Last Friday a woman in her twenties was transported to Proserpine Hospital in a stable condition after sustaining a suspected snake bite to her foot off Shingley Drive at 9.08pm.
Local snake expert David Barwell said that at this time of year there are a lot of snakes hatching.
“Snakes are a fact of life in our area,” he said.
“They cruise through our yards on a regular basis going about their business completely unnoticed and without a problem.”
David said that in this case, there is no further information confirming whether it had been a snake bite or whether it was venomous.
“The vast majority of people, 90 per cent, presenting at a hospital for a suspected snakebite do not need anti-venom because either they were bitten by a non-venomous species such as a python, or by weakly or mildly venomous species or received a dry bite or weren't bitten at all,” he said.
David suggests that residents can reduce the chance of an encounter by keeping lawns mowed and garden tidy, remove any pet food scraps and anything that snakes can hide under.
“If you see a snake move the pets and children inside and let the snake go on its way,” he explains.
“If it doesn't appear to want to move on in a few hours or overnight then consider calling a licensed snake catcher.
“If the snake is inside the house close any doors that lead further into the house and put a rolled-up towel against the bottom of the door to keep it in the room where it was seen then call a licensed catcher.”
Contact details for local snake catchers are available on the SnakesoftheWhitsundays Facebook page.
