If there's a snake at your home or property in St Ives, 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.
Call Sydney Snake Catcher on 1300 599 938
If you've found a snake on your St Ives property, call 1300 599 938. We're usually on site within around thirty minutes depending on traffic and access, and we operate twenty-four hours across St Ives and the wider Ku-ring-gai LGA.
Need a snake catcher in St Ives? Sydney Snake Catcher provides fast, professional snake removal throughout St Ives, St Ives Chase and surrounding North Shore suburbs.
St Ives is one of our highest-volume suburbs for snake and reptile callouts. Its position beside Garigal National Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, combined with large blocks, mature gardens, sandstone retaining walls, swimming pools and older tiled-roof homes, creates ideal habitat for several local reptile species.
We regularly attend St Ives properties for Diamond Pythons, Red-bellied Black Snakes, Golden-crowned Snakes, Green Tree Snakes, Lace Monitors and Blue-tongued Lizards.
If you have found a snake, step back, keep a safe distance and watch where it goes.
Call your St Ives snake catcher on 1300 599 938.
Our experienced snake catchers attend homes, schools, businesses, strata complexes and construction sites across St Ives.
Snakes may be found:
Where possible, keep watching the snake from a safe distance until the snake catcher arrives. Knowing exactly where it has gone gives us the best chance of locating and removing it quickly.
Do not try to catch, contain or kill the snake yourself.
St Ives sits between some of the largest and most continuous areas of bushland on Sydney’s North Shore.
Garigal National Park borders the suburb to the east, while Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park lies to the north and northeast. The St Ives Showground precinct, Browns Field and surrounding reserves connect with the Cowan Creek and Middle Harbour catchments, allowing native wildlife to move through the wider landscape.
Much of St Ives is steep or undulating sandstone country. Properties commonly contain:
These features provide shelter, prey and basking sites for snakes and other reptiles.
The housing stock also plays a role. Older Federation, mid-century and 1970s homes often contain accessible roof spaces, small gaps beneath tiles and sheltered areas around eaves. Rats, mice and possums enter these spaces, and Diamond Pythons may follow them.
Newer townhouses and higher-density developments around Mona Vale Road and St Ives Shopping Village can also experience snake activity, particularly where gardens, retaining walls or drainage corridors connect with nearby bushland.
The Diamond Python is one of the reptiles most frequently attended by our St Ives snake catchers.
Diamond Pythons are particularly common on streets backing onto Garigal National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the reserves connecting these areas.
They are non-venomous and generally calm, but adults may reach two to three metres and are powerfully built. They have black scales covered with yellow or cream markings that form a distinctive diamond or rosette pattern.
In St Ives, Diamond Pythons are commonly found:
Roof cavities are a major source of Diamond Python callouts. Pythons follow rats and possums into the roof and may remain there while food and shelter are available.
A Diamond Python resting outside will often remain still and rely on camouflage. Where it can safely be left alone, we generally encourage residents to do so. Pythons are beneficial native predators that help control rats and other rodents.
Where removal is necessary, their size and strength mean they should only be handled by an experienced snake catcher.
Red-bellied Black Snakes account for a substantial proportion of our snake removal work in St Ives.
They are glossy black above, with red, pink or reddish colouring along the lower sides and underside. They are venomous but generally prefer to escape rather than confront people when given enough space.
Red-bellied Black Snakes are closely associated with moisture and frogs. In St Ives they are often found around:
Snake activity often increases after rain and during the warmer months, when frogs and other prey become more active.
Red-bellied Black Snakes may bask in the morning sun before moving into shaded vegetation as temperatures rise.
Golden-crowned Snakes are common throughout St Ives, although their small size and nocturnal behaviour mean most residents rarely see them.
They are slender snakes with a pale yellow or cream marking across the head and a pinkish or reddish underside. They are often mistaken for young Eastern Brown Snakes.
During the day, Golden-crowned Snakes shelter:
The sandstone soils, rockeries and established gardens of St Ives provide excellent habitat for this species.
Golden-crowned Snakes are venomous, but they are not generally considered dangerous to healthy adults. They should still not be handled. We most often remove them when they have entered a house, garage or other enclosed area.
Green Tree Snakes are common in St Ives gardens and are completely non-venomous.
They are slender, fast-moving snakes and excellent climbers. Colour varies considerably and may be bright green, olive, grey, brown or almost black. The underside is generally yellow or cream.
When alarmed, a Green Tree Snake may flatten its body and expose blue skin between the scales.
They are regularly found:
Green Tree Snakes feed mainly on skinks, geckos and small frogs. Their climbing ability means they are often seen well above ground level.
Lace Monitors occur on larger St Ives properties and streets adjoining Garigal National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and other bushland reserves.
These large native goannas have dark grey or black scales with pale cream or yellow bands. Adults may exceed two metres in total length, including the tail.
They are sometimes reported as snakes because residents only see part of the long body or tail moving through vegetation.
