Snake catcher's busiest day reveals deadly danger lurking in footwear
- Replies 5
Discovering a snake in the comfort of one's own home is a startling and often unnerving experience that can leave even the bravest of individuals feeling a sense of trepidation.
From harmless garden snakes seeking shelter to more formidable species that inadvertently find their way indoors, these encounters blur the lines between the familiar safety of home and the untamed wilderness beyond.
However, imagine slipping your foot into your shoe, only to discover this unexpected guest lurking inside.
Brandon Gifford, from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, reported not one, but several cases of snakes taking refuge in people's footwear in Burpengary, Queensland.
Following a dramatic increase in callouts, with their 'busiest day in almost a decade', Gifford dealt with a particularly close encounter when a cat pursued a red-bellied black snake into a house's garage.
‘They saw the cat chasing the snake, and then the snake went under the door into the garage,’ he narrated. ‘So they just threw heaps of towels at the door and prayed he couldn’t get back in.’
However, upon Gifford’s arrival, the slithery suspect was nowhere to be seen.
‘It’s hard in garages and I was starting to be like, “far out, this is going to be tricky”,’ he said.
It was only when a forked tongue peeked out of a shoe that the venomous visitor revealed its hiding spot. Gifford managed to safely catch the one-metre long snake as it 'shot out' of the shoe.
‘I was impressed with that,’ Gifford said. ‘The size of the red belly to the size of the shoe, like, how well he was hiding.’
‘We see them all the time in tight spaces, but he was bigger than I thought he was going to be when he came out of the shoe.’
The event occurred shortly after Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 announced its busiest day ever in the company's eight-year tenure, coinciding with heightened snake activity in the region.
‘We had 43 or 44 call outs, it was ridiculous, but when they said to me, “We broke the record,” I was like, I can believe it,’ Gifford commented.
This surge in snake sightings and encounters is attributed to a mix of wet weather and high temperatures, according to him.
‘In those eight years, there was probably four years of Australia’s worst drought, so I guess it’s just a bounce back from that. Now all the food resources are available to them and they’re out, they’re active, they’re healthy, they’re breeding, and they’re all cruising around and living life,’ he added.
This behaviour is a natural aspect of snakes' efforts to increase their population in preparation for the next El Nino event, during which they will ‘get smashed again’.
‘They kind of get the numbers up, so the population doesn’t get decimated by the next big drought,’ he explained.
As snake activity is expected to persist until April when temperatures cool down, Gifford advises caution, emphasising that people continue to make avoidable errors.
‘The number one thing I’ve noticed lately is that garage doors are being kept up, and doors are being left open,’ he said, stating that his advice often falls on ‘deaf ears’.
‘But definitely, the garage door is one I think people don’t realise, and then the door leading to their house has that little space through which snakes can go under. That’s another way they’re getting in a lot.’
Aside from keeping the doors closed, Gifford advised to keep the property ‘neat and tidy’ by mowing the lawn and throwing the garbage away.
‘We say it all the time, but you can see the places clearly as to where a snake might reside a little bit more, rather than just pass through,’ he added.
This advice was echoed when another venomous snake was spotted inside a family’s yard last year.
According to Gifford, the humble shoe presents an ideal hideout for snakes.
During his career, Gifford, who grew up accustomed to finding reptiles in his own gumboots on the farm, has observed time and again that people make simple but dangerous mistakes that can lead to unwelcome guests.
In addition to the encounter in Burpengary, a fellow snake catcher recently encountered one inside a pair of shoes on a veranda the week before.
Gafford explained, ‘For a snake, that [hiding in shoes] is literally just making yourself feel as tight and cramped into a crevice as possible. They just want to curl up in a nice dark little cavity and the shoe is actually like the most perfect little space for a snake to feel safe in. Which is exactly what they’re trying to do out in the bush when you think of it. They’re going into little hollows a lot, and that’s exactly what the shoe replicates for them.’
He also warned about the usual way people pick up their shoes, saying, ‘Putting your finger straight into picking your shoe up is something I do every day, but if a snake is in there and is scared, it’ll give you a nip on the fingers.’
‘So be careful how you approach picking up your shoes, and always check for a snake or a spider before you put them on.’
