A red-bellied black snake relocated by Echuca Moama Snake Catchers.
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Echuca snake catcher Jade Walsh has reminded residents to exercise common sense and brush up on their first-aid skills as the weather heats up and the region’s snakes come out to play.
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Echuca is home to several species of slithery creatures, including common brown, tiger and red-bellied black snakes.
Mr Walsh has also seen lesser known species during his work with Echuca Moama Snake Catchers.
“There’s (a species) that’s hardly known called a curl snake,” he said.
“We’ve also got one Murray Darling python in the area.
“You get snakes everywhere; people think they’re just out towards farmlands, but my first call was for a little brown snake in the middle of Hare St.”
A brown snake, one of the most common species in Echuca Moama.
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Mr Walsh said the more people knew about snakes, the better.
“They’re nothing to be scared of,” he said.
“They’re defensive, they’re not aggressive, the biggest thing is to remain calm, and where possible, make slow movements.
“As soon as you move, they’ll react to the movement.
“Eighty per cent of people who are bitten are interfering with the snake.”
Ultimately, Mr Walsh’s advice is simple.
“Be aware of your surroundings, and when you’re poking around in the garden, wear gloves and boots,” he said.
“If there is an accidental bite, always treat it as if it’s venomous, and know your first aid.
“When the pressure immobilisation technique has been used quickly and properly, there’s been no recorded snake-bite deaths.”
The reptile-wrangler warned residents to be on the lookout for snake-oil salesmen preying on people’s fears.
“The repellents don’t work,” Mr Walsh said.
“Even the ones that make noise, they don’t deter them, they just confuse them, and sometimes make them more dangerous.”
Capturing, harming or killing them snakes is illegal in Victoria.
To find a registered snake catcher, contact the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action on 136 186and ask for a list of providers in your area.
