http://www.riverinareptilerelocation.com.au/

Riverina Reptile Relocation, Riverina, Wagga Wagga (2026)

04/09/2026

G'day everyone,

This Friday's species I'm going to be highlighting is the Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechis Scutatus).

The Eastern Tiger Snake is highly venomous and should be treated with the same caution as any other snake. So, without further delay let's get some facts down about this fella.

1.

The Eastern Tiger Snake comes in a variety of colours which range from dark brown, black, grey, olive. They're most recognised by the bands across their back, though this doesn't always occur in every snake, much in the same way as an Eastern Brown snake can display those bands as babies, as well as adults which often have them confused with being a Tiger Snake.

2.

Their venom is incredibly toxic. Since the discovery of the Central Ranges Taipan, this species now ranks as the 5th most venomous land snake on the planet. Their toxins are both Neurotixic (brain) as well as Myotoxic (muscles) as well as the ability within the venom to clot your blood (hemotoxins).

3.

Their behaviour is similar in ways to Cobra species wherein it flattens it's neck and raises it's body almost the same way that a Cobra does. This is done to appear bigger and more dangerous, and will strike if required. There is a lot of talk about this species in particular 'chasing' people, though as any other species does not give chase. I've heard some wild stories. Like all snakes, leave them alone and give them room and you'll not be bitten.

4.

They are Viviparous (live bearing) in that they contain their young inside them and give birth, rather than lay eggs which require hatching. They carry between 15-30 babies at any one time. In the wild, few babies make it to adulthood as with many wild animals.

5.

Now on to diet. These guys are a bit different to most highly venomous snakes (elapids) in that they also are semi-arboreal. Generally they are terrestrial (ground) though unlike most other elapids that are poor climbers, Tiger Snakes are exceptionally good at climbing trees, shrubs and bushes. They do this to hunt for young birds, small birds and bats. They can climb over 30 feet high. I've heard stories of people fishing in boats along a river and all of a sudden a Tiger Snake falls in the boat. Talk about a way to kill the fishing trip.
They eat a range of food from birds, lizards, rodents ect. Like the Red Belly, they also prefer frogs though they definitely won't pass up a myna bird or mouse.

6.

This species is diurnal (day time) and uses that time to actively hunt. They're great swimmers, and like many species can hold their breath under water for over 10 minutes. On hot days (40⁰c+) like other species, you may encounter one at night when it's far cooler for him to hunt.

7.

Size. They can grow up to 2 metres or more in size. So far as elapids go, they're considered a large size.

8.

Their habitat ranges from woodlands and paddocks, swamps and forests to open plains. Like other species, logs, long grass, unused animal burrows will be shelter to them. Always wise to be careful moving logs if you're in Tiger country.

9.

Their mating rituals are quite combative and it's not unusual to see two males fighting for a couple of hours even. Looks like wrestling and is often confused for mating. Snake mating is not the same as mammals in that there isn't a lot of movement.

10.

What threat do they pose to us? Like all snakes, especially venomous they prefer to avoid humans at all costs and generally are considered 'shy'. They will bite if provoked or feel like they are under attack (being stepped on). Their venom is firstly to be able to eat, secondly it's for defence. SMART bandages should be applied immediately in the event of a bite and 000 phoned. I'll list below a few helpful tips if you're bitten by a venomous snake. Please treat all snakes as venomous unless you know the species.

1.

Remain still and calm. Our snakes all have short fangs and venom enters our lymphatic system, travelling slowly until it reaches the subclavian vein at the base of our neck where it then enters the blood steam. Being that it uses your muscles to travel, panic, eating and drinking, moving around, chatting to people nearby or on the phone unless required if you're by yourself, is one way to move the venom further along. Remain still and calm.

2.

You need to identify the snake species to tell the doctor. This is an old myth that still sticks it's head around. Doctors are professionals in your health, not snakes. Blood tests tell them which species, not you. Administering anti venin without knowing the species can cause far more harm than good.

3.

