Warm weather brings snakes out of hiding

AS we creep towards the middle of summer and weather begins to reach scorching temperatures consistently, one familiar species tends to show its scales in public.

Reaching blistering temperatures as high as 41 last week, the weather isn’t the only thing rising as snake sightings become more frequent in the community, being seen everywhere from garages and homes to cooling off at the Inverloch beach.

Professional snake catcher Kevin Girstun says his phone has been running just as hot as the weather, getting up to five callouts per day across the region.

“It’s definitely picked up with the heat,” he said.

In just the last four days, Mr Girstun has removed multiple snakes from homes in Cape Paterson, Phillip Island and Ventnor just to name a few.

Mr Girstun says locally there are two species of snake you are most likely to run into.

The lowland copperhead along the coast and the tiger snake further inland.

“Lowland copperheads actually eat all the other snakes, that’s why we’ve got nothing else here.

“They’re cannibalistic.”

He said the rise in activity is linked directly with the heat as snakes rely on these temperatures to function properly.

“Snakes can’t regulate their body temperature like humans do,” he said.

“They need the environment to warm them up.

“If they don’t reach the right temperature they can’t eat, they can’t digest and they can’t survive.”

During winter snakes go into brumation, a state similar to hibernation, but they remain aware and responsive to things happening around them.

However, it certainly isn’t winter anymore.

“As soon as the weather warms up, they come out to warm themselves, find food and look for a mate,” Mr Girstun said.

But while snakes are often seen outside in direct sunlight, they have also been found in people’s homes.

Mr Girstun says while snakes favour the heat, they also seek out cooler spaces if temperatures get too high.

“If a snake gets too hot it can actually die, so they move between hot and cool areas to regulate their body temperature.

“If you’ve got a beautiful airconditioned house or cool tiles, that can be very inviting.”

He emphasised that snakes are not trying to live in your house and when they’re not chasing cooler temperatures, they are often chasing food.

“They are usually either following food like mice or frogs.”

It’s important to note that snakes are not aggressive by nature and bites usually only occur when humans try to handle or kill them.

“They are not trying to attack humans.

“They strike when they feel threatened or cornered,” Mr Girstun said.

Pets, particularly dogs, are often at a much higher risk than humans as they are more likely to be bitten on the face.

But if a person is bitten, Mr Girstun says it’s important to avoid panicking.

“If someone is bitten, apply a full compression bandage, keep them still, keep them calm and call triple zero immediately.

“Do not let them walk around at all, you want to limit your blood flow as much as possible.”

He said while snake encounters can be unsettling, they are a normal part of summer.

“They are a protected native species and an important part of the ecosystem,” he said.

If you see a snake in a place it shouldn’t be, try not to startle it, make sure your kids and pets are safe, keep an eye on it from a distance and call a snake catcher immediately.