Snake season has arrived

As the weather warms up, snakes wake up from hibernation. They bask to warm up, usually in search of water or food – as they may not have eaten for months.

All snakes native to Moonee Valley are venomous. The most common snakes in Moonee Valley are eastern brown and tiger snakes.

Tiger snakes vary in colour and pattern and are generally frightened of you and will try to get away when approached. Brown snakes can be aggressive when provoked.

What to do if you see a snake:

Walk away slowly and leave it alone.

If it is on public land, call us and we’ll take it from there. If the snake is on your property, contact a professional wildlife controller. It is the safest and most effective way to remove it.

Do not attempt to remove the snake yourself and don’t hurt the snake, it is protected wildlife.

If it is safe to do so, keep an eye out on the snake while waiting for a wildlife controller.

Being bitten by a snake is uncommon and there are only about two lethal snake bites recorded across Australia each year.

If you are bitten by a snake, call 000 immediately and stay calm.

If you think your pet might have been bitten by a snake, take it to a vet immediately.

Preventing snakebite (land snakes)

Many cases of snake bite can be avoided by following these simple rules:

• Leave snakes alone.
• Do not attempt to catch or handle snakes.
• Wear stout shoes and adequate clothing, including long trousers, in ‘snake country’. Do not wear sandals or thongs.
• Never put hands in hollow logs or thick grass or under woodpiles, building material etc without prior inspection.
• When stepping over logs, carefully inspect the ground on the other side.
• Keep grass well cut – particularly in playgrounds, around houses etc.
• Take care around houses, barns etc on warm nights, as snakes may be active at this time. Use a torch and wear adequate footwear.
• Do not handle snakes. ever. 
• Educate children in the above precautions.
• Do not rely on visual identification of snakes as non-

For more information on how to deal with snake bites, Melbourne University has a guide: First Aid: School of Biomedical Sciences (unimelb.edu.au)