Download this (free) app. It may save your life.
The app is called Emergency+. Completely free, it provides exact GPS coordinates to the square metre you're standing on. If you're out in the paddock, bush camping or fishing, the last thing you want to be doing is trying to describe to the operator where you are.

4.

First aid SMART bandages. I cannot stress enough just how important these are. Applying one correctly, and following protocol as mentioned above can give you up to nine hours before the venom becomes active in your system. I will provide a website link with a discount code for you to save when buying them. Never buy them from chemists as they are not by any means ideal in a real emergency. SMART bandages from Survival or St Johns Ambulance provide maximum pressure possible while still not applying over pressure to the bite site.

5.

Better to be safe than sorry. If you think you may have been bitten, then it's far better to call an ambulance than to wait it out until you're showing systems. Snake bites are all about prevention before symptoms. Once symptoms show, it can be in cases impossible to save you depending on the bite and the venom yield.

Hope you enjoyed this Friday's read, and if you've any questions feel free to comment, message or call.

I have gotten calls already so on these warmer days, please be vigilant.

Stay safe and have a great weekend.

Amour Renard.

www.survivalfirstaidkits.com.au (RIVREP10) discount code.

www.riverinareptilerelocation.com.au

0421449451

02/09/2026

Good evening all,

I've had several schools/ businesses phone up regarding snake talks. I'd like to advise you that these talks are available from April/may through to the end of September only. Once the season is under way I do not have the time unfortunately to do talks.

Prices for talks are on my website at www.riverinareptilerelocation.com.au

27/08/2026

Good morning all,

Amour Renard here from Riverina Reptile Relocation. This Friday we're going to be studying the Cunningham Skink (Egernia Cunninghami)

Here's a few facts and bits of info.

1.

It's part of the Skink family. Like other lizards such as the shingle back and blue tongue, this guy belongs to the same family. These guys can come in a range of different patterns and colours. Anywhere from brown, dark brown and black with quite diverse markings.

2.

So, where does it live? While this lizard is in the Riverina, it is not wide spread and only in a few locations. Their habitat is generally rocks as they're quite fast moving and use rocks as shelter from predators. You also may find them in hollows logs, though rocks are the preferred habitat.

3.

How big are they? Similar in size to a Blue Tongue, these guys on average reach up to 40cm (including tail). Each lizard is an individual and may only reach 30cm.

4.

What do they eat? Cunningham skinks are quite fast moving lizards, especially when compared to slow moving ones such as the shingle or blue tongue. Their diet includes the usual insects such as snails, slugs, caterpillars though they will eat faster moving prey also such as grasshoppers.
Like most in the skink family, their diet is protein heavy when young to assist in their growth, and becomes more plant matter as they reach adulthood. They live quite long lives reaching ages of 20-30 years.

5.

When most people think of reptiles they think of animals that stay on their own. This is pretty much the case with most reptiles, with the exception of a few species such as the shingle back which for example spends the warmer months with the lizard they've paired with. The Cunningham Skink is different again. They prefer to spend their life in a family setting. Like a close knit multiple generation community. Parents actively protect their young against predators. In the same way that male lions do, around five years of age or so they'll leave the family home and go off to make their own family.

6.

Breeding. Being they live in a family community you'd assume they'd mate with their own family members. They avoid this by recognising each other's smells to ensure their gene pool remains fresh. They are Viviparous, meaning they give live birth and do not lay eggs. Which is the norm with the Skink family. They don't have quite the amount of young that a blue tongue has though they can give birth to as few as just one, and up to 10 or 15.
They are also monogamous and stick with the same mate they paired with originally.

7.

Defence. Some members of the skink family stick their tongue out to scare off predators such as the blue tongue skink, these guys are a bit different. They puff their body up. This is done for a few reasons. It makes them like other reptiles such as snakes, seem more intimidating. Remember also these guys live amongst rocks. When they puff up, they make it much harder for a predator to pull them out from hiding.

8.

The Cunningham Skink is a diurnal lizard (meaning daytime). Like all reptiles they are ectothermic They will bask in the early morning to absorb heat in order to function, digest food ect. They have excellent eyesight in the day though not so much at night.

