https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02...ke-pops-up-in-coromandel-valley-sink/10780392
Eastern brown snake weaves its way into Coromandel Valley kitchen sink
By Sarah Scopelianos
Posted about an hour agoTue 5 Feb 2019, 12:00pm
Key points:
The metre-long eastern brown snake gave the home owner, in Coromandel Valley south-east of Adelaide, a surprise by popping its head up through the plughole in the home's kitchen.
"The lady went out to make a cup of tea and tip some stuff down the sink and there was a snake's head sticking out of the sink," Snake Catchers Adelaide owner Rolly Burrell said.
Photo: The sink's pipe needed to be removed for the snake catcher to reach the eastern brown. (Supplied: Snake Catchers Adelaide)
Mr Burrell said while he saw at least one snake each year in a tight spot, the kitchen sink was an unusual place for a snake to be found.
"I don't think we have ever done one in a sink," Mr Burrell said.
"Normally they go into the toilet bowl, so that was probably the first in 40 years I've been doing it.
"It's gone all the way through the bendy pipe and it's trying to get out through the grill itself of the sink."
He said the snake had likely entered the kitchen pipe after a trip through the home's septic tank.
"Frogs go down there [in the septic tank]. So when the frog goes down there, snakes go down there," he said.
"So the snake can go through all the different processes of the pits and stuff and slowly go up to your sewer.
"I don't know why frogs want to hang around places like that, but they do."
Mr Burrell said over the years he had seen snakes "everywhere".
"I've seen them in kids' lunch boxes, to toilets, under beds, on beds, coming through the exhaust fan in bathrooms, in cars, a kid took one home in his school bag," he said.
"I guess after 40 years you get to see a lot of different things."
Last week Alisha Chaffey was doing her afternoon school run when a brown snake popped its head out over the top of her windscreen.
Photo: A snake catcher with an eastern brown snake taken from a Coromandel Valley sink. (Supplied: Snake Catchers Adelaide)
The snake was riding on the roof of her car wrapped around the aerial.
Baby snakes about to hatch
Mr Burrell, who gets between 20 to 40 call-outs a day, said baby snakes were expected to hatch at the end of the month and would need one or two feeds before going into hibernation.
He said of 25 babies born, only three or four would generally survive.
Mr Burrell asked for people to respect wildlife and said snakes just wanted to eat, feed and breed.
"Snakes aren't here to harm us in anyway," he said.
"They are quite terrified of us."
Mr Burrell said the snakes removed from homes by the company were relocated to "sensible areas" out of the way.
Eastern brown snake weaves its way into Coromandel Valley kitchen sink
By Sarah Scopelianos
Posted about an hour agoTue 5 Feb 2019, 12:00pm
Key points:
- An eastern brown snake made its way into a kitchen sink
- A snake catcher said they generally prefer toilet bowls
- The baby snake hatching season is about to begin
The metre-long eastern brown snake gave the home owner, in Coromandel Valley south-east of Adelaide, a surprise by popping its head up through the plughole in the home's kitchen.
"The lady went out to make a cup of tea and tip some stuff down the sink and there was a snake's head sticking out of the sink," Snake Catchers Adelaide owner Rolly Burrell said.
Photo: The sink's pipe needed to be removed for the snake catcher to reach the eastern brown. (Supplied: Snake Catchers Adelaide) Mr Burrell said while he saw at least one snake each year in a tight spot, the kitchen sink was an unusual place for a snake to be found.
"I don't think we have ever done one in a sink," Mr Burrell said.
"Normally they go into the toilet bowl, so that was probably the first in 40 years I've been doing it.
"It's gone all the way through the bendy pipe and it's trying to get out through the grill itself of the sink."
He said the snake had likely entered the kitchen pipe after a trip through the home's septic tank.
"Frogs go down there [in the septic tank]. So when the frog goes down there, snakes go down there," he said.
"So the snake can go through all the different processes of the pits and stuff and slowly go up to your sewer.
"I don't know why frogs want to hang around places like that, but they do."
Mr Burrell said over the years he had seen snakes "everywhere".
"I've seen them in kids' lunch boxes, to toilets, under beds, on beds, coming through the exhaust fan in bathrooms, in cars, a kid took one home in his school bag," he said.
"I guess after 40 years you get to see a lot of different things."
Last week Alisha Chaffey was doing her afternoon school run when a brown snake popped its head out over the top of her windscreen.
Photo: A snake catcher with an eastern brown snake taken from a Coromandel Valley sink. (Supplied: Snake Catchers Adelaide) The snake was riding on the roof of her car wrapped around the aerial.
Baby snakes about to hatch
Mr Burrell, who gets between 20 to 40 call-outs a day, said baby snakes were expected to hatch at the end of the month and would need one or two feeds before going into hibernation.
He said of 25 babies born, only three or four would generally survive.
Mr Burrell asked for people to respect wildlife and said snakes just wanted to eat, feed and breed.
"Snakes aren't here to harm us in anyway," he said.
"They are quite terrified of us."
Mr Burrell said the snakes removed from homes by the company were relocated to "sensible areas" out of the way.
