Prevention measures for snakes during summer
Summer in Australia typically means snake season the chances of encountering a slithery fiend are up as we make the most of the outdoors. So, what should you do if you come across a snake in either their natural habitat or yours?
Transcript
00:00 - Look, snakes don't particularly pick and choose.
00:05 There are small animals that can get through
00:06 one third of their girth.
00:07 So whilst they're out hunting for food,
00:09 you can let your imagination run wild
00:11 as to where we will find them.
00:13 - Well, what should I do then?
00:14 Give us some tips.
00:15 What should I do if I see one at home?
00:17 - Okay, look, one of the biggest things
00:18 that a lot of people do is they assume
00:20 that they know what species it is because of a color
00:23 or because of the size of the head
00:24 or something silly like that.
00:25 Never assume that you know what it is.
00:28 Always grab a photo as quickly as you can.
00:30 Get in touch with a snake handler.
00:32 Let them see the photo and tell you what it is.
00:35 And from there, you can decide how hard to panic.
00:37 But look, definitely don't try and catch or kill
00:39 or do anything silly with it yourself
00:40 because that's when people do get bitten
00:42 when the snake will have to defend itself.
00:43 - I guess, yeah, snakes can be agile when they want to be,
00:46 even if they're not appearing so
00:48 when you first approach them.
00:49 - 100%.
00:51 - What about for those of us that are out and about?
00:54 Like it's pretty common.
00:55 People are hiking in national parks
00:57 and what have you.
00:58 If you're out and about on a hiking trail
01:00 and you see a snake, what's the advice there?
01:03 - Simply turn around and walk away from the snake
01:05 because snakes spend their life trying to be cryptic
01:08 and camouflage and stay out of your hair.
01:10 And 98% of the time that will work.
01:13 They'll sit there and think,
01:14 "Yeah, okay, there's a human.
01:15 "They didn't see me.
01:16 "Ha ha ha, my camouflage is fantastic."
01:18 If you sit there and start poking,
01:19 fighting with a stick or grabbing a shovel or a camera,
01:22 that's when they think, "Oh, that human can see me."
01:24 But if you turn around and walk away,
01:25 that snake thinks, "Ha ha, nothing.
01:26 "It's all good.
01:27 "There's nothing to do here."
01:29 So just leave the snake alone, turn around and walk away
01:31 and that snake won't have to defend itself
01:32 and everyone will be happy.
01:34 - Hey, one of the things
01:35 that people sometimes get concerned about,
01:37 we can, as humans, be taking your advice
01:41 and avoiding the snakes,
01:43 but we also often have pets at home.
01:45 They can be much more erratic beasts.
01:49 Should we fear for our pets
01:51 when snakes are spotted around the garden?
01:54 - Look, being realistic, in my opinion,
01:56 I've done this job nearly 30 years now
01:59 and most humans, not all,
02:00 most humans are smart enough to turn around and walk away
02:02 and do what needs to be done,
02:03 have a little bit of common sense,
02:05 but it is our cats and our dogs.
02:07 They will see them and then the cats run over
02:08 to go and play with them,
02:10 or the dog will say, "It's all right, Dad,
02:11 "I've got this for you," and go and grab it
02:12 and they end up in trouble.
02:13 So yes, the pets are the biggest worry.
02:16 - And obviously, there's been so much water falling
02:19 in so much of the country in the last few weeks and months,
02:22 particularly in the Eastern seaboard
02:25 and inland in Victoria.
02:27 Do snakes come out more in the wet conditions?
02:30 - Some species of snakes, all the frog eaters,
02:33 obviously it's party time for them
02:35 because the frogs run amok, so do the frog eaters.
02:37 But just think of this for a minute.
02:39 You've got a waterway down behind your house
02:42 and there's hollow logs and rocks and whatnot,
02:44 and there's a redbelly that lives under that one
02:46 and a keelback that lives under that one
02:47 and a green tree that lives under that one.
02:48 Then all of a sudden the water's three metres deeper,
02:50 that snake is no longer under that log.
02:52 They've come a bit further up for refuge.
02:55 What's refuge?
02:55 Your garage, your backyard, your dog kennel.
02:58 So yes, you do have to be wary
02:59 that a lot of snakes are being displaced
03:01 because of the floodwaters.
03:03 - And finally, Tony, what about those gadgets and gizmos
03:06 that you sometimes see advertised?
03:08 They promise to repel snakes or protect you
03:10 or keep them out with invisible barriers.
03:13 Should I invest in them?
03:15 - They're a dangerous placebo.
03:17 There's lots of organisations out there
03:19 for every different subject that we can think of in life
03:22 that prey on people's phobias
03:24 or on people's wants and needs and stuff.
03:26 And unfortunately, just about every person out there
03:28 has a phobia of snakes and it's a quick buck.
03:32 They give us, public, a false sense of security
03:37 and you think, "Okay, I've got 10 of them in the backyard.
03:39 "Don't worry about your shoes, guys.
03:40 "Don't worry about the dogs.
03:41 "Everything's fine.
03:42 "I'm protected."
03:42 It's not the fact.
03:44 If somebody really and truly did design something
03:46 that worked that well,
03:47 that person would be driving a Ferrari tomorrow
03:49 and every house would have it.
03:51 Put it that way.
03:51 - Just on phobia, Tony, do you have a phobia of snakes?
03:54 Have you ever had a phobia of snakes?
03:56 - No, no, never, ever had a phobia of any,
03:58 I shouldn't say any animal
03:59 'cause I used to be scared of horses when I was a kid,
04:01 but I have always had a phobia of heights
04:04 and I'm not real keen on poo,
04:07 but as far as animals are concerned, I have no phobias.
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