These guys are a pretty cool lizard. Like most Australian reptiles, you can own them as pets (with the appropriate licence). I wouldn't recommend them as a first lizard as they can be abit hard to deal with for the inexperienced owner. Species such as blue tongue skinks make far better pets in which to interact with.

Snake season is getting closer and it's always best to have a good snake bite kit or two. SMART bandages are the only go to. Do not buy chemist ones as they are not nearly appropriate to keep you safe from a snake bite.

St Johns. Ambulance and others sell them. I get mine from Survival and you can use discount code RIVREP10 to get 10% off. Does not matter which company you buy from, just ensure you have them:

www.survivalfirstaidkits.com.au
www.riverinareptilerelocation.com.au

Amour Renard: 0421449451

24/08/2026

Just a month or so before snake season begins. Are you and your property/business prepared?

Preparing your property has real value.

1.

The average cost of a dog/cat being treated for a snake bite can cost between $5-10,000 depending on antivenine(s) needed, medication, hospital stay and potentially long term or life long health care required for your family member.

2.

Ensuring your kids and family are kept safe. While we have the world's best antivenine programs, bites can leave life long health issues depending on the species such as loss of taste and smell permanently, right through to severe organ damage.

3.

Stress: Not having to worry as much about snakes potentially appearing and then costing you a call-out fee, not to mention the potential danger.

4.

Community: By ensuring there's far less chance of a snake appearing in your property, you also greatly assist others within your community.

5.

If you're a business, having a snake safety inspection helps tick ✅️ that box that insurance agencies love that minimises risk.

While nobody can ever fully snake proof a property, preparing early can substantially reduce to risk to your family, pets and property.

Each inspection comes with a digital detailed inspection report that highlights areas found to need improvement, as well as suggestions in how to improve the safety of the property.

23/08/2026

Good day ladies and gents,

Hope we're all having a marvellous weekend. These warm few days have been wonderful.

While the snake season is still not upon us yet, there's a few things I'd like to point out for the sake of safety.

Below I'll be explaining snakes and their behaviour and when to expect them to be returning.

Unlike mammals, reptiles live very much in yearly cycles. They require the cool months and their bodies cooling below 16⁰c in order to avoid being impotent. Without this cooling period, they cannot successfully mate (still can try though will not be fertile). This is known as brumation. Without brumation, infertility will occur for that year.

Snakes in order to be able to digest food require external heat such as the direct sun, rocks ect to bask and raise their temperatures. At this point we may see some snakes out for a sun on those warmer days though it's still too cool to be staying out.

What then makes them stay out is the night time temperatures being substantial enough to continue their digestion process.
See, snakes spend months down in the cold resting and staying quite inactive. The sun alone isn't enough to bring them out again. When they truly 'wake up' from this inactive stage they are seeking not only the warm sun, though food and lots of it (especially the girls which I'll explain why below). If a snake eats on say a 16⁰c day, then goes to sleep in 2⁰c at night, it cannot digest or depending on that night time temperature lengthens the time to which digestion occurs which puts the snakes life at risk.

So, in order to come back out for good, we need consistent day and night time temperatures.
They're hungry, and want to eat a lot. The girls more-so than the boys.

Boys come out to warm, eat and put weight lost back on. The girls however have it far harder then the boys.

They not only need to gain lost weight (which often isn't too much) though they need to gain significant fat for when they are pregnant or sitting on eggs.

Both genders of snakes have a vent at the base of their tail called the 'Cloacca'. This is where they both urinate, defecate, mate, lay eggs/live birth.
When a female snake is pregnant or carrying eggs she does not have the room to eat and have babies. She will fast during this time, as well as when she is sitting on the eggs. So, you can see why she'd be extra hungry right?

If a snake eats and cannot digest it's food it will often regurgitate it back up to avoid it turning toxic inside them. Doing so means that their stomach acid has raised significantly and eating again in the next few weeks could lead to internal bleeding.
Highly important they are able to digest food.

