Australia's snake season is here. Here's what to do — and what not to do — if you see one

Springtime doesn't just bring a shift in weather and more sunshine; it also marks the start of snake season.

Australia is home to more than 170 land and sea snake varieties, including around 100 venomous species and 12 that are likely to inflict a wound that can be fatal.

In 2024-25, more than 2,100 Australians presented to hospital due to a snake bite, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

But the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) says snakes generally don't attack people unless provoked.

Warmer weather and snakes

It's often observed in Australia that snakes seem to go into hiding during winter and return as the weather gets warmer. But is that actually the case? According to WIRES spokesperson and snake enthusiast John Grant, it's a little more complicated than that.

"They actually never go completely into hiding," Grant tells SBS News. "Our snakes, and a lot of reptiles, go into what's called brumation. That's when their metabolic rate slows down somewhat in the colder months for them to be able to conserve energy ... They'll still go out and get a feed every now and then."

But as soon as warm weather arrives, brumation season ends, and snakes start hunting for food and potential partners.

How to tell the difference between a venomous and non-venomous snake

In some instances, you may encounter a well-known animal, such as a green tree snake or a diamond python. These are two of the most common and well-known non-venomous snakes in Australia.

But even if you think you can identify the snake, it's easy to be fooled.

Grant's advice is simple: treat every snake as though it's venomous and don't handle it yourself. Call in a professional to remove it.

"Don't approach it. Don't try to contain it. Don't try to move it. And worst of all, don't try to kill it," he said.

Grant says he knows that some people are very afraid of snakes, but that fear may cause you to act rashly or back the animal into a corner, putting you in danger.

"The worst thing you can do to put yourself at risk is attempting to harm an animal," he said.

"I think another thing that people need to realise is they see us as the predators. They're far more scared of us than we are of them.

"We're not a food source for the snakes in Australia, so they see us as a threat and just keep away. They're going to want to get away from us as quickly as they can."

What to do if you've found a snake indoors

That advice goes double for snakes you may encounter indoors or in your garden. It's paramount to keep yourself and others, and any pets, safely away from a snake that's found its way indoors.

"If it's in your home garden, particularly in our more outer suburb areas where snakes live, although people don't see them, they're still there," Grant says.

"So your cats will be at risk. Your dogs are at risk if you don't contain them because they can get a nasty bite even though (the snakes are) non-venomous, so can humans. So you should just treat everything as if it's venomous."

One thing Grant is very concerned about is that people may try to copy snake catchers they see on social media.

"One of the problems that's happening at the moment is that there are a lot of snake capture videos on YouTube and other channels, and it's giving people the wrong idea that they can do it themselves. The people involved have to be trained."

Snakes and biodiversity in Australia

Grant says another reason to avoid killing a snake that finds its way indoors is that many are protected by law because of their role in maintaining native biodiversity.

"There's a predator for almost every animal, and they're known for keeping the numbers of those down," he says.

Snakes will eat mice and rats, keeping their often large populations under control. Some, like the keelback, eat cane toads too.

"If numbers get out of control, that's the main role that they play. And it's a really big role in making sure that, particularly these days, that vermin (numbers are) kept down," Grant said.

But despite his dire warnings about keeping your distance and respecting a snake's space, Grant can't hide his love for the reptile.

"There's some very rare ones that can't be found anywhere in the world," Grant says. "They're only here, and we're very lucky to have them."

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