Lace Monitors are usually found:
Most Lace Monitor sightings resolve without intervention because the animal continues moving through the property. We attend when one has entered an enclosed area, become trapped or settled somewhere it cannot safely remain.
Lace Monitors are protected native animals. They should never be cornered or handled because they can inflict a serious defensive bite or scratch.
Blue-tongued Lizards are among the reptiles most frequently mistaken for snakes in St Ives.
They are large, slow-moving native skinks that may flatten their bodies when frightened. Their short legs can be difficult to see in long grass or thick garden vegetation.
Blue-tongued Lizards are harmless and beneficial garden residents. They eat snails, slugs and insects and should normally be left where they are.
Different species are attracted by different food and shelter opportunities.
Rats, mice and possums are the main reason Diamond Pythons enter roof cavities. If a python is living in the roof, it is usually there because prey animals reached the roof first.
Pools, ponds, drainage lines, damp gardens and frog habitat may attract Red-bellied Black Snakes. Pool pump housings are particularly common shelter sites because they are warm, enclosed and often located close to water.
Golden-crowned Snakes hunt skinks, small frogs and other prey living under rocks, pots, timber, mulch and leaf litter.
Green Tree Snakes move through shrubs, fences, pergolas and roof lines while hunting small lizards and frogs.
Lace Monitors may be attracted by rodents, eggs, carrion, compost, pet food and chicken enclosures.
Our snake catchers regularly search the following areas when attending St Ives homes.
Older tiled roofs are particularly attractive to Diamond Pythons. Small openings beneath tiles, eaves and flashing can give rodents, possums and snakes access to the ceiling.
Pool pump enclosures provide warmth, shelter and protection. They are frequently used by Red-bellied Black Snakes and occasionally other species.
Always look carefully before reaching inside a pool pump area.
Gaps between sandstone blocks provide secure shelter and stable temperatures. Diamond Pythons, Golden-crowned Snakes, skinks and other reptiles may all use these spaces.
The shaded areas beneath decks can remain cool and damp. They may provide cover for Red-bellied Black Snakes, Golden-crowned Snakes and Blue-tongued Lizards.
Dense vegetation, mulch, leaf litter, raised tubs and pots resting directly on the ground create shelter for small snakes and their prey.
Snakes may enter through gaps beneath doors, damaged seals, openings around pipes and cluttered storage areas.
If you find a snake:
You do not need to follow the snake around the property. From the species’ behaviour, temperature, time of day and layout of the property, an experienced snake catcher can often determine where it is likely to have taken shelter.
If a snake has entered the house, leave the room and close the door behind you where this can be done safely. Place a towel along the gap beneath the door and call us immediately.
Snakes may enter homes through:
Movement in a St Ives roof is often caused by rats or possums, but Diamond Pythons are also a realistic possibility, particularly during warmer weather and on properties close to bushland.
Signs of a possible Diamond Python may include slower, heavier movement across the ceiling or repeated activity in areas where rodents are present. However, sound alone is rarely enough to confirm the species.
We can inspect the roof space and determine whether the animal is a snake, possum or rodent.
Treat every suspected snake bite as a medical emergency.
Movement can increase the spread of venom through the lymphatic system. Keep the patient still and wait for paramedics.
No property beside bushland can be made completely snake-proof, but removing food and shelter can reduce the likelihood of snakes remaining close to the house.
Rodent control is particularly important for preventing Diamond Pythons from entering roof cavities.
Keep pool pump housings clear and easy to inspect. Remove stored objects, leaf litter and clutter that could provide shelter.
Thin dense garden beds close to the house, particularly along fences facing reserves, drainage corridors and bushland.
Raise pots and tubs off the ground where practical. Store timber above ground and avoid leaving sheets of metal, tiles or building materials lying flat in the garden.
Reduce clutter, repair worn door seals and close gaps around pipes and walls.
Regularly mow grass, clear excessive leaf litter and trim vegetation growing directly against walls, fences and pathways.
Snake deterrent powders, sprays, solar devices and ultrasonic products have not been shown to provide reliable protection. Removing food, shelter and entry points is considerably more effective.
We provide snake removal throughout St Ives and neighbouring North Shore suburbs, including:
Whether the snake is inside your home, in the roof, beside the swimming pool or somewhere in the garden, keep a safe distance and watch where it goes.
For a professional snake catcher in St Ives, call 1300 599 938.
How quickly can a snake catcher get to St Ives?
We're usually on site in St Ives 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.
Did I do something wrong to have a snake on my property?
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.
Does one snake mean more are nearby?
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.
What snakes are most common in St Ives?
Diamond Pythons are a major species in our St Ives 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.
I think I saw a snake but it might have been a Blue-tongued Lizard. What's the difference?
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.
Should I try to remove the snake myself?
No. All native snakes in New South Wales are protected wildlife, and several species commonly encountered around St Ives 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.
Are snakes protected in New South Wales?
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 St Ives and the wider Ku-ring-gai LGA.
