THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney, Australia) 13 February 07 Summer of snakes keeps city's experts busy (Nick Higginbottom)
Photo: Risky ... business is booming for snake catcher Raymond Hoser as dry weather forces snakes into suburbs. (Jay Town)
Hundreds of snake encounters and over a dozen reports of attacks have led experts to label this summer as one of the worst snake seasons in Victoria.
Snake experts say the leafy Melbourne suburb of Ivanhoe is rife with tiger snakes, considered the fourth deadliest snake in the world.
Up the road in Heidelberg and Greensborough, the snake catchers have found the deadly eastern brown snake to be common.
Snake catcher Raymond Hoser, from Snakebusters, said Ivanhoe was a "stand-out for tiger snakes".
"The best inner suburban place for snakes by a country mile is Ivanhoe," Mr Hoser said.
"Heidelberg and Greensborough are the closest inner city areas where I've found eastern brown snakes."
He also warned Victorians to watch their homes, as the venomous reptiles would be seeking relief from the heatwave this week.
"In the hot weather we get fewer calls in total, but the calls we do get are of snakes entering houses," Mr Hoser said.
"They enter houses to get away from the heat, and we get most of those in the north and the west. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we've got three days in the 30s: that's when you'll get them knocking on doors."
Mr Hoser said the number of calls for snake sightings had more then doubled this summer.
He said snakes were found regularly in the inner city and even in the central business district.
"We do get snakes in the city. A few years back I caught one in the Hill of Content book shop (in Bourke St)," Mr Hoser said. "I've caught them all along the Yarra River, in South Yarra and around there."
Dr Kenneth Winkel, director of the Australian Venom Research Unit at Melbourne University, said it was a particularly bad summer for snake attacks.
"This season has been a busy one for snake bites," Dr Winkel said.
"There is a fluctuation from year to year, and this is one of the worst years, though I wouldn't say it's the worst ever.
"But it does reflect the effects of the big dry.
"The warmer weather is getting the snakes out of bed, so to speak, earlier. And the lack of food means they're going to come into contact with humans, because we make life easier for the little furry animals that they like to eat."
Melbourne Zoo reptile keeper Damian Goodall believes the increased attacks and sightings are due to climate change and urban sprawl.
"With the warmer weather, they're coming out looking for food," Mr Goodall said.
"It may have something to do with the drought as well. Snakes are coming up the rivers looking for water.
"The other thing is that we are expanding the population into the snakes' habitats and driving them out.
"It's stirring up the ecosystem, and snakes have got to live somewhere. So they soon find themselves in urban back yards and that sort of thing."
But the snake catcher doesn't think his call rate is up simply because of the weather.
"In February, I'd usually get one call a day. I'm running at two to three a day," Mr Hoser said.
"I don't think it's weather-related, and I don't think it's drought-related. The main reason we're getting more is because the fear factor is up and people are more aware."
One thing all the experts agree on is what to do if you see a snake.
"If you do come across a snake, just leave it alone. Certainly don't spook it any more. Just walk away slowly," Mr Goodall said.
"If you do see a snake, just don't go near it," Mr Hoser agreed.
Summer of snakes keeps city's experts busy