A tiger snake in the ‘S’ pattern, showing it is ready to strike. Photos: Darren Darch
Said to be among the top 10 most venomous snakes in the world with strongly neurotoxic and coagulant poison, tiger snakes are a common site in southern Australia, especially swampy places like the Kepa Kurl wetlands.
Snake catcher and wildlife rescuer Darren Darch said they were more a “defensive snake” than an “aggressive snake”.
“The community as a whole like to think they’re aggressive because they tend to move towards a person hooded up like a cobra,” he said.
“That is what I call the warning position, that will primarily be because they are standing where the snake wants to be.
“It may be returning to a place where it has come from, or it may be a male snake following a female.”
Mr Darch gave the example of two snakes he caught late last month.
“As soon as I went towards the male he hooded up, purely because he wanted to go towards that female,” he said.
“She will be laying a pheromone trail, letting the male know she is in season
and he will be wanting that prize.”
How to read a tiger snake’s posture
Mr Darch advised people to become familiar with the posture a snake takes as it moves, as this is a clear indication of how dangerous it is, and how a person should act.
The first of these he called the “defensive” posture.
“If their head is raised 5cm or below off the ground and the neck or head shape remains rounded they are just going to where they want to go and can be left alone,” he said.
The second he called the “warning” posture.
“When they raise the head 10 cm and start hooding up that is a sign they are looking at striking,” Mr Darch said.
The third is the “S pattern” or “striking posture”.
“Then they go into the ‘S’ pattern, that means ‘I am going to bite you’,” Mr Darch said.
“You should walk backwards and always keep an eye on the snake.
“If he is approaching you still in the ‘S’ pattern you need to step off to the left or right, whichever is safe.
“Then you will be stepping off the snake’s line and they will drop down and become the warning snake, still in the hooded state, and they will pass you.”
Where to find tiger snakes
Mr Darch said tiger snakes were common anywhere surrounding water.
“They can travel on a normal day up to about 2km in their home range,” he said.
“They are less reliant on water for drinking because he lives in and around it, so if he comes into your yard he is more likely to be there for food.”
Mr Darch said the tiger snake was part of the black snake family which had a greater ability to regulate body temperature, making it a more effective night hunter.
“They only need about an hour to warm up,” he said.
“They are often out late afternoons to heat up then they hunt through the night to get the frogs.
“They are an opportunistic feeder — they will take a lizard or a mouse, they will eat anything including other snakes, but frogs are their favourite.”
What they look like
People familiar with eastern Australian tiger snakes are sometimes surprised to find the WA variety to be a solid black on its dorsal side, often concealing the yellow stripes on its belly from view.
Molecular genetic studies now show Australian tiger snakes to be a single species (Notechis scutatus), with regional variations in colour.
Mr Darch removes snakes in and around Esperance and can be contacted by phoning 9071 2528 during office hours or 0417 745 325 after hours.
