One slippery serpent was keen to start the new year with a new job.
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A juvenile Highlands Copperhead was waiting to start his working day at Pirtek in Moss Vale when a worker found the young snake on a toolbox, 1.5 metres off the floor.
Cory Kerewaro from Reptile Relocation Sydney was called to remove the wannabe apprentice from the work site on January 4.
"It was pretty bizarre," he said.
"We got a call saying there was a copperhead at Pirtek and they said it was on top of a toolbox. When we got down there, the toolbox was a metre and half off the ground. We don't know how the snake got up there.
"One of the workers said he was getting stuff out of the draw from the toolbox when he saw it and thought someone was playing a joke on him.
"As he went to have a closer look he realised that it definitely wasn't fake."
Cory said the toolbox was not a place where you would expect to find a small snake up that high.
"It is definitely uncommon," he said.
"It was only 15 to 20 cm long. It was only tiny. But how it got up there is a bit of a mystery. There's no reason for the snake to be up there; there's no food source, there's no water."
While the snake on a toolbox is first, Cory said he has found snakes in some weird locations.
"We've pulled them out of two-story roofs before where there are no trees or any way to climb up, we've pulled them out of toilets and weird spots all the time," he said.
"This one was interesting because they thought it was a practical joke, they're just lucky that they didn't pick it up thinking it was fake."
The workers at Pirkek can breath a sigh of relief as the solitary serpent won't have a mother snake looking for it.
"Snakes are solitary reptiles, there's no maternal instinct. Highlands Copperheads are born live as well, so there's no eggs or anything like that. Once the mum gives birth, it's pretty much a case of dropping them and leaving them," he said.
"The babies spread out and go their own way as well, so there's not going to be a big influx of snakes hanging around together.
"These guys are definitely not communal."
Cory's advice for anyone that spots a snake, whether inside or out, is to always know where the snake is and keep a safe distance.
"If the snake is inside the house or office and in a room, the best thing to do is shut the door, put a towel under the door so it can't come out and call a licensed catcher to remove the snake," he said.
"If it was out in the yard and someone spotted a snake, they could take a photo and send it to use for identification and we could give them the advice they need.
"Snakes won't stick around in the one spot for too long, unless someone wants the snake removed, they can wait it out as it will move on in its own time.
"The best thing for someone to do though is to keep an eye on it from a safe distance, take a photo and work out if they want it removed. If they want the snake removed, they should keep an eye on it from a safe distance until someone gets there."
Cory also advises people to not catch snakes or approach them.
"The only time people get bitten is when they are trying to catch or kill a snake," he said.
"As long as they don't approach a snake, there's no issue. People can safely observe a snake from 10 metres away. If a snake is right at there feet, the best thing would be to stand still.
"Snakes react quickly to movement; The more you move, the more they freak out and view you as a threat. If you don't make fast move movements and don't move around - they won't see you a threat and will mosey along by themselves."
If someone does get bitten by a snake, Cory's advice is to compress and immobilise the area straight away and call 000.
"If they have been bitten or are concerned that they've been bitten, they should apply pressure and immobile the area," he said.
"The most common parts of the body that get bitten are the hands and lower legs.
"If it's on the ankle, take the shoe off and start wrapping an elasticised bandage from the lowest part of the limb up to the bite site, wrap around twice and do the whole limb.
"From there, the person should stay still and not move and then call an ambulance. You don't need to catch the snake to show the paramedics which snake bit you because they have identification kits.
"They swab the bite site and it tells them which anti-venom needs to be used. So don't try to suck the venom out, don't wash the bite site.
"The best thing to do is stay calm, don't touch the bite site, apply pressure and immobilise with a bandage, ring an ambulance and do not move around.
"The quickest way for the venom to move around your body is through the lymphatic system, so the more you move around the quicker it goes through."
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Vera Demertzis
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
