Warning to Aussies as snakes appear to be ‘getting a lot bigger’

Snake catchers have warned that Australia’s unseasonably high temperatures have caused some of the country’s most venomous snakes to get bigger.

Video transcript

- Snake catchers have warned that Australia's unseasonably high temperatures have caused some of the country's most venomous snakes to get bigger.

Sean Cade from Australian Snake Catchers told Yahoo News Australia the size of snakes is changing. They're thicker. They're longer. They're more robust and a little bit more cranky. While the average length of the eastern brown snake is 1.2 meters, Sean explained he's already picked up a couple at 1.8 meters.

So why is this happening? When temperatures go down, snakes go into brumation, which means they stop eating, their metabolism slows down, and they look for somewhere warm to hide. However, due to Australia's warmer winter, the snakes have been out and about. Sean said at the same time, everything else came out as well, like lizards, frogs, rodents, small mammals, and birds because it wasn't super cold, and they're just breeding like crazy.

So with a smorgasbord to choose from, snakes across the country have been kept well Fed for a lot longer this year. The warmer winter weather is being blamed for beefing up the reptiles, leading to fears about what a hotter summer will bring.

With temperatures only set to get hotter in the coming months, Sean urged Aussies to be vigilant. Some precautionary steps that could avoid a face to face encounter include keeping the yard free of debris and rubbish and moving any stacked firewood away from the house to eliminate a snake being at the door.

If you do come across a snake, Sean said, "Don't approach any snake because you don't know what it is. Keep kids and pets away from the snake. Keep an eye on it if you can and call a professional."