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If the September rain keeps trickling along, expect something else to come out of hiding. The climb towards warmer temperatures this season paired with damp conditions means snakes will soon be on the move. Snake handler Andrew Melrose of Shire Snake Catchers Engadine says milder conditions will bring out more snakes – especially around properties near bushland. “There hasn’t been much rain in winter but snakes are used to that. We will start to get more activity once it warms up because breeding season starts,” he said. “99 per cent of the snakes out and about are male looking for a mate, so they’ll be on the trail scent. “They’re looking for short cuts through bushy areas around the hot spot suburbs Heathcote, Waterfall, Grays Point and Kirrawee.” The snake handler recently caught a red bellied black snake tucked away in a child’s shoe. “They are the most common in the shire,” he said. “But they’re not usually hiding, they’re just hunting for food – especially around backyard ponds where there are frogs around.” He says residents should be alert, not alarmed of the unexpected reptilian creatures. “Snakes can see movement well over an average distance, and they will only be aggressive if they feel their life is in jeopardy,” he said. “Their only reason to bite is when they become defensive.” “There’s also a lot of lack of knowledge about snake identification. Brown snakes are very rare in the shire. There’s been a couple around Engadine. But lots of people call thinking they’ve seen a baby brown where most of the time they are golden crowns, whips or marsh snakes. Baby browns aren’t actually brown in colour when they are babies.” Deaths from snake bites are also rare. Polyvalent anti-venom, which is effective for all dangerous Australian snakes, is used when the snake cannot be positively identified. It is available at St George and Sutherland Hospitals. St George Hospital emergency specialist Peter Grant says most people bitten by snakes are not seriously envenomed. “Serious envenoming occurs in approximately 10 per cent of cases,” he said. “A snake bite is an uncommon emergency, and fortunately most anti-venoms run out of date without being used. “Stocks of anti-venom are routinely audited to ensure there is adequate supply and shelf-life. “There is an efficient system of sharing anti-venom supplies between Sydney hospitals in cases where additional supplies are required.”

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