So, the process is they brumate, come out to eat rodents and then mate. After mating, females go away (adult females 3+ years of age+) to go lay eggs ect.

So, when do we practice safety outdoors? Especially those who are outdoor workers such as farmers, gardeners and landscapers, builders ect.

1.

This applies year round. ALWAYS wear appropriate PPE gear whether it's cold or warm. Snakes could come on for sun on any warmish day, or even cool day and you're moving some metal, bricks ect. Always use gloves, wear thick long pants with work boots or sneakers at bare minimum.

2.

Always carry a first aid kit. You can buy them at the chemist for snake bandages though unless you're first aid trained, it's more probable that you'll do the bandage up too tight which is counter productive to your own safety. The hospital needs to be able to detect venom and too tight of a bandage hinders that to the point where even a 20+ year experienced catcher died from doing just that in 2016 Wayne Cameron. He used pressure bandages and died an hour after being bitten when his bandages were removed. They could not detect the presence of venom due to the tightness of the bandage. Chemists sell these bandages. The only ones anyone should be using are SMART bandages. They have rectangles on the bandages that turn to squares when they are at the correct tightness. They take ALL guess work out, while applying the maximum pressure to keep you safe for up to 9 hours when standard first aid behaviour is strictly adhered to. I use a company called Survival for mine and I have a business discount code RIVREP10 for 10% off. I gain nothing from it, so don't feel compelled to buy from them. St Johns Ambulance among others also sell them. Buy them where you see fit. Keep one in the work/farm vehicle. One in the house, family car.

X 1 bandage does an arm.
X 2 bandage is required for a leg.

Bandages are NOT reusable or washable, and when the markings on the rectangles begin to fade, it's well worth replacing them.

Snakes pose us no intended harm. It's us who either through being unlucky are bitten via accidents, or trying to harm/engage a snake.

Nobody without proper certification and experience should be intentionally engaging with snakes. Especially Eastern Brown Snakes. They are ranked from 2-4 in the world's top fastest moving (not striking) snakes. They can generally move faster than we can 😱.

The good news about our snakes is even our larger elapids have short fangs. Australian snakes are not known to be able to bite into our blood stream, rather the venom travels via our lymphatic system (muscles). The more we talk, panic, swallow or move around it pushes that venom further (which is why our SMART bandages work), it moves the venom. The base of our neck contains what's known as the subclavian vein. This vein is like a super highway so to speak. It transports the venom from our lymphatic system (slow moving) to the subclavian vein which means symptom onset is rapid. If the potency of our snakes injected into our veins we'd have far more deaths than we have.

We aren't in the season yet, though we are moving towards it over the next month or so.
If you've any questions regarding any of what I've covered I'm happy to answer on here, by DM or phone call on 0421449451.

Stay safe, and enjoy the cooler weather while we have it.

Amour Renard.

0421449451

20/08/2026

Good day all,

My apologies in not having a few more posts up before now. I've been unwell as many have been this time of year.

The species we're going to discuss this week is the Shingle Back lizard (Tiliqua Rugosa). It has many nick names such as Bob tailed, pine cone ect'.

Here's some facts about this amazing lizard to better help you understand it and become better informed.

1.

It's part of the skink family, such as the blue tongue for example. They are a slow moving lizard, like many other skink species.

2.

It gives live birth not eggs. One unique thing about this species is they have quite small birthing sizes. Between 1-3 being born, with 2 being the average.

3.

This species is monogamous. When they mate they do so for life. They will separate before and during the brumation period then reconnect when it starts to warm up.

4.

Like the Blue Tongue they also eat a diet based off grubs and insects, as well as vegetation. Slow moving prey such as snails and slugs, beetles, spiders and carrion. They prefer a veggie diet over their animal protein.

5.

They come in a variety of colours ranging from black to brown to speckled. Depending on their location they can even have bits of gold. There are four subspecies within this species.

6.

