There’s no denying how gorgeous it is here in Australia. It’s amazing living here, and most of us don’t have any plans of moving any time soon. Really, one of the only downsides is the local wildlife – and even then, that’s just to a certain extent.
While magpies are often what really give most of us trouble, we’re infamous for our plethora of venomous and poisonous animals. Thankfully, it’s not usually that big of an issue in most parts of the country, at least in terms of us actually running into those dangerous animals. For instance, there’s a really minimal chance that you’ll ever come face-to-face with an inland Taipan, thanks to where they live.
That said, danger and risk certainly aren’t non-existent. As we can see on sites like this one, we should generally do our best to avoid picking up any unknown animals. This is especially true for snakes since there are many venomous varieties across the country.
What to Do if a Snake is in Your Yard
Depending on where you live, there are a few possibilities as far as species go. For instance, the Gold Coast is home to a pretty wide variety of snakes, spiders, and other reptiles.
Trying to identify them isn’t always easy, though. While professional snake catchers will probably be able to, let’s just say that most of us aren’t that well-versed in the subject. So, while you may be curious, identification may not be the best bet as a first response.
Taking pictures isn’t a bad idea, though – after all, beyond just giving you something to brag about to your friends later, it will also give you a head start on bringing in a professional to help you out. Sure, you can just type “snake catcher near me” or “snake catcher gold coast” to get some assistance, but providing them with an image can help them respond accordingly.
Pages like this one: https://wildlifeqld.com.au/snakes-of-south-east-queensland/ can also be helpful, of course. However, if you see a snake that you can’t identify or that you know is dangerous in your yard, it can be easy to panic. First, you’ll want to get any pets and/or children inside as soon as possible. This is just to help keep them safe.
Once you’ve done that, it’s probably not a great idea to try to handle the reptile on your own. Rather, consider waiting for it to leave or calling a snake catcher to have it captured and safely relocated.
What if it’s Inside, then?
Obviously, this is a scarier situation for most of us. The great outdoors are fantastic, but that doesn’t mean we want to invite it or any wildlife inside. So, it’s quite important that we respond to these sorts of situations quickly.
Again, your first order of business should be to escort any pets or children as far away from the reptile as possible. Kids are unpredictable, and cats and dogs (or any other household pets) aren’t much better in that sense. Removing them from the equation altogether is a safer bet.
From there, you can start to consider which snake catcher you want to hire. There are tons here on the Gold Coast, as you may already know. An example is Hudson Snake Catching Gold Coast, if you weren’t sure of any yet or would like a place to start your hunt. If it’s a crisis situation, you may not have much time to consider your choice.
The important thing is making sure that everyone is safe, including our pets and ourselves. While it can be helpful to keep an eye on the reptile, if you’re starting to feel like you’re at risk of being bitten, then it may be a better idea to go to another room and shut the snake inside one. While that isn’t always possible, it’s usually the recommended action.
Don’t Panic
On a final note for today, as you wait for your snake catcher to arrive, do your best not to panic. Most of these animals are just as scared of us as we are of them – more so, even, depending on the species. Some snakes will be more aggressive than others, so exercise caution, but panicking will often only worsen the situation.
Depending on where the animal is, you may or may not have the chance to put a lot of space between it and yourself. Sometimes it can be difficult to do that or to keep calm, but once you have an expert on the way, then you should hopefully be able to relax a bit. Typically, they’ll strive to retrieve the reptile and relocate it somewhere far away so that it can live out the rest of its life peacefully – and, more importantly, away from people.
