are frequently reported as snakes.
Water-adjacent vegetation and bushland may also provide movement corridors for Diamond Pythons and other reptiles.
Yes, it is a regular occurrence around Terrigal. Diamond Pythons follow rats and possums into roof cavities, particularly in older tiled-roof homes and on bushland-edge properties.
We attend roof-python calls throughout the year. Do not enter the roof or attempt to pull the python out yourself. A trained catcher can assess the situation and remove it without harming the animal.
Yes. Our local catchers attend apartment buildings, townhouse complexes and strata properties throughout Terrigal.
Snakes may turn up in:
Diamond Pythons are capable climbers and can appear well above ground level. We can coordinate access with building or strata management as part of the call.
No. Snakes move through properties throughout the Central Coast. A sighting is not necessarily a reflection of how tidy or well maintained the property is.
It generally means the surrounding environment provides food, water, warmth, shelter or a route to somewhere else.
Not usually. Most snakes are solitary, and a single sighting generally involves one animal moving through the area.
There are exceptions. Snakes may come together during breeding or use the same suitable shelter at different times. However, seeing one snake does not mean several are living on the property.
No. Native snakes are protected wildlife in NSW, and several species found around Terrigal are venomous. This includes the Eastern Brown Snake, Australia’s most dangerous land snake.
Diamond Pythons are non-venomous, but they are large and powerful enough to cause injury when handled. Many snakebites occur when someone attempts to catch, kill or move a snake themselves.
Step back, keep watching where it goes from a safe distance and call 1300 599 938.
Yes. All native snakes, together with Eastern Blue-tongued Lizards, Eastern Water Dragons and Lace Monitors, are protected under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
They should be handled and relocated only by appropriately licensed catchers.
Call The Snake Catchers on 1300 599 938. We are available throughout Terrigal and the wider Central Coast.