Defence: As you'd notice, they have a fat tail which in defence comes in handy to protect them by tricking any predators to attacking their tail rather than their head. Thus allowing them to potentially make an escape.

7.

Their scales are considerably tough compared to other lizards. These scales make like an excellent set of armour making it hard for many predators to get a bite in, even to a degree some mammals.

8.

Depending on their own events within their life, they can live up to 50 years, though on average like most wild lizards of their family will live between 10-20 years on average.

9.

Their tail isn't just to keep them safe from predators. It also keeps them fed. Fat storage allows them to have reserves for food in colder months or those times finding food is hard.

10.

The habitat of these guys is similar to other skink species. They love lots of coverage due to not really being able to get off the ground with such short legs. Logs, long grass, leaves, rocks and any other form of shelter will do.

These guys are not aggressive though if handled in the wild may bite as self defence. Like the Blue tongue they are non-venomous and the danger is in their powerful jaws which at worst causes pain.
They are quite a docile lizard so biting only occurs in cases where they're being handled. They will stick out their tongues and stick that head up if they need to defend themselves.

25/06/2026

G'day all,

Another Friday some more cool Reptile facts about some local species. Dispelling some myths and providing facts. This week it's about the lovely lizard everyone knows well, though still every season he's mistaken for a snake in hiding, as well as some other beliefs about him that aren't quite true. So, with that said let's get to it.

Blue Tongues are part of the 'Skink' family which include other species such as the shingle back (also known as pine cone lizard) among many other species. There are over 400 species of Skink in Australia 🇦🇺. Some lay eggs, while others like the Blue Tongue for example give live birth. Their blue tongue is used to warn off threats to appear venomous when in fact they aren't. Here's a few questions with answers, as well as cool facts about the Blue Tongue lizard.

Q 1)

I've heard having a Blue Tongue in the garden is good because they ward off brown snakes.

Q 1A)

Unfortunately this isn't true. While they will eat baby snakes, they themselves are eaten by snakes larger than themselves. Reptile world works by the bigger you are the more you eat.

Q 2)

Their blue tongue means they are venomous. Is this true?

Q 2A)

This is false. It's merely used as a defence mechanism against predators to appear that they are. His powerful bite is his true defence. Against a hungry animal, this doesn't always work out. Dropping the tail is another defence mechanism.

Q 3)

They will attack you, or even attack your pets as they're territorial.

Q 3 A)

Blue Tongues 👅 like all reptiles are also defensive. Often enough they are sadly attacked and killed by our family pets. Often enough it's because they are viewed as a threat, or an interesting live toy.

There aren't too many myths with this particular lizard though there are some cool things that benefit us and our gardens.

One thing blue tongues are notoriously known for with those who own cats or dogs is their thieving their cat or dog biscuits. They are a diurnal (day) omnivorous animal which eats plant matter as well as meat. Many people have come out their backyard to find a Blue Tongue chowing down on their cats biscuits while the cat looks on helplessly confused 😕.

There are however many benefits to having Blue Tongues in your garden.

1.

They will munch away on weeds and plant matter that you don't want in your garden. They're high effective at keeping down weeds.

2.

When it rains, many snails come out which is one of their favourite foods 😋. The snails are also quite good for their health. They also eat many other nasty insects like roaches, mossies, small mice among many others that do harm to your gardens fruit and plants.

3.

Being that they eat a variety of plants including fruit, they also as a result disperse seeds around your property greatly enriching your native plant locations. Every few days they eat and will snack down until they are quite full.

Most people don't usually have a problem with Blue Tongues being in their garden though it's great to know that not only are they not a threat to us, they also provide many benefits as well. Occasionally I have had to relocate one from either being in a business where it shouldn't be, or the property owners concerned their pets may kill it so in the best interest of the animal they'd like him moved on.

I would also strongly discourage attempting to pick one up. While it's also illegal due to laws, and non venomous they do however give a nasty bite which the pain has been known to stick around for weeks. Despite their small size, their jaws are incredibly powerful and shouldn't be underestimated due to their small size. They're fairly peaceful by nature and are happy to live among many other animals including your cats and dogs (providing they themselves aren't attacked and injured). If you find a Blue Tongue injured, keep an eye on to ensure it's safety and give either Wild Care a call or WIRES for free assistance with an injured animal. Keep in mind these organisations are free to injured animals and cannot legally collect uninjured animals.

