If there is a snake on your property anywhere in the Ku-ring-gai Council area, call Sydney Snake Catcher on 1300 599 938. We cover the entire Ku-ring-gai region year-round, seven days a week.
Do not try to handle it. Do not try to kill it. Stay well back, keep the snake in sight from a safe distance, and call. Most snake bites occur when people attempt to catch or remove the snake themselves.
Ku-ring-gai sits along Sydney's Upper North Shore, bordered by extensive bushland, national parks and creek corridors. The area includes Gordon, Turramurra, Pymble, Wahroonga, Lindfield, Killara, St Ives and Roseville. Large established blocks, leafy streets, bushland reserves and properties backing onto Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Lane Cove National Park create ideal snake habitat throughout the council area. The close connection to natural bush corridors makes Ku-ring-gai one of Sydney's most consistently active snake regions.
The most commonly encountered species across Ku-ring-gai is the eastern brown snake. Eastern browns are found around gardens, retaining walls, sheds, bushland edges and open grassy areas. They are highly venomous and active during the warmer months, particularly in spring and summer. Never approach or attempt to handle them.
Red-bellied black snakes are regularly encountered near creeks, damp gardens, swimming pools and drainage corridors throughout the area. The creek systems running through St Ives, Turramurra and Wahroonga support a consistent resident population. Diamond pythons are extremely common in Ku-ring-gai, particularly in roof cavities, garages, tree hollows and properties adjoining bushland. Green tree snakes, blue-tongue lizards and lace monitors are also regularly seen across larger residential blocks and bushland properties.
Every snake we catch is relocated humanely to suitable habitat away from the property. Sydney Snake Catcher operators are licensed under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and fully insured.
Call Sydney Snake Catcher on 1300 599 938 any time for snake removal across Ku-ring-gai. We are usually on site within thirty minutes depending on traffic and access, and we operate twenty-four hours a day across the entire Ku-ring-gai LGA.
Kuringgai Council sits hard against Garigal National Park on the eastern side and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to the north and east, with the bushland exposure on the reserve-edge streets as continuous as anywhere on the North Shore. The Kuringgai Council Showground precinct, Browns Field and the connecting reserves feed into Cowan Creek, Middle Harbour and the wider Ku-ring-gai Chase system. The terrain is undulating to steep sandstone country, with deep terraced gardens, sandstone retaining walls, mature canopy and the kind of older Federation, mid-century and 1970s housing that has defined the suburb for decades.
The housing stock matters. Kuringgai Council is dominated by large blocks with deep established gardens, mature trees and high pool density. Newer townhouse complexes appear around Mona Vale Road and the village centre. The combination of two national parks on the eastern and northern flanks, sandstone country, mature gardens, pool density and bushland-edge streets produces one of the most varied and active reptile callout profiles on the North Shore. Kuringgai Council is one of our highest-volume single suburbs.
Diamond Python. A major species in our Kuringgai Council work, particularly on streets backing onto Garigal National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase or the connecting bushland. Non-venomous, calm by nature, but large, adults reach two to three metres and they're powerfully built. Black scales with yellow or cream rosette patterns. The bushland exposure, mature gardens and older tiled-roof homes sustain a resident Python population, and roof cavities are a major job category. Pythons follow rodents and possums into the roof and settle in. We also find them on warm sandstone retaining walls, curled behind shrubs, on sandstone steps, in pergolas, along gutters and on warm driveways. 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. Call 1300 599 938.
Red-bellied Black Snake. A substantial proportion of our Kuringgai Council work. Glossy black with a red or pink underside. Common along the gully drainages running through the connecting reserves, in the wetter sections and on properties with pools, ponds, frog habitat or thick damp garden beds. They follow frogs, so frog activity (particularly after rain and through the warmer months) tends to bring them through. Pool pump housings come up consistently. Venomous, but generally far less defensive than Browns. They will flee if given space. Often basking in early morning sun before retreating to shade.
Golden-crowned Snake. Common in Kuringgai Council, although most residents never see one. Small, slender, with a pale yellow or cream crown across the head and a pink or reddish underside. Nocturnal, active after rain. During the day they shelter under sandstone blocks, loose bark, timber sleepers, pot plants, garden edging, mulch and leaf litter. The sandstone country and deep established gardens of Kuringgai Council give them ideal habitat. They feed on small lizards, eggs, insects and frogs. Often mistaken for baby brown snakes because of their size. Venomous, but the bite causes only local symptoms in most cases and is not regarded as dangerous to adults. Still warrants professional handling, we usually only relocate them when one has accidentally entered a home, garage or enclosed space.