Do you have any snake-proofing tips for our community? Perhaps you have your own close encounter to share? Share your experiences and tips with us in the comments below.
From harmless garden snakes seeking shelter to more formidable species that inadvertently find their way indoors, these encounters blur the lines between the familiar safety of home and the untamed wilderness beyond.
However, imagine slipping your foot into your shoe, only to discover this unexpected guest lurking inside.
Brandon Gifford, from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, reported not one, but several cases of snakes taking refuge in people's footwear in Burpengary, Queensland.
Following a dramatic increase in callouts, with their 'busiest day in almost a decade', Gifford dealt with a particularly close encounter when a cat pursued a red-bellied black snake into a house's garage.
‘They saw the cat chasing the snake, and then the snake went under the door into the garage,’ he narrated. ‘So they just threw heaps of towels at the door and prayed he couldn’t get back in.’
This red-bellied black snake took shelter inside a shoe. Credits: Facebook / Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7
However, upon Gifford’s arrival, the slithery suspect was nowhere to be seen.
‘It’s hard in garages and I was starting to be like, “far out, this is going to be tricky”,’ he said.
It was only when a forked tongue peeked out of a shoe that the venomous visitor revealed its hiding spot. Gifford managed to safely catch the one-metre long snake as it 'shot out' of the shoe.
‘I was impressed with that,’ Gifford said. ‘The size of the red belly to the size of the shoe, like, how well he was hiding.’
‘We see them all the time in tight spaces, but he was bigger than I thought he was going to be when he came out of the shoe.’
The event occurred shortly after Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 announced its busiest day ever in the company's eight-year tenure, coinciding with heightened snake activity in the region.
‘We had 43 or 44 call outs, it was ridiculous, but when they said to me, “We broke the record,” I was like, I can believe it,’ Gifford commented.
This surge in snake sightings and encounters is attributed to a mix of wet weather and high temperatures, according to him.
‘In those eight years, there was probably four years of Australia’s worst drought, so I guess it’s just a bounce back from that. Now all the food resources are available to them and they’re out, they’re active, they’re healthy, they’re breeding, and they’re all cruising around and living life,’ he added.
This behaviour is a natural aspect of snakes' efforts to increase their population in preparation for the next El Nino event, during which they will ‘get smashed again’.
‘They kind of get the numbers up, so the population doesn’t get decimated by the next big drought,’ he explained.
As snake activity is expected to persist until April when temperatures cool down, Gifford advises caution, emphasising that people continue to make avoidable errors.
‘The number one thing I’ve noticed lately is that garage doors are being kept up, and doors are being left open,’ he said, stating that his advice often falls on ‘deaf ears’.
‘But definitely, the garage door is one I think people don’t realise, and then the door leading to their house has that little space through which snakes can go under. That’s another way they’re getting in a lot.’
Aside from keeping the doors closed, Gifford advised to keep the property ‘neat and tidy’ by mowing the lawn and throwing the garbage away.
‘We say it all the time, but you can see the places clearly as to where a snake might reside a little bit more, rather than just pass through,’ he added.
This advice was echoed when another venomous snake was spotted inside a family’s yard last year.
According to Gifford, the humble shoe presents an ideal hideout for snakes.
During his career, Gifford, who grew up accustomed to finding reptiles in his own gumboots on the farm, has observed time and again that people make simple but dangerous mistakes that can lead to unwelcome guests.
In addition to the encounter in Burpengary, a fellow snake catcher recently encountered one inside a pair of shoes on a veranda the week before.
Gafford explained, ‘For a snake, that [hiding in shoes] is literally just making yourself feel as tight and cramped into a crevice as possible. They just want to curl up in a nice dark little cavity and the shoe is actually like the most perfect little space for a snake to feel safe in. Which is exactly what they’re trying to do out in the bush when you think of it. They’re going into little hollows a lot, and that’s exactly what the shoe replicates for them.’
He also warned about the usual way people pick up their shoes, saying, ‘Putting your finger straight into picking your shoe up is something I do every day, but if a snake is in there and is scared, it’ll give you a nip on the fingers.’
‘So be careful how you approach picking up your shoes, and always check for a snake or a spider before you put them on.’
Do you have any snake-proofing tips for our community? Perhaps you have your own close encounter to share? Share your experiences and tips with us in the comments below.
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