Sunny spring days set to wake up snakes
This week's bout of warm sunshine might be putting a spring in people's step, but they should mind where they put their feet. The warm weather will see snakes start to emerge from their winter slumber and get out on the move.
The manager of animal welfare with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Dr Deb Kelly, says people should be mindful that snakes will start to come out of hibernation over the next week.
"They'll be hungry, they'll be in a stroppy mood, and more importantly they'll be on the move.
"While they're curled up asleep in a corner somewhere, you're not likely to even see them, but when snakes are active and start going out to hunt and find a mate they're dangerous, because you can get in their way more easily."
She warns that most people who get bitten by a snake are either trying to catch or kill them at the time, so it's best for snake spotters to keep their distance.
"We actually put ourselves at risk because the snakes are just coming out of hibernation and we think 'oh it's a lovely sunny day, I'll go clean out the shed or something', so tend to ignore all the sensible things we usually do," Dr Kelly says.
"Like don't put your hand somewhere that you can't see what's there, and don't stick gumboots on that have been in the shed for the last six months and haven't been used- there could very easily be a snake in one of them.
"The other thing I'd say is wear sensible shoes, you'd be surprised by the number of people that will wear thongs or bare feet when they go to clean up the garden."
She says snakes will have found warm, sheltered places to curl-up in during the cold winter months, like a pile of old painting cans and rags in the back of a shed.
"That's a beautiful place for brown snakes because it's sheltered, it's warm and dry, and when they're hibernating that's exactly the sorts of things they want.
"So when they're just waking up, if you go stick your hand in there you don't need to be a brain surgeon to know what's going to happen."
Ms Kelly also reminded drivers that it's actually illegal to run over snakes that are on roads.
"It's legal to kill a snake if it's posing a safety threat, like if it's in your kitchen, or it's a threat to you or your pets, but it is not legal to deliberately go and run one over.
"I think it's disgusting when people target them on the roads, they're an important part of the natural environment, they're not going to do you any harm."
- Allandale cattle farmer, Andrew Clarke fed up waiting for drought concessional loans
- Peterborough District Council Mayor Ruth Whittle worries the mid-north forests region will vanish, costing jobs and the local economy
- Christine Berry from Kangaroo Island Wool talks about the new deal with the Australian Wool Network
- Wine Australia's Regional Manager, Hiro Tejima talks about getting into the Taiwanese market
- Rob Kerin from Primary Producers SA talks about the new heavy machinery movement program