The Blue Tongue will puff up to make himself look bigger, hiss and stick out their tongue in self defence. Failing that, if they are attacked will bite though often enough they may not even bite. Unlike snakes where we can tell the gender on a quick glance of the tail, lizards are harder. Generally an X Ray is required to confirm. On physical inspection, the male generally has a larger head than his female counterpart. They too brumate like all other reptiles as it's part of their yearly cycle, as well as required for their ability to breed when it warms up. Without cooling, they cannot successfully mate in spring.

Enjoy your weekend folks and keep warm.

12/06/2026

Good evening/day folks,

Usually each season I get several calls regarding these fellas, Lace Monitors (Varanus Varius), though in the last few months the calls have been a little more frequent than usual. My last call regarding one just a few days ago. So, here's a little info on this beautiful big lizard, as well as some questions answered as per the questions I'm asked.

The lace monitor is Australia's second largest lizard, and the seventh largest lizard in the world. They grow on average around 6.5 feet though have recorded weight up to 15kg or so. I'll pose a couple questions here with answers in order to help educate around these gorgeous specimens.

Q 1) Snakes are generally solitary, are Lace Monitors also?

Q 1A) Yes, Lace Monitors are also solitary. They don't live with other monitors. Each monitor species around the world is completely different in how they live, feed and act.

Q 2. I've heard they're venomous. Is this true?

Q 2A) Yes, ALL monitors are MILDLY venomous. Hospitalisation for a monitor bite is usually based on ligament damage and not from venom effects.

Q 3) Are they nomadic (travel around) like the Eastern Brown Snake does?

Q 3A) No, the lace monitor generally picks a territory and lives and hunts there. They aren't known to travel around.

Q 4) Where do they live?

Q 4A) Unlike terrestrial snakes that live under rocks, tree stumps and rabbit warrens, Lace Monitors are superb climbers and can easily scale a tree. Generally you'll find them in tree hollows up high in the gum trees away from predators.

Q 5) Are they dangerous to humans? Will they attack me if they see me?

Q 5A) Lace Monitors will avoid conflict at all costs. Like any wild animal, if cornered kr grabbed they will defend themselves though they aren't known to attack. The damage can be incredibly high from a two metre lizard with Razor sharp teeth, long sharp claws and a tail that does high damage in itself. Avoid grabbing one and call a professional if needed.

Q 6) What risk do Lace Monitors pose to our pets?

Q 6A) Lace Monitors like I mentioned are a huge lizard 🦎. Unfortunately for us, they view our eggs, fowl, cats and small dogs like prey due to their size and our pets smaller size. If you have Lace Monitors around and you don't want them relocated then the best thing you can do for your pets is to lock them up safe inside. Small dogs and cats do NOT stand a chance with such a big lizard.

Q 7) Are Lace Monitors diurnal (day) or nocturnal (night)?

Q 7A) Lace Monitors are diurnal and will often be found sunning on exceptionally hot days due to their requirements for a far hotter body heat than other reptiles.

Here's some quick info about Monitors you may not be aware of:

ALL monitors are highly intelligent, and their ability to store memory (spatial memory), problem solve and recognise individual people is similar to that of parrots 😲. Like all reptiles they become less active during the colder months. If you do happen to see one, and needs removing then please feel free to call. NEVER attempt to catch, injure or kill them as it is both a criminal act, as well as highly dangerous. Severe bites from Lace Monitors can even in some cases damage the hands completely.

Amour Renard

Riverina Reptile Relocation

0421449451

www.riverinareptilerelocation.com.au

www.survivalfirstaidkits.com.au DSC Code: RIVREP10 for 10% off.

Riverina Reptile Relocation on YouTube.

