If you’ve found a snake on your property anywhere in the Penrith region, call 1300 599 938. Sydney Snake Catcher covers Penrith year-round, seven days a week.
Don’t try to handle it. Don’t try to kill it. Stay back, keep eyes on the snake from a safe distance, and call. Most bites happen when people try to deal with the snake themselves.
Penrith sits at the western edge of the Sydney basin, where the Cumberland Plain meets the Blue Mountains. The Nepean River runs through the heart of the region, with creek systems feeding off it through Glenmore Park, South Penrith and Jamisontown. The character ranges from established residential streets in Penrith, Kingswood and Emu Plains, through newer estates pushing into former paddock country at Glenmore Park, to genuine acreage and rural-residential country at Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Wallacia. That mix — dry open country, river corridor, and bushland margins — produces one of the strongest snake call patterns in Western Sydney.
The dominant species in the Penrith region is the eastern brown snake. The cleared paddock margins, the dry residential blocks, the construction sites pushing into former rural land, and the rodent activity around stables, feed sheds and chicken coops all suit them. Eastern browns are highly venomous and active by day through the warmer months — never approach, never attempt to handle. Red-bellied black snakes follow the Nepean River and the creek lines feeding off it, particularly on properties with pools, dams or thick damp gardens. Diamond pythons turn up in the older roof spaces and on bushland-edge properties out toward Mulgoa and Wallacia. That mix — dry open country, river corridor, and bushland margins — produces one of the strongest snake call patterns in Western Sydney.
The dominant species in the Penrith region is the eastern brown snake. The cleared paddock margins, the dry residential blocks, the construction sites pushing into former rural land, and the rodent activity around stables, feed sheds and chicken coops all suit them. Eastern browns are highly venomous and active by day through the warmer months — never approach, never attempt to handle. Red-bellied black snakes follow the Nepean River and the creek lines feeding off it, particularly on properties with pools, dams or thick damp gardens. Diamond pythons turn up in the older roof spaces and on bushland-edge properties out toward Mulgoa and Wallacia. You’ll also see green tree snakes, blue-tongues and the occasional lace monitor on acreage 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.
Sydney Snake Catcher is your #1 voted Penrith Region Snake Catcher — contact us today or call 1300 599 938.
Penrith sits at the western edge of the Cumberland Plain, with the Nepean River forming the western boundary and the Blue Mountains escarpment rising on the far side. The suburb mixes a dense urban core (Westfield, the train station, the CBD precinct, the medical and university precincts) with established residential streets running east, south and north of the center, plus a substantial river-frontage edge along the Nepean. The Penrith Lakes Scheme sits to the north, with the river corridor and the connecting drainage easements threading through the suburb.
Cumberland Plain country produces a different reptile profile to the North Shore. Browns and Red-bellied Blacks are pretty evenly distributed in our Penrith work, and which one you encounter depends on the habitat more than the suburb. Browns favour the drier ground: paddock edges, sheds, garages, woodpiles, foundation gaps, dry stone walls, building footings. Red-bellies favour the wetter ground: drainage easements, creek corridors, pool surrounds, ponds, dam edges, frog habitat. Blue-tongued Lizards are one of the most-called reptiles in the suburb, mistaken for snakes constantly because of their size and shape. Green Tree Snakes turn up in the older established streets with mature trees. Eastern Water Dragons appear along the river frontage and around pool surrounds on river-adjacent blocks.
Eastern Brown Snake. A major species in our Penrith work, and one of the two snakes you're most likely to encounter on the property. Slender, fast-moving, ranging in colour from pale tan through mid-brown to almost black, often with a paler underside. Adults typically reach one and a half to two metres. Venomous, and clinically the most dangerous land snake in Australia, although the risk to anyone giving them space is very low. They will flee if given the chance and only become defensive when cornered, trodden on or actively pursued. Browns favour the drier, more open habitat: paddock edges, sheds and garages, foundation gaps, woodpiles, dry stone walls, chook pens, compost bins, stored corrugated iron and stored timber. If you see a Brown on the property, step back, keep a visual, and call 1300 599 938.
Red-bellied Black Snake. A major species in our Penrith work, roughly as common as Brown across the suburb overall, but found in genuinely different habitat. Glossy black with a red or pink underside, adults typically one and a half to two metres. Red-bellies favour the wetter ground: drainage easements, creek corridors, pool surrounds and pool pump housings, ponds, dam edges, frog habitat, thick damp garden beds along boundary fences. They follow frogs, so frog activity after rain and through the warmer months tends to bring them through. Venomous, but considerably less defensive than Browns. They will move away if given space and only bite when cornered or grabbed.
Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake, but among the most-called reptiles in Penrith. 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 a snake catcher because there's a large reptile in the shed, there's a real chance it's a Bluey, and the simplest way to find out is to send through a photo.
Green Tree Snake. Less common in Penrith than the species above, but present, particularly in the older established streets with mature trees, in pergolas, along fence lines, around roof lines and in larger gardens. 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, which is why they sometimes turn up at elevated parts of the property. They feed on skinks, geckos and small frogs.
Eastern Water Dragon. Present in Penrith on properties with Nepean River frontage and along the river corridor. Large native dragon lizards with grey-olive scales, distinctive dark banding and a long flattened tail. Often basking on river rocks, along the bank, around pool surrounds on river-adjacent blocks, on decks and on warm driveways. Frequently called in as snake sightings because of the size and the way they sit motionless before bolting. Harmless, beneficial, protected. Most sightings don't require relocation. We attend when one has settled somewhere it can't be left, or where it's distressed and trapped.
The species mix in Penrith follows habitat tightly. Browns follow mice, rats, lizards and eggs, which is why they end up in sheds, garages, chook pens, woodpiles and around foundations. Red-bellies follow frogs and moisture, which is why they concentrate along drainage easements, creek corridors and around pool pump housings. Blue-tongues follow snails, slugs and insects through garden beds and shed corners. Green Tree Snakes follow skinks and geckos through mature gardens and fence lines. Eastern Water Dragons follow the river corridor and basking sites on river-adjacent properties.
For Eastern Browns: sheds and garages (especially with stored timber, corrugated iron or rubbish piles), chook pens and the surrounding ground, foundation gaps and slab edges, woodpiles, compost bins, dry stone walls and brick rubble, paddock and yard edges, around outdoor pet food storage, beneath sheets of stored material.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes: pool pump housings and pool surrounds, water features and ponds, drainage easements (particularly through the newer estate areas), creek corridors and their drainage lines, thick damp garden beds along boundary fences, under decks and verandahs in shaded damp corners, around frog-active areas after rain.
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, they love sheltering in dark spaces), compost bins, under outdoor furniture.
For Green Tree Snakes: along fences, through pergolas, around roof lines, in mature shrubs and trees, along garden edges, around bird-feeding areas.
For Eastern Water Dragons: along the Nepean River bank, around pool surrounds on river-adjacent blocks, on decks facing the river, on warm driveways, on retaining walls along the foreshore.
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 think the snake is an Eastern Brown, the most important thing is distance. Don't try to corner it, photograph it from close range, or move it with a stick or a rake. Browns are quick, alert, and become defensive when pursued. They will leave the area on their own if given space.
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 Eastern Browns, the single most useful thing is reducing rodent activity. Browns follow mice. If you have mice in the shed, garage, chook pen or feed storage, you have a Brown attractor. Address rodent activity through proper control, remove stored rubbish piles and corrugated iron, tidy woodpiles and store them off the ground, and seal foundation gaps where you can.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes, keep pool pump housings clear and unappealing as shelter. Manage drainage easements 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 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. Lift outdoor pet food off the ground at night so it doesn't attract them or anything else.
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 Penrith within around thirty minutes, depending on traffic and access. Sydney Snake Catcher operates twenty-four hours a day across the suburb and the wider Penrith LGA. Call 1300 599 938.
It depends on where you found it. Browns favour the drier ground, sheds, garages, paddock edges, woodpiles, foundation gaps. Red-bellies favour the wetter ground, pool pump housings, drainage easements, creek corridors, damp garden beds. Both species are common in Penrith and they overlap in some places, but the habitat is the strongest clue. If you can send through a photo from a safe distance, we can usually identify the species before we arrive.
No. Snakes move through every suburb in Western Sydney. 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.
Eastern Browns are clinically the most dangerous land snake in Australia, but the practical risk to anyone giving them space is very low. They will flee if given the chance and only become defensive when cornered or actively pursued. Most snakebite hospital admissions in Australia involve someone trying to catch, kill or move a snake themselves. Step back, keep your distance, and call 1300 599 938.
No. All native snakes in New South Wales are protected wildlife, and several species commonly encountered around Penrith are venomous, including the Eastern Brown, which is clinically the most dangerous land snake in Australia. 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 Eastern Water Dragons 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 Penrith and the wider Penrith LGA.
