A central Queensland snake catcher says a fatal bite in Rockhampton highlights the risks of handling the deadly reptile.

Professional snake removalist Wayne Cameron, aged 52, died on Sunday after being bitten while trying to catch a snake, believed to be a taipan.

Fellow Rockhampton snake catcher Benjamin Hansen said Mr Cameron's death was a stark reminder of the dangers of the job.

"Each time you've got to read [the situation] and each time we put our lives at risk, every time we do it," Mr Hansen said.

"As soon as you try to catch a snake you're 80 per cent more likely to get bitten by that snake by just immediately putting yourself in that position.

What is a coastal taipan? Light olive to dark brown, but sometimes dark grey to black in colour

Light olive to dark brown, but sometimes dark grey to black in colour Grows to 2.9 metres

Grows to 2.9 metres Found in Central Queensland and northern and eastern Australia

Found in Central Queensland and northern and eastern Australia Lives in open forest, dry closed forests, coastal heaths and grassy beach dunes

Lives in open forest, dry closed forests, coastal heaths and grassy beach dunes Active during the day and in early evening Source: Queensland Museum

"It's scary. It just reaffirms you've got to be careful with what we do and no matter how good your system is and how experienced you are, things can still go wrong."

He said there were a range of techniques snake catchers could use to reduce the risk.

"[But] some situations and scenarios don't always allow for that," he said.

"Some scenarios you've actually got to aggravate the snake to get him out of the hole ... so you can actually get him."

He said if someone was bitten by a snake, it was essential to reduce their activity.

"The main thing is to keep yourself as calm as possible and keep yourself as still as possible to minimise how much you pump that venom around your system," he said.

"But [call] triple-0 straight up no matter what."