SLIDING IN
More people are finding snakes making themselves at home.
PET cats, budgies, small dogs or anything with “fur or feathers” should be wary of being swallowed whole at this time of year.
Gold Coast snake catcher Tony Harrison says his business is being called to capture and relocate up to six carpet pythons a day across the Glitter Strip – and that’s not taking into account all the other types of snakes that are on the move.
“We’re going hardcore, we’ve had about eight to 10 jobs per day. About 80 per cent of our jobs are for carpet pythons,” Mr Harrison said.
In between lizards and deadly brown snakes, Mr Harrison said carpet pythons had slithered out across the city with the reptiles being found in homes at Burleigh, Alberton, Currumbin and Nerang.
Last week, a massive python was filmed slithering across a fence in Brisbane’s bayside.
Mr Harrison said although some people liked to have a carpet python around the house because they kept rodents at bay, many people freaked out and called pest controllers, fearing their pets would be eaten.
“A lot of people just have phobias, they just see snakes and s--themselves,” Mr Harrison said.
“They see a long skinny thing and want it gone because they worry about their little dogs, birds and guinea pigs and what not.”
Mr Harrison said snakes began waking up from the winter and became active in September and October – much like the well-fed carpet python his wife Brooke caught at Alberton this week – before becoming quieter in November.
But then the real peak season hits between January and March, when Mr Harrison said “it’s just crazy all day”.
The focus swung on to snake season this week after a Gold Coast mother found a poisonous brown snake inside her baby daughter’s cot at the weekend.
Although shocking, Mr Harrison said it was not the first time he had heard of a situation like that in his more than 25 years on the job.
“Over the past years I’ve probably seen six or seven snakes inside children’s cots,” he said.
“Snakes will turn up anywhere. Wherever you could imagine them you’ll find them there.”
SNAKES WILL TURN UP ANYWHERE. WHEREVER YOU COULD IMAGINE THEM YOU’LL FIND THEM THERE.