Snakes alive

A LOCAL resident is warning people to be vigilant after she spotted two poisonous snakes in her backyard.
Sally Pelgrave was alerted to the first snake, a lowlands copperhead, on Thursday 14 February when her German Shepherd, Luna, started acting strangely.
“I was standing at the back laundry door when my Shepherd sniffed, pulled her head back, then sniffed again,” the Lakeside resident said.
“I saw a snake in my garden and called the snake catcher man.”
The second snake, also a copperhead, made an appearance exactly one week later, at almost the same time.
Sally brought Luna and her two poodles inside straight away and contacted the snake catcher, Shane Ward from Eliminator Pest Control.
The snakes were roughly four feet long and six feet long respectively and are thought to have made their way into Sally’s yard through the back fence.
Copperheads are seventh on the Australian Geographic’s Most Deadly list and Shane said they were the most common type of snake in Pakenham.
Sally believes the snakes got in through a small hole in the back fence and hid under lumps of wood.
She is now warning other residents to be vigilant so no-one gets hurt by the poisonous snakes.
“If an animal gets bitten, you only have 20 minutes to get them to the vet,” she warned.
“If you see a snake in your yard just bring your pets inside, close all the doors and call a snake catcher.”
Shane found the first snake easily because it was still at the backdoor where Sally had seen it last but the second one had proved more elusive.
“The second snake had moved to the side of the house in some foliage,” he said.
“I actually went down twice because I didn’t see it at first.
“People need to keep an eye on them to see where they go.”
Sally and her husband, Wesley Fox, have now secured their backyard to prevent any more unwelcome visitors.
The reason for the two copperhead appearances may not be purely coincidental. February is mating season for snakes and Shane believes the second snake may have been pregnant and looking for her companion.
Cardinia Shire Council’s Communications Manager Paul Dunlop said snake sightings were rare in Cardinia Shire and the council received only a very small number of reports of snakes in the area every year.
“Residents are advised to keep grass on their property cut short, and remove rubbish or piles of wood that might provide cover for snakes,” he said.
Mr Dunlop recommends residents leave a snake alone and move away from the area.
“Snakes are shy creatures and if unprovoked, will usually try to get out of a person’s way rather than attack,” he said.
Residents who see a snake should contact the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) on 136 186.
DSE will then provide the contact details of a licenced wildlife controller.
Residents should then notify council by calling 1300 787 624 or by submitting a ‘Make a request or report an issue’ form on council’s website www.cardinia.vic.gov.au