As the weather begins to cool, and the crisp winds blow, sightings of fanged reptiles will become less common as snake season draws to a close.
Already two Queensland-based snake catchers have told 9news.com.au they’ve seen a drop in snake activity, reporting an average of “around” one to “two or more” a day over April.
But what actually happens to the reptiles in winter, and where do they go?
Here is everything we know about the end of snake season.
What months are snakes most active in Australia?
Snakes are most active during snake season, which typically begins around September and runs until April.
“You’re really looking at spring, summer and early autumn for the active months,” Billy Collett, operations manager at the Australian Reptile Park on NSW’s Central Coast, told 9news.com.au.
When does snake season end in Australia?
There’s no set month snake season ends.
Instead, it’s all dominated by the cooling weather.
“It just depends on the season, how much rain, the temperature, all of that,” Collett said.
“Like this autumn gone by, it hasn’t really been that cold.
“I saw a red-bellied black snake just yesterday cruising around the edge of a dam and we’re almost in May.”
Collett added that by early to mid-May, sightings should “definitely” begin to drop off.
Spot the snake lurking in the bush
The answer to this question is no.
Instead, snakes enter a dormant period called “brumation”.
“The temperature gets too cool for them to be active so they will just sit still and shelter somewhere where they can maintain a little bit of heat,” Collett said, explaining some species like pythons prefer trees, while others like hollows and burrows.
“Some will go underground, some will be in rocky ledges, some will literally just tuck up in a hollow log on the ground, as long as they are sheltered and away from the elements.”
Are snakes active in winter in Australia?
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Collette said vanishing snakes is a bit of a myth about snake season.
While you can expect to see fewer snakes during winter in Australia, it doesn’t mean you won’t occasionally see some reptiles about.
“People think they won’t see snakes until springtime,” he said.
“It’s not uncommon in the middle of winter, even when it is freezing cold, if we have sunny days, with not much wind to see them.
“They will take the opportunity, cruise out from wherever they are camping, and sit in the sun for the day to get a bit of UV, a bit of heat, and then the tuck back down.”
Do snakes eat during winter?
Snakes throughout east and south-eastern Australia will not touch a bite until the weather begins to warm.
If they do, it could prove fatal.
“Snakes need to maintain a warm body temperature to digest food so if it gets too cold it will literally rot inside their stomach,” Collett said.
“They will be forced to regurgitate it, otherwise it will kill them.
“Maybe if we’re in Cape York, up around Darwin, or the Kimberley, some of those snakes will eat a little bit – like once a month – but only if it’s warm enough.”
Collett added that snakes have evolved to ”go months without eating”, partly for this reason and partly because of the harsh climate.
“When we look at places like western Queensland where they have lots of dry periods, and I’m talking dry periods that last five to six years at a time, they may not see much food,” he said.
“So they will eat just once or twice a year.”
What should you do if you’re bitten by a snake?
Should a person find themselves on the receiving end of a snake’s fangs in winter, first aid should be quickly applied.
“Move away a few metres, don’t go running, sit down and call for someone to grab you a pressure bandage if you have something like that,” Collett said.
“If you don’t, rip up your shirt or whatever is at hand and start wrapping it around the limb.
“Go around the bite site three times, one below and wrap all the way up past it.
“If you have a second bandage throw that on too.”
After this, the person should seek professional medical help by calling triple zero or seeking out hospital care.
“But it’s about getting the bandage, or the equivalent of a bandage, on as soon as you possibly can,” Collett added.
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