Thursday 29 August 2013

Snakes alive: deadly tenants nest in Australia's suburbs

They are the nightmare tenants who can live undetected alongside Australian families for years: the world's deadliest snakes.

Australia is home to some of the most venomous species including the lethal eastern brown, which thrive in urban areas where rubbish bins attract prey such as rats and mice.

Sydney snake handler Andrew Melrose says some species even spend winter months comfortably curled up inside warm roofs, until they are disturbed, often by accident.

"Some people really panic, and they are screaming," says Melrose of the residents who call him for help.

"They reckon they are going to sell up and move to a place like New Zealand where there are no snakes."

The irony is that the reptiles have often been living in the house or garden for years, and it is only something out of the ordinary -- such as a rare day off for the homeowner or a building renovation -- that brings them to light, Melrose says.

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