Call Sydney Snake Catcher on 1300 599 938
If you've found a snake on your Willoughby East 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 Willoughby East and the wider Willoughby LGA.
Willoughby East sits between Willoughby proper and Middle Cove, an established residential suburb with predominantly federation, inter-war and post-war character housing on leafy blocks. Mature canopy through the streets, sandstone retaining walls common, and the gully systems running down toward Middle Cove and Sailors Bay providing wetter habitat strips and connecting bushland corridors.
Browns are present but uncommon. Diamond Python and Red-bellied Black between them account for most snake calls in Willoughby East, with Green Tree Snake and Golden-crowned Snake both regularly attended given the sandstone retaining walls, the mature canopy and the moister microhabitats around established houses. Blue-tongues are heavily represented and the most-called reptile in the suburb overall.
Diamond Python. A major species in our Willoughby East work. Non-venomous, but large, adults reach two to three metres and they're powerfully built. Black scales with yellow or cream rosette patterns. Diamond Pythons follow rodents and possums, which is why they end up in roof cavities, in mature gardens, on warm sandstone walls and along fence lines facing reserve. 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. If you see one, step back and call 1300 599 938.
Red-bellied Black Snake. A major species in our Willoughby East work, particularly along creek corridors, drainage easements and the wetter parts of foreshore-edge blocks. Glossy black with a red or pink underside, adults typically one and a half to two metres. Red-bellies follow frogs, so frog activity after rain and through the warmer months tends to bring them through. They concentrate around pool surrounds, pool pump housings, ponds, water features, damp thick garden beds along boundary fences and frog-active gully systems. Venomous, but considerably less defensive than Browns. They will move away if given space and only bite when cornered or grabbed.
Eastern Brown Snake. A significant and serious species we encounter in Willoughby East, though less common in this country than Diamond Python or Red-bellied Black. Slender, fast-moving, ranging in colour from pale tan through mid-brown to almost black. 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: sheds, garages, foundation gaps, woodpiles, dry stone walls, around outbuildings. If you see a Brown on the property, step back, keep a visual, and call 1300 599 938.
Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake, but among the most-called reptiles in Willoughby East. 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. A real and regular species in Willoughby East, particularly along the riparian corridors, in mature gardens, in pergolas, along fence lines and around roof lines. 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, and they're commonly encountered in established gardens with old trees and dense planting.
Golden-crowned Snake. A real and regular species in Willoughby East, particularly on properties with sandstone retaining walls, established gardens with deep leaf litter, and the moister microhabitats around the house. Small (typically under sixty centimetres), nocturnal, with dark brown or olive body and a distinctive pale crown marking. Mildly venomous, but bites from this species are not considered dangerous to humans. They feed on small skinks and frogs and shelter under rocks, garden edging, and in damp leaf litter. We attend them properly, they're a small snake but they're real, and the calls come in regularly through the warmer months.
The species mix in Willoughby East follows habitat tightly. Diamond Pythons follow rats and possums into roof cavities, mature gardens and along sandstone walls. Red-bellies follow frogs and moisture, concentrating along drainage easements, creek corridors and around pool pump housings. Browns follow mice into sheds, garages and foundation gaps where they occur. Blue-tongues follow snails, slugs and insects through garden beds and shed corners. Green Tree Snakes follow skinks and geckos through pergolas and mature plantings. Golden-crowned Snakes follow small skinks and frogs through damp leaf litter and under sandstone retaining wall caps.
For Diamond Pythons: roof cavities of older homes (especially tiled roofs with small gaps under the eaves), hay sheds and garages, on warm sandstone retaining walls, curled behind thick shrubs, along fence lines facing reserve, in the mature gardens of established homes.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes: pool pump housings and pool surrounds, water features and ponds, drainage easements and creek corridors, thick damp garden beds along boundary fences, under decks and verandahs in shaded damp corners, around frog-active areas after rain.
For Eastern Browns (less commonly): sheds and garages with stored material, foundation gaps and slab edges, woodpiles, compost bins, dry stone walls, around outbuildings.
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), 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 Golden-crowned Snakes: under sandstone retaining wall caps, in deep leaf litter against the house, under garden edging and stepping stones, in damp shaded corners behind thick planting.
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 Diamond Pythons, the most useful thing is reducing rodent activity in the roof cavity and around the property. Pythons follow rats and possums. Seal roof entry points where you can and address roof rodent activity through proper control. Don't try to remove a Python yourself, they're large and strong, and they bite when handled.
For Red-bellied Black Snakes, keep pool pump housings clear and unappealing as shelter. Manage drainage easements and creek corridors 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 Eastern Browns, reduce rodent activity. Browns follow mice. Address rodent activity through proper control, remove stored rubbish piles, tidy woodpiles and store them off the ground, and seal foundation gaps where you can.
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.
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.
How quickly can a snake catcher get to Willoughby East?
We're usually on site in Willoughby East within around thirty minutes, depending on traffic and access. Sydney Snake Catcher operates twenty-four hours a day across the suburb and the wider Willoughby LGA. Call 1300 599 938.
What's the most common snake in Willoughby East?
Diamond Python is the species we attend most often in Willoughby East, particularly in roof cavities and around mature gardens. Red-bellied Black Snake is the second most common, usually along creek corridors, drainage easements and pool surrounds. Green Tree Snakes and Golden-crowned Snakes are both regularly encountered. Eastern Browns are less common in this country but do occur.
Did I do something wrong to have a snake on my property?
No. Snakes move through every suburb on the lower and upper 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.
How do I tell a Diamond Python from a Red-belly?
Diamond Pythons are larger and heavier, with a distinctive yellow or cream rosette pattern on a black background, and they tend to stay still when you find them. Red-bellies are slimmer, glossy black with a red or pink underside, and they move away when approached. If you can send through a photo from a safe distance, we can usually identify the species before we arrive.
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 Willoughby East 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.
Are snakes protected in New South Wales?
Yes. All native snakes, plus Blue-tongued Lizards, Eastern Water Dragons and Lace Monitors, 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 Willoughby East and the wider Willoughby LGA.
