Snakes are sliding and, in at least one case, leaping into summer.
Even experienced snake catcher Stuart McKenzie was shocked to be confronted by an almost six-foot brown snake inside a Kureelpa home earlier this week.
“I rocked up to the house and walked into the lounge room,” he said.
“There were some French doors (leading to another room), and I would normally just push them open and walk in, but I thought I’d just be cautious because we do get brown snakes around there.
“So, I pushed the doors open with my hook and the snake was leaning against the door already in defensive mode, ready to rumble.
“I think he was stressed out because he was hot.
“Then it was on.”
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The intense catch involved Mr McKenzie dancing around the leaping snake, before bagging it and releasing it.
“He actually got airborne when he was trying to get away from me,” he said.
“He put on quite the defensive display. Brown snakes will do that when they feel cornered. It’s their last resort.
“He was basically asking me to back off, but I needed to catch him.
“It’s certainly not something you need in your lounge room.”
Watch the video at: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
Mc McKenzie and the team at Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 have been inundated with callouts recently, including seven in one night earlier this week.
They’ve caught pythons, red-bellied black snakes, brown snakes, keelbacks and more.
Mr McKenzie said the reptiles were out and about during breeding season.
“Snakes have essentially been fighting each other and trying to find a mate for the last two to three months and now they’re hungry and they’re on the move, looking for food.”
He said it was important to secure chicken coops, cat runs, bird aviaries and houses.
“A lot of snakes, like big carpet pythons, can potentially go after small pets and they often move at nighttime (in the cooler weather) looking for food, so keep doors and windows shut so you don’t get snakes inside.”
The team features on Aussie Snake Wranglers, which has previously aired on Discovery Channel and is now free-to-air on 9Rush.
Season one started in early December, with two episodes screened back-to-back on Tuesdays from 7.30pm.
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