01/06/2026

Snake season as we know it is over. Here's some facts about snakes during the colder months, and why the cold is just well as their breeding cycle and why they are important as the heat.

On this post I'll be discussing 'brumation'. What it is, how it works and how you can keep safe as well as being educated, as cold has value to snakes.

1.Q

What is 'brumation'?

1.A

Brumation is similar to hibernation, though there are distinct differences. Hibernation is where a mammal such as the well known example of a bear goes away for the winter and doesn't generally leave their den. They remain in an inactive state and don't reappear until spring where it's warm.
Brumation varies from this. Brumation is where for example a snake becomes far less active, though once a month or so may come up on a warm day to sun such as 12⁰c days or higher. If we're in for a few warm days then they may even squeeze (pun intended) a small meal. Nothing too large as they need heat to digest otherwise they will regurgitate or become ill from it rotting.

2.Q

Where do snakes go to brumate?

2.A

Snakes will go to various places such as under large rock crevices, hollowed out logs, or anywhere else they will they can hide out to avoid being disturbed. I've even pulled multiple Brown snakes from the same hole in the ground of man made structures. They also can hide out down in abandoned rabbit holes.

3.Q

Why is the cold weather so important for snakes 🐍?

3.A

Snakes like other reptiles need their body to cool down, otherwise they are infertile.
Unless they cool down, the snake may try to mate though both genders will be unable to reproduce. They rest up, lose some body weight during this season thus coming out in spring ravenous for their prey. Females upon becoming gravid (carrying young/eggs) will be unable to eat as pregnancy progresses. She needs to eat, and eat well while she not only carries eggs, though also sits on them.

Fun Fact: While Eastern Brown Snakes are known to be solidarity, during brumation they can be seen sheltering in the same dens in order to keep warm and safe from the cold.

4. Q

Can you tell which snake is male and which is female by looking at them?

4.A

The simple answer, yes. While I'd never encourage anyone to go in for a closer look, due to safety concerns, telling the gender of a snake is as simple as looking at it's tail.
The tail on a female snake will go from fill width of the snake down to a short little tail, whilst a males tail tapers off gradually. Why this makes sense is as follows.
Male Snakes like other reptiles contain a hemipenes. What this is two sets of male genitalia in a prong like look which are stored below the cloaca (the vent to which they mate, urinate, defecate, give birth or lay eggs from. The males need this extra room for their genitalia. Female snakes on the other hand do not. Their reproductive system including eggs or live young are stored above the cloaca. Having a female ar your place is sure to attract males seeking a mate during the breeding season. They will leave their hiding hole and come out to feast. Once their bodies have cooled, warmed up and fed they will then look to mate.

5.Q

Keep safe in winter?? There's no snakes about!! Why?

5. A

Yes, this is true. They aren't out and about though they don't disappear from the planet. They hide away in all sorts of places where there is inactivity such as inactive barns, sheds, water pipes and others. You could be out working and go to move a rock or log and find a sleeping snake or even a few. While winter poses far less risk, take precaution such as checking as best you can and ensure you have full view of where you're walking. Especially on a warm winters day.

6. Q

What should I do in winter if I see a snake?

6. A

If you see a snake brumating, leave it be. It is likely cold and thus hardly able to move or react like they do in heat. If it's in your property in a place it shouldn't be for safety concerns, feel free to call me for safe and professional removal.

Lastly, there's no reason to fear snakes. The fear we have is what they venom could do to us, rather than understanding what their venom is designed for. Their venom is designed firstly for their prey, and if required also for something that poses a risk to their safety. Like the kangaroo, koala, echidna, wombat ect they are one of Australia's beautiful native animals who like others only seek food, shelter and safety. They want to avoid us at all costs though in their hunt for the three mentioned above needs sometimes come into contact with us. What happens in these situations depends on us. They help farmers out to keep rodents under control. They help keep mice and rats away from the eggs in your chicken nest.

If you do need a snake removed during this inactive time, I can be contacted on: 0421449451.

Riverina Reptile Relocation

04/09/2026

02/09/2026

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