Snake leaves family shaken

Amy Bruce was inside her home in Miro Street on Sunday night when she heard a commotion coming from her garage.

Her husband and neighbour had just had a beer together when they opened the garage door to see a small, slithery creature on the ground.

At first they were unsure whether it was a worm or lizard but it soon became clear - after it had been trampled on in the startled commotion - it was actually a baby snake.

“It was a bit of a shock, really terrifying.” Amy said.

“I started hearing, ‘it’s a little baby snake.’” 

Amy - a mother of five children -  said she was worried about what would have happened if one of her children discovered the snake, thinking it was a harmless lizard.

“We made sure we educated the kids and read up all about them,” she said. 

“I have a heart attack every time I just go out to the car now!”

“I tell the kids to not put there hands anywhere they can’t see.

“It’s terrifying, the kids are always playing around.” 

Amy said she won’t quite be at rest until she knows the rest of the snake’s family is not still lurking around.

A thorough clean out of the garage found no more members of the snake’s family, but she is waiting for the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service Inc (WIRES) to come and check out her house.

Council’s planning, strategic services and environment director Craig Filmer said anyone who finds a snake in their home should call WIRES and not attempt to kill it.

As snakes come out of hibernation, they are more likely to make their way to residential areas in search of water. 

The brown snake is a protected species in NSW.

SO far this season the number of pets with snake bites presented at the Young Veterinary Clinic has been about normal.

Local vet Will Cadell said around four to five animals had presented with bites, “but no more so than usual.”

One characteristic that differs between the 2013 and 2014 spring months is the venom strength of the snakes.

“Last year, certainly, we had more cases of invenomations - the bites were more severe,” he said.

But he has reminded owners to be vigilant and to make sure they take the necessary steps to prevent an attack.

“Do the usual things - make sure doors are closed, that rubbish is removed from around buildings and that vegetation is kept low,” he said.

This applies to town residents as well as those living in rural areas.

“Snakes do survive in an urban environment and in Young you are never far from a paddock,” he said.

He also warned people that snakes were active at night.

“People just need to be wary - as long as the temperatures are still warm snakes will be around,” he said.

And if your pet should get bitten he said the 100 per cent best thing to do was bring it straight into the vet.

Symptoms to watch for include panting, salivation, shallow breathing and the animal collapsing then trying to get back up again.

“While humans are more likely to sustain a bite on a limb, animals are more likely to get bitten on the torso or face and neck,” he said.

“There is no way to stop the lymphatic drainage from that area to the body, you have to get to the vet so antivenom can be administered,” he said.

He urged owners to be calm around the animal and to transport it in a dark, cool carrier.

And he urged people to try to identify the snake.

He said the presence of both Eastern and King Brown Snakes in the region called for different types of treatment. 

The brown snake emits a neurotoxic venom which causes paralysis, while the King Brown emits a haemolytic venom - which breaks down the blood cells and muscles.

“I’m not suggesting you go out of your way to kill the snake as they are protected species, but if the snake has been killed in the course of the attack then if possible bring it in so we can properly identify it,” he said.