Tasmanian snake catchers kept busy as the weather warms up

Tasmanian snake catcher Scott Smith said they had recently removed a tiger snake found curled up in a plant hanging basket from a home, and were called out on Christmas day to remove an unwanted guest found in debris.

Earlier this month they were called to a property where the owners had seen four snakes in the area at the one time.

Mr Smith said the recent wetter than usual season meant some well-conditioned snakes were being discovered.

"Call numbers are definitely increasing, more so in the early morning or the late afternoon. The majority of calls come from homes near some sort of bushland where obviously the snakes are coming out looking for water or food," Mr Smith said.

"But when it is wetter, and the dams are full, and the creek beds aren't dry, this reduces the number of snakes coming to our properties looking for water...Snakes living around dams have got a good food source, with frogs and lizards. So when people think they are seeing a huge snake, it is a snake in good condition."

Mr Smith said while breeding season generally started in February, breeding activity could start as early as spring.

"When the females are getting ready to breed you definitely see an attitude change in the males where they get more aggressive," he said.

"When a female is getting read to breed, the males in that area will search her out and will combat and fight each other. The strongest will then hang around and wait until she is ready to breed.

"We went to a job where the males were combatting, where there were four snakes, one female and three males, who were seen at the one time. The males all got together and once they sort out who is superior, the others take off."

Mr Smith said anyone living on bush properties should put out water bowls along the perimeter of the property to prevent snakes from entering the property in search of water.

Snake Catcher Tasmania's Olivia Dykstra, who aims to educate people about how to live with snakes and reptiles, said fear around snakes was often misguided.

She often relocated snakes due to their proximity to houses where children or pets frequent.

"My initial fear of snakes was passed down from my mother, that was passed down from her mother, and in the end that is why I got into snake catching," Ms Dykstra said.

Olivia can be contacted for snake relocation on 0488929761