16/10/2026
Greetings all,
Amour here from Riverina Reptile Relocation. Often there's a few myths and misconceptions from snakes.
Today we'll tackle a few of these false beliefs and hopefully educate you to understand snakes and in particular our well known Eastern Brown Snake.
1. Brown snakes are brown only right?
There are many colourations that an Eastern Brown can be. It depends upon genetics, as well as their habitat. Some of the most well known ways to verify if a snake is an Eastern Brown can be pink spots on the belly. This isn't always in every Brown Snake, so it's not a clear and guaranteed way to identify.
2. Snakes (and in particular brown snakes chase you)
No, as much as this may seem apparent to you, the snake was simply travelling in that direction. Snakes either identify a being as either one of two things. A) Food B) Threat.
Humans are most definitely not food so we can only be a threat. Snakes can have a sort of invisible ring around them so to speak they consider their area. Get out of that small area and the snake will feel calm. I've heard wild stories over the years. Some of those include being chased up entire ladders by brown snakes. Unfortunately, fear and lack of understanding can breed all manner of false beliefs about these mysterious creatures.
3. To ward off snakes you can use scents like ammonia/bleach as well as garden solar vibration devices.
This again is a misconception. No scent is known to ward off snakes. It's not how their anatomy works. Vibration devices can be seen online with snakes curled up asleep around them.
4. You need to kill/take a photo of the snake to show the doctor.
Doctors are experts in the medical industry. Quite little of what they deal with on a day to day basis is snake related. Most doctors know as much about snakes as you do, outside of how their venom impacts the health implications. They run swabs and tests to check for envenomation, and to what degree that you have been envenomated.
5. Snakes want to bite us as they hate humans.
No, snakes have absolutely no motivation or interest in biting us. Especially the case with brown snakes. They possess little venom, especially compared with most species. 95% of all snake bites in Australia occur when someone is trying to hurt, capture or kill the snake. While you might think that you're saving your family/pets by killing it, rather you're greatly raising the chance that you or someone will be bitten. All snakes (even of the same species) are different, as well as the situation can affect whether you harm this snake. So besides the legal repercussions, you're placing yourself in more danger. Rather than trying to hurt it, either let it pass if it's no immediate threat and no reason to be there, or call the catcher to come relocate it. Remember, it's vital you keep an eye on it. Once we've lost sight it can be near impossible to find it again.
The brown snake in particular shouldn't be hated by farmers, rather loved. They kill thousands of rodents each year and have no interest in livestock or us. Leave them be and they'll do right by us.
If you, your pet or someone you know feels they may have been bitten by a snake, do not delay. Immediately contact 000 if human or call a vet if it's a pet.
Apply first aid SMART bandages if you have them. Better to treat a potential bite (even if you see no mark) as a bite than to ignore it an have serious health complications.
