When this south Adelaide resident glimpsed the ominous brown tail vanish into one of her Ugg boots she knew she had to call in the professionals.
Soon after Snake Catchers Adelaide arrived to retrieve the slithery stowaway - an eastern brown snake that had boldly ventured out into the chilly air in search of food after a long winter.
'It saw her and shot into her Ugg boot,' Rolly Burrell, manager of Snake Catchers Adelaide, told ABC.
'We picked up the shoe, tipped it out and dropped it into the bag. It was pretty easy to do.'
Snakes often like to take shelter in footwear stored outdoors, and it’s not an uncommon job for their team he added.
Burrell expects snake season to ‘go off with a bang’ this year, after a cold winter has robbed the local snake population of an extra month of hunting.
The Eastern Brown Snake
• The eastern brown snake is among the most venomous snakes in the world, second only to the Australian inland taipan.
• Eastern brown snakes can grow to be two metres long, but normally are around one metre long.
• The eastern brown snake is Adelaide's most common snake variety, and is often found in suburban areas.
• 60% of snakebite deaths in Australia are from eastern brown snakes.
• Never attempt to catch or kill a snake. Even though they are dangerous, they are still protected species. Attempting to kill or capture one will also put you at greater risk of being bitten.
• It's important to know what to do in the event of a snake bite.
