Flaviemys purvisi
Very Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
By Richard Wood
A snake catcher is warning residents in south-eastern states to be extra wary of the reptiles ahead of tomorrow’s scorching temperatures.
Stewart Gatt, known as Stewy the Snake Catcher, told nine.com.au hot summer days drive snakes indoors to seek shelter from the baking sun.
“It’s expected to hit 42C tomorrow and snakes will be looking for a cooler place to escape the heat,” he said.
“People should always be wary of them but on these extremely hot days they should be extra vigilant.”
Earlier today, Mr Gatt was called to a home in Little River, 50 kilometres south east of Melbourne, after a tiger snake was discovered in an air conditioner unit.
Video posted on social media showed him catching the reptile in a net as it struggled to stay inside the wall-attached unit.
“I got the call this morning when its tail was spotted hanging out the bottom of the air conditioner,” Mr Gatt said.
“It took quite a while to catch it. But we managed to block it off from going inside the wall.”
Mr Gatt is currently attending about 80 call-outs a week, the majority of which are to catch tiger snakes.
While the reptiles seeking refuge from the heat head indoors during the day, evenings will see them return outdoors.
“Once the heat drops to about 30C, they will head back to the bush and their natural environment.”
Melbourne is forecast for a maximum of 42C tomorrow before brief showers cool the city down over the weekend.
Adelaide will have a top of 35C tomorrow, but the mercury will dip to the mid-20s on the weekend.