Green Tree Snake. Common in Kuringgai Council gardens, particularly along fences, in pergolas, around roof lines, in mature shrubs and pool surrounds. Slender, fast-moving, completely harmless. Colour ranges from bright green to olive, grey or nearly black, with a yellow underside. When alarmed they flatten the body slightly, showing blue flashes between the scales. Excellent climbers with sharp eyesight, which is why they sometimes turn up at elevated parts of the property. They feed on skinks, geckos and small frogs. Non-venomous.
Lace Monitor. Less common than the snake species above, but present in Kuringgai Council on properties backing onto Garigal National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase or the larger bushland-edge blocks. 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, the monitor moves through and is gone within a day. We attend when one has settled somewhere it can't be left, including in pool surrounds, on decks, in chook pens or close to children and pets.
Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake, but the reptile we are called for almost as often. Large, slow-moving native skinks that get mistaken for snakes because of their size and the way they flatten their bodies when threatened. They are harmless, beneficial, and good for a garden, they eat snails, slugs and insects.
The species mix in Kuringgai Council makes more sense once you know what each one is following. Diamond Pythons follow rats, mice and possums, which is why they end up in roof cavities. Red-bellied Black Snakes follow frogs and moisture, which is why they concentrate along the gully drainages and around pool pump housings. Golden-crowned Snakes follow small lizards, skinks and frogs under leaf litter, sandstone and pot plants. Green Tree Snakes follow skinks and geckos through gardens and along fence lines. Lace Monitors follow carrion, eggs and rodents through bushland and onto the larger acreage and reserve-edge properties.
For Diamond Pythons: roof cavities are the standout, particularly on older homes with tiled roofs and small gaps under the eaves. Also on sandstone retaining walls, in pergolas and outdoor entertainment areas, along gutters, curled behind thick shrubs, on sunny driveways and along fence lines facing Garigal or Ku-ring-gai Chase.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes: pool pump housings, pool surrounds and water features, garden beds with thick mulch against boundary fences, under decks and verandahs in shaded damp corners, along fences backing onto the gully drainages, ponds or the wetter sections of reserve.
For Golden-crowned Snakes: under pot plants and raised tubs, in garden edging, under sandstone blocks and rockeries, in leaf litter, beneath timber piles, paths and outdoor tiles, around damp sheltered corners of the garden.
For Green Tree Snakes: along fences, through pergolas, around roof lines, in mature shrubs, around pool surrounds and along garden edges.
For Lace Monitors: in pool surrounds, on warm decks, in chicken coops and chook pens, around compost heaps, on driveways and along fence lines facing bushland.
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 you hear movement in the roof through the warmer months and you live in Kuringgai Council, a Diamond Python is one of the more likely explanations, particularly on streets backing onto national park. Possums and rats are the others. We can tell the difference on site.
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.
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 specifically, reducing rodent activity in the roof is the single most useful thing. Pythons follow rats. If a Python turns up in the ceiling, the rats got there first. Seal roof entry points where you can, keep the roof clear of stored items that draw rodents, and address roof rodent activity through proper rodent control.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes, keep pool pump housings clear and unappealing as shelter. Thin out heavy garden beds along boundary fences, particularly the side facing reserve or gully line. Manage frog activity where it has concentrated against the house, without killing the frogs, they're protected.
For Golden-crowned Snakes, lift pot plants and raised tubs off the ground where you can, clear leaf litter from sheltered corners, and tidy garden edging.
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.
We're usually on site in Kuringgai Council within around thirty minutes, depending on traffic and access. Sydney Snake Catcher operates twenty-four hours a day across the suburb and the wider Ku-ring-gai LGA. Call 1300 599 938.
No. Snakes move through every suburb on the 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.
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.
Diamond Pythons are a major species in our Kuringgai Council work, particularly in roof cavities and on streets backing onto Garigal National Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase. Red-bellied Black Snakes are a substantial proportion of the work too, concentrated along the gully drainages and around pool pump housings. Golden-crowned Snakes are common in the sandstone country and deep established gardens, though most residents never see one. Green Tree Snakes appear through gardens and pergolas. Lace Monitors turn up occasionally on the larger bushland-edge blocks.
Blue-tongued Lizards are large native skinks that rustle loudly through vegetation and flash a bright blue tongue when threatened. They're harmless and beneficial. Snakes are quieter, smoother in movement and have no visible legs. If you're unsure, call us, we're always happy to check and confirm. Better that than a guess.
No. All native snakes in New South Wales are protected wildlife, and several species commonly encountered around Kuringgai Council are venomous. 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.
Yes. All native snakes, plus Lace Monitors and Blue-tongued Lizards, 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 Kuringgai Council and the wider Ku-ring-